Many artists are releasing songs not only to celebrate the Black Lives Matter movement but also today Juneteenth, the holiday that recognizes the day that slaves were officially freed after the civil war in America. Anderson .Paak, who was scheduled to perform at Coachella earlier this year but was cancelled because of COVID-19, is among artists who are using their platform to speak out about the current state of the nation by releasing his single “Lockdown,” out today along with a music video. His single comes after his album that was released this time last year Ventura, which lyrically is a big contrast from his new single.

The song follows Anderson .Paaks style of sound, incorporating funky beats with an uplifting sound, mixing his own style of rap that melts into singing, and on this track he also features artist Jay Rock. The song is about the protests seeking for justice for black lives during the global pandemic. In the video .Paak seems to have just left a protest with a group of friends, with their face masks on, and processing the weight of the day that has passed. The video portrays .Paak’s frustration about the current uncertainty of the world. .Paak is shown writing the song at his piano in his home, and the video closes with him comforting his own child on their couch while he silently cries. The last image the viewer is left with is the fist symbol that the Black Lives Matter movement uses made up entirely of names of black men and women who have been wrongfully killed.

Photo Credit: Stephen Hoffmeister