Ciara unveiled a new posse cut for the ages, tapping Lupita Nyong’o, City Girls, Lala Anthony and Ester Dean for her new song “Melanin.”
Dean produced and co-wrote the bustling, horn-laden cut, and sings its infectious chorus, “That’s that melanin/Yeah, that’s that chocolate, chocolate/We be killing ‘em/With all that chocolate, chocolate.” The rest of the song boasts delightful and celebratory verses from Ciara, Lala and City Girls’ JT and Yung Miami, while Oscar winner Nyong’o easily holds her own as her alter-ego Troublemaker with a verse that references Wu-Tang Clan and Kenyan long-distance runner and marathon champ Eliud Kipchoge.
In a statement, Ciara said of “Melanin,” “This is ultimately an anthem of self-love, which is a journey I’ve been on since my Beauty Marks album. It celebrates the beautiful shades of culture that comprise the inner and outer beauty of everyone. Embracing the unique nature of our skin tones threads together the tapestry of humankind.”
“Melanin” arrives on the heels of Ciara’s recent collaboration with IZA and Major Lazer, “Evapora.” In May, the singer released her latest album, Beauty Marks. Ciara is set to host the American Music Awards, which air this Sunday, November 24th, while she’ll also perform on the Nickelodeon float at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade next Thursday, November 28th.