Being Black is a beautiful, rich and exciting experience steeped in culture and history. That being said, there are times when being Black in a world that in a world that hates us simply for the color of our skin can also be frustrating and heartbreaking. The events of last summer and the continuing efforts to bring about racial equality caused a lot of artists to examine Blackness and the struggles that come with it. British singer-songwriter Pip Millett did just that and her soul searching manifested in her new single "Running."
On the song, Pip gets out some of her frustration with the way society works. Specifically, she takes issue with the way Black lives are trivialized. "Sufferin' is sexualized, fantasized / Do you find it pleasing? / Pullin' on my hair, no, no / Grippin' on my skin, no, no / Playin' with your prey, no, no / My life is not a game, no, no," she sings on one verse. The haunting, piano-driven melody — made even more so by a well-placed vocal sample — only adds to the song's moody atmosphere. It also sets the scene for guest Ghetts to drop some insightful rhymes touching on police brutality.
The song's accompanying video takes a unique approach to these themes. It features Pip and Ghetts walking throughout a gothic mansion. Intercut with their scenes are clips of an Afro'd Black woman running throughout the space while attempting to find a space free of the gaze of the Victorian era portraits that stare back at her all over the mansion's walls. It's a powerful visual and one that should resonate with many of us in the diaspora.
While we will always delight in the beauty that is Blackness, we must also take the time to voice these feelings and frustrations in order to effect change. May Pip Millett continue to raise these points in her music. Check out "Running" and its thought-provoking visual when you press play below.
