VIDEO PREMIERED ON BET TIMES SQUARE BILLBOARD
Multi-platinum selling, GRAMMY-nominated rapper/producer Vic Mensa has officially released “Blue Eyes“, a short film which doubles as a music video for the powerful track, which debuted on his sophomore full length, VICTOR (Roc Nation). Filmed and directed by longtime friend and collaborator, Andre Muir (who helmed the the similarly moving and thought provoking video for Vic’s song “Shelter ft. Chance the Rapper”), the new short film was shot in Jamaica and captures the pain and emotion associated with the deeply personal track, in which Vic breaks down the internalized insecurities he experienced growing up biracial and addresses the toxicity of Euro-centric beauty standards. “The song ‘Blue Eyes’ is one of the most personal I’ve ever made and illustrates the impact of European beauty standards on the mind of the African, using my experience and that of my aunt who recently passed from the effects of skin bleaching.” Cinematic shots of Vic freeing himself from someone trying to drown him in a river, Jamaican locals explaining the history behind skin bleaching, and a female lead who is shown wearing a blond wig which she removes toward the end of the film all symbolize freeing oneself from these toxic standards.
Last night Samsung hosted an early screening and panel conversation at their 837 event space, granting attendees an early preview before the film made its premiere today on BET’s Times Square billboard. Moderated by Larry Osei-Mensah, Vic and Andre Muir discussed the panoply of topics and issues that acted as inspiration for the short film. Earlier this month Vic shared a video of his parents listening and reacting to “Blue Eyes” for the first time, an emotional clip in which his mother is visibly moved to tears. Prior to this the song made its televised debut in a cathartic performance on the Tamron Hall Show. Vic also sat for a revealing interview on the show, in which he discussed self-discovery, sobriety, and more.
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Watch Vic Mensa perform “Blue Eyes” on Tamron Hall
