Ciara is back with a new track titled “Melanin.” The empowering, up-tempo song is heavy on collaborators with bars from City Girls, actress Lupita Nyong’o, “Super Bass” co-writer Ester Dean, and reality TV star “La La” Anthony. Listen below.
“This is ultimately an anthem of self-love, which is a journey I’ve been on since my Beauty Marks album,” says Ciara.
“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.”
Black Panther star Lupita Nyong’o delivers one of the more memorable verses on the track. Nyong’o boasts “my hue, dark chocolate, movie deals, I get a lot.” The Mexican-Kenyan actress has been candid about her experiences with colorism and recently published a children’s book about colorism and self-love that centers on a dark-skinned girl.
It’s not the first bars we’ve heard from the actress, though. Back in October, she delivered a freestyle ode to Beyonce on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
