Usher has teamed up with Nas and Bibi Bourelly (the German artist responsible for writing Rihanna’s ‘Bitch Better Have My Money) for a new song called “Chains,” accompanied by a campaign to help tackle police brutality.
The song can be experienced through an interactive Tidal feature that uses your web cam and facial recognition technology. The idea behind the “Don’t Look Away” initiative is that while the song is playing, you’re forced to stare into the eyes of victims of police brutality and racially-motivated murders — including Trayvon Matin and Rekia Boyd. If you ‘look away’ from the screen, the song stops.
“I chose to introduce the song through the ‘Don’t Look Away’ experience because it is important not only to feel the issue but to face it,” Usher said in a statement. “The pain and suffering that these victims and their families have endured is something we must never forget. When we look away from this problem it gets worse. To fix it, we have to face it.”
Proceeds from “Chains” will be donated to a Donor Advised Fund managed by social justice organization, Sankofa.org.
Experience “Chains” below.
Alternate song stream:
