{"id":22555,"date":"2018-02-28T11:11:51","date_gmt":"2018-02-28T16:11:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/?p=22555"},"modified":"2018-08-09T17:04:44","modified_gmt":"2018-08-09T21:04:44","slug":"playing-detroit-sam-austins-fenty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/playing-detroit-sam-austins-fenty\/","title":{"rendered":"PLAYING DETROIT: Sam Austins Shines on Ode to Rihanna, “Fenty”"},"content":{"rendered":"

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photo by Bre’Ann White (@breannwhlgn)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

Twenty-one-year-old alternative-R&B artist Sam Austins released a fun as hell single this week, named after Rihanna\u2019s cosmetic line, \u201cFenty.\u201d The song is a lighter follow-up to Austins\u2019 anxiety-ridden 2017 debut album, Angst, <\/em>and celebrates widening cultural perceptions of beauty. The release was accompanied by a massive billboard in Detroit\u2019s Corktown neighborhood that shows a gorgeous Austins donning bold lips and a glimmering eye, a testament to his allegiance to the brand.<\/p>\n

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Photo:\u00a0@alecaretakis<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

Although Austins isn\u2019t the first hip-hop artist to challenge societal stereotypes of beauty, masculinity, and gender, he is one of the few. While icons like David Bowie, Prince, and Boy George made room for more fluidity in the rock\/pop realm, hip-hop culture has been historically less forgiving of alternative expressions of masculinity and style. Frank Ocean helped in starting to shift hip-hop\u2019s homogeneous image in his 2017 music video, \u201cNikes<\/a>,\u201d where he spends part of the video clad in eyeliner and glitter. Austins\u2019 glamorous cover art follows suit and has inspired people all over to share their own versions of feeling themselves.<\/p>\n

Since the release of \u201cFenty,\u201d dozens of fans – including beloved Detroit visual artist, Ellen Rutt<\/a>\u00a0–\u00a0have sent Austins and his affiliated residency, Assemble Sound, videos of themselves singing, dancing, and glowing the fuck up to the infectious song. Produced by Sergio Romero and Detroit\u2019s Ice Pic, the song\u2019s bouncy beat and entourage of background hype-men are the perfect compliments to Austins\u2019 feel-good lyrics: \u201cI\u2019m still fresh off the drop like it\u2019s Fenty \/ Sitting front row at the show like a Fenty.\u201d There\u2019s arguably no better high than feeling like you are Rihanna.<\/p>\n

\u201cFenty\u201d is a continuation of Austins\u2019 artistic evolution and an excuse to sing into your selfie camera at full volume, no matter who you are.<\/p>\n