The boys of Chester French have a thing for black girls and want the whole world to know it. That’s the point of their hard-charging, glam-rocking new single, “Black Girls,” which has caused mixed reactions since its debut last week. Opening lyric: This ain’t no fetish / Ain’t objectifying no one / I reject your deconstruction of my taste / But ignoramuses keep lookin’ my direction / They’re so frustrated I don’t keep it in the race.”
D.A. Wallach and Maxwell Drummey haven’t exactly shied away from courting controversy in the past. Chester French debuted in 2008 with a safe-sex ditty called “She Loves Everybody” and an accompanying video that featured the duo getting roughed up by a female who knew how to land a punch. It certainly garnered Chester French some attention, though interest tapered off by the time they released their debut album, Love The Future, the following spring.
With Chester French basically on hiatus since then, “Black Girls” could be seen a cynical comeback bid, sparking a firestorm to get some press. That’s certainly been the result, even as Wallach says his intentions were honest. I don’t find “Black Girls” offensive, but rather a celebration, a positive response to negative words and images cultivated by Chester French’s musical peers. Of course, I realize I’m not the target.
Beyoncé’s little sis, Solange, recently profiled in The New York Times, and friends with Chester French, tacitly approves of “Black Girls.” As does Tatyana Ali, who was much more forthright with her praise, tweeting, “Sexiest song I’ve heard in a long time!”
However you absorb the message, there’s no arguing that “Black Girls” is certainly catchy. Travis Barker played drums on the track, and the breakdown at the end is very Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus”:
There’s a music video for “Black Girls,” which sort of muddles the song’s message — or adds another — as it features a interracial pair of females falling hard for each other. You can watch the NSFW clip here, if you like.
Purchase Chester French – “Black Girls” via iTunes. Or download it for free via their website in exchange for an email address.
