CHASTITY BROWN shares ‘Golden’ today for Juneteenth

“This is for me, my people, and the UPRISING to defund police here in Minneapolis and thereby set a new standard for how communities want to be protected.” - Chastity Brown

June 19, 2020: Tennessee-born, Minneapolis-based artist Chastity Brown is releasing her new single ‘Golden’, today in honor of Juneteenth. Brown, who’s supported such artists as Ani DiFranco, The Indigo Girls and poet/activist Andrea Gibson while touring for her acclaimed Red House debut, SILHOUETTE OF SIRENS, has been sheltering at her home in the South Minneapolis neighborhood recently impacted by the protests.

Golden is available to download for free from her website to celebrate the black community.

Chastity has included donation links on her website for two Minneapolis organisations that are dear to her heart. Little Earth Residents and Free Black Dirt.

Lyric Video - Golden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKg-XQ0D1Cc&feature=emb_title

Website - download & donations link: http://chastitybrownmusic.com

Streaming links: https://redhouserecords.lnk.to/Golden

Golden. Why I wrote it.

It seems like only yesterday but it was 2011 when Nikki Finney was accepting her National Book Awaard for her book “Head Off & Slit”. In her speech she said something that got to my core. She said, “One of the things I always thought about when I was very, very young and dreaming of being a poet was, ‘Is it possible to write something absolutely beautiful about something absolutely heartbreaking or absolutely difficult or painful?’”

In that regard, This song feels to me one of my many attempts to say the difficult things beautifully. I began writing the tune a few weeks back before George Floyd’s life was taken. So the wind was about, so to speak. Amid this Uprising with smoke looming in the air over this whole city miles away my sweet and talented nephew was on his way home in Harlem and was beat up by the police.

My breaking point, my boiling over.

This collective trauma that black, indigenous, immigrant, and queer/trans folk feel is real. It’s every god damn day. Yet, we still thrive and flourish in our natural beauty, we still have swag and songs for days. We still have wild and wondrous imaginations like we are all the children of Octavia [Butler].

I went into my garage studio on June 2nd at noon and came out at 8pm having written and recorded the entire song on my iPad. It felt electric. It felt like a griot was singing the whole tune in my ear. And I was just trying to keep up. This is for me, my people, and the UPRISING to defund police here in Minneapolis and thereby set a new standard for how communities want to be protected.

Golden
Lyrics and composition by Chastity Brown
June 2, 2020

Well excuse me there while I tell my truth
And it rattles up and rings in you
But you don’t know what to say or do
So you stare

Got golden drops upon my lips
And golden eyes and golden hips
And there’s glory in the power
Of my name

So why have I got to be angry
Why have I got to be angry
Oh why have I got to be angry
Up in here

I’ve got joy, even when I’m a target
If ya think that’s political
Don’t get me started
You know I’m golden and I flaunt it
You know its true

Everything I touch is golden
And every time I sing you want to be on it
And all the swag I bring, I bring its flawless
You know its true

So why have I got to be angry
Why have I got to be angry
Oh why have I got to be angry
Up in here

Does this black woman voice have too much power for ya
Would it go down sweetly if I sang softer

Does this black woman voice have too much power
Would it go down sweetly if I sang softer

So why have I got to be angry
Why have I got to be angry
Oh why have I got to be angry
Up in here

Oh why have I got to be angry
Why have I got to be angry
Oh why have I got to be angry
Up in here

https://compass.audiosalad.com/?xurl=9769bb3ff2b340dba0e69a9c3d61e73fb49c3f76

https://redhouserecords.lnk.to/Golden

http://chastitybrownmusic.com/