Ciara just enlisted a who’s who of guest artists on her latest single, “Melanin.” The empowerment anthem dedicated to black women features City Girls, Lupita Nyong’o, La La Anthony, and Ester Dean.
“This is ultimately an anthem of self-love, which is a journey I’ve been on since my Beauty Marks album,” Ciara said in a press release. “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.”
In particular, the hyper-referential track celebrates black women’s skin tones, as Ciara kicks off the first verse:
CiCi is my name (Uh), love is my game (Yup)
Blue and green’s my color, I stay reppin' my team (Ooh-ooh)
My girls in every shade, mhm, we put that “S” in “slay”
I’m lifting up my queens, fixing crowns, that’s my thing
Nyong’o broke out her rap alter ego, Troublemaker, while referencing Wu-Tang Clan:
It’s Troublemaker back on the scene
Stay getting that green, Wu-Tang called it C.R.E.A.M
I ride with the team, my hustle’s a dream
I’m Mexican born, but a Kenyan queen (Ayy, ayy)
Last month, she appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where she revealed, “I was baptized Troublemaker by Common, so I feel like it’s legit.”
Earlier this year, Beyoncé name-checked Nyong’o on The Lion King: The Gift cut, “BROWN SKIN GIRL”:
She need an Oscar for that pretty dark skin
Pretty like Lupita when the cameras close in
Elsewhere on “Melanin,” Yung Miami lists everyone from Cardi B to Mary J. Blige in her verse:
Go CiCi go LaLa, go Resha, go J.T
Go Megan , go Cardi, go RiRi
Go Layton
C-I-T-Y wid it, city girl, I’m light wid it (Ow)
Brown skin, I’m fine wit' it (Ayy)
Go Mary J. Blige wid it, ayy
Ciara recently collaborated with Major Lazer and IZA on “Evapora,” and she dropped Beauty Marks back in May. She’ll host the American Music Awards on Nov. 24.
Listen to “Melanin” above, and read all the lyrics on Genius now.
