npr:
R&B singer Janelle Monáe released a blistering 6 ½-minute protest song on Friday called “Hell You Talmbout.” The song’s premise is simple, and that simplicity is the source of its power. The lyrics are the chanted names of black Americans killed by police and vigilantes, followed by the phrase “say his name” or “say her name.” The chorus is an anthemic, gospel-leaning repetition of the song’s title. Monáe is joined on the track by a drum line and the members of her Wondaland Arts Society collective: Jidenna, Roman GianArthur, Deep Cotton, St. Beauty and George 2.0. All of the vocals are raw, several to the point of breaking. None of the names are sung.
Janelle Monáe Releases Visceral Protest Song, ‘Hell You Talmbout’
Photo credit: Noam Galai/Getty Images
Go listen. It is more than worth it.
