Corinne Bailey Rae – SilverCane

Corinne Bailey Rae has released her brand new single ‘SilverCane’, the first taste of new music following the release of her critically acclaimed album Black Rainbows which is shortlisted for the Mercury Prize this week.

 ‘SilverCane’ is a warped, minimal electro track with progressive, funk beats under Corinne’s captivating yet eerie lyrical delivery, “Sometimes we march in this parade / Sometimes we take our aeroplane”, highlighting the affluent black families of 20th century Greenwood, Oklahoma who couldn’t escape the persecution of white supremacists.

 Corinne Bailey Rae comments: “Known as ‘Black Wall Street’, Greenwood was a wealthy district of an oil town at the turn of the 20th century, with 600 black businesses, including hotels, a bus company, restaurants, 21 churches, a hospital and post office. Several prominent families owned private planes.

 The destruction of Greenwood came in 1921 with a well-documented enactment of white supremacist violence, the first incidence of domestic firebombing in US history. But this song celebrates Greenwood before that; the families, the freedom, the confidence, the feeling of having created a place away from hatred and fear. There is an ominous feeling in the background as we, the listener, know what is coming.

 ‘SilverCane’ is part of my Black Rainbows project. I’m thrilled to be celebrating the success of Black Rainbows as it shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, Album of The Year 2024.”

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