Ciara just released a powerful new single Rooted, featuring artist Ester Dean; along with a new music video for the track.
In a post introducing the song, Ciara wrote, “To all my Black Queens & Kings, always know everything you need to survive and thrive is rooted in you!”
Some of the single’s lyrics include, “All my songs come with melanin/Got the heart, got the soul like Harriett/A queen since she born, that was evident/That’s evidence, of Black excellence.”
“Young girl stay rooted/I done plant my seeds now I’m rooted/Brown skin poppin’, I’m rooted/ATL bred, I’m rooted,” the Grammy Award-winning artist sings in the chorus of the song.
The music video for Rooted, which Ciara shot two days before delivering her newborn son, is equally powerful. Directed by Annie Bercy, the video features moving images from nationwide Black Lives Matter protests.
Watch the video below:
In the video, a girl wears a T-shirt featuring a picture of Breonna Taylor with the words “Say Her Name” on it; while another person wears a shirt with “I Can’t Breathe” printed on the back in honour of George Floyd.
Footage of protesters raising their fists, holding signs featuring photos of Floyd and chanting for justice appear throughout. Celebrating Black dancers is also a central focus of the video.
Ciara’s 6-year-old son Future and 3-year-old daughter Sienna make appearances throughout the video.
The video ends with a strong message of hope and resilience from the singer. “To all my young Rosa’s and Young Luther’s keep marching,” it says.
“Don’t stop fighting for what you believe in,” Ciara’s message continues. “To all my Black queens and kings, continue to plant and spread seeds of love, hope and pride in your tribe. Everything you need to survive and thrive is rooted in you. Stay rooted.”
Ciara plans to donate a portion of the single’s proceeds to Grantmakers for Girls of Color; a philanthropic organization devoted to growing investment to support girls of colour.
