Usher recently collaborated with Nas and up-and-coming singer-songwriter Bibi Bourelly (Rihanna’s “B—h Betta Have My Money”) on a new song addressing the rash of police brutality against people of color.
The song, “Chains,” is paired with a compelling interactive video that utilizes facial recognition technology. Viewers must watch the screen continuously, and not look away as the faces of a number of victims such as Rekia Boyd and Trayvon Martin are displayed, or the video will stop playing.
“In writing this song, I was motivated by the events involving prejudicial injustices that are still happening today,” Usher said via statement. “The reality is that racial bigotry diminishes the lives of too many people in our country. We have to come together as a country to solve these problems and this is one way I can contribute.”
Usher went on to explain why he chose this particular method for the song’s video.
“I chose to introduce the song through the ‘Don’t Look Away’ experience because it is important not only to feel the issue but to face it”, he says. “The pain and suffering that these victims and their families have endured is something we must never forget. When we look away from this problem it gets worse. To fix it, we have to face it.”
Chains is available to view on Tidal. See Usher’s tweet announcing the song below.
