Maxwell Drops ‘Shame,’ New Song and Video ‘Celebrating Black Beauty’ (Watch)
By Jem Aswad
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – R&B icon Maxwell has dropped a new song and video, “Shame,” his third of the year and a preview from his forthcoming album, “NIGHT” (previously titled “BlackSummer’sNIGHT”), the completion of a trilogy that began with 2009’s “BLACKsummers’Night” and continued with 2016’s “BlackSUMMERS’night.”
The song, a return to his familiar sultry R&B after the darker earlier releases this year, soundtracks a video that is designed to be “a vibrant look into black beauty,” according to the announcement. It stars models and actors Maria Borgess, Jeneil Williams, Achok Majak, Riley Montana, Sira Kant and Adonis Bosso.
“We wanted to celebrate beauty. Specifically the beauty of Black women. Black women – Black people – don’t see themselves heralded as a standard of beauty nearly enough in the media, especially in entertainment, high fashion and art. It’s getting better, but we still have so far to go,” explains. “People of color have carried shame about our features, our hair, our bodies, our skin tone. As I said previously, this song is about removing the cloak of shame and opening up to love… including self-love and love of your culture. So we decided to pay homage to another beautiful video, George Michael’s iconic ‘Freedom’ – but make it Black. The end result is gorgeous, powerful and stunning. This video is a love letter to my women of color. Feel no shame in your skin – you are beyond beautiful.”
Directors Gerard Bush + Christopher Renz (Bush + Renz), who also directed the music short film “The Glass House” (which accompanied Maxwell’s song “We Never Saw It Coming”), said: “Maxwell courageously confronts personal shame, liberating himself from the scars of insecurity and bad decisions— while simultaneously and unapologetically celebrating black beauty in all its magnificence. Shame is a bold, sexy, audacious statement, that is meant to catalyze a conversation around extending beauty norms beyond European sensibilities.
Maxwell is on his “50 Intimate Nights Tour,” remaining dates appear below:
10/17 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live at the Event Center
10/18 – St. Petersburg, FL – Mahaffey Theater
10/20 – Huntsville, AL – Von Braun Center Concert Hall
10/21 – Jackson, MS – Thalia Mara Hall
10/24 – New Orleans, LA – Saenger Theatre
10/25 – Memphis, TN – Orpheum Theatre
10/27 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
10/28 – Sugar Land, TX – Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
10/29 – San Antonio, TX – Majestic Theatre
11/1 – Phoenix, AZ – Comerica Theatre
11/2 – San Diego, CA – Humphreys Concerts by the Bay
11/3 – Reno, NV – Grand Theatre at The Grand Sierra Resort
11/4 – Las Vegas, NV – The Pearl @ Palms Casino Resort
11/8 – Oakland, CA – Paramount Theatre
11/9 – Oakland, CA – Paramount Theatre
11/10 – Los Angeles, CA – Microsoft Theater
11/14 – Kansas City, MO – Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland
11/15 – St. Louis, MO – Stifel Theatre
11/18 – Nashville, TN – Schermerhorn Symphony Center
11/20 – Milwaukee, WI – Riverside Theater
11/21 – Minneapolis, MN – State Theatre
11/23 – Louisville, KY – Louisville Palace
11/24 – Northfield, OH – Hard Rock Live
11/26 – Toronto, ON – Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
11/28 – Montclair, NJ – The Wellmont Theater
11/29 – Westbury, NY – NYCB Theatre At Westbury
12/1 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre
12/2 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre
12/3 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre
12/5 – Boston, MA – Orpheum Theatre
12/7 – Wallingford, CT – Toyota Oakdale Theatre
12/8 – Upper Darby, PA – Tower Theater
12/9 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre
