FLANNEL ALBERT, Filthy the Kid & Jesediah celebrate the “Asian Glow”

On July 12, 2018, Filthy the Kid and FLANNEL ALBERT, a collaboration project called DIRTY LAUNDRY, released the music video for the single “Asian Glow,” featuring R&B vocalist Jesse Sgambati, known more commonly by the stage name Jesediah.

Writing up my impressions of anything FLANNEL ALBERT releases is always a trial in self-restraint. There’s so much hidden underneath the surface of what he does, whether musically or with his visuals. This time around he took his penchant for the double meaning to make a powerful statement about standards of beauty and the stereotypes that give people license to overstep boundaries.

A title like “Asian Glow” sets the listener up for something .. typical, if not borderline fetishist. However, delving into the song and by extension its music video, you come to realize there’s something unexpectedly beautiful and certainly refreshing hidden between the lyrics.

The video was shot on location at Silver Factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a Korean-owned bar and event venue. The narrative setting is simple. It’s your typical girls’ night out, three friends going to the bar to unwind with some drinks and karaoke. As soon as they walk through the door, the activity part and parcel of a bar stops and all eyes are on them. Behold, the male gaze. In that moment you can see the women feel trapped in a situation they never asked for. Welcome to the wonders of being a woman.

Even before they have a chance to sit down, every guy in the place has decided to stake a claim. Lecherous idiots sniffing around three complete strangers like they have a right. These jerks are on the hunt, and these women are their prey. They catcall, touch without consent, throw money in the air to entice the ladies with alcohol–a tactic to both imply they can buy these ladies for their entertainment and to numb the senses if they refuse to acquiesce.

Thank goodness, another sister in arms comes to the rescue. The men are all left feeling the weight of their unimportance, and the women go with their new friend to do what they came there to do in the first place: have a good time. It’s at this moment where the women become more than victims of an oppressive male gaze. They reclaim their power the moment they step beyond the curtain that separates them from the main bar. The camera angles are dead-on, the women centered. This is the directorial equivalent to the power stance: face forward and not down, body straight ahead and fearless.

What’s even more incredible is they actually take over the song, proclaiming that, yes, they do have that “Asian glow.” Despite what stereotype dictates, it’s not from a night of heavy drinking. Rather, it’s from a collective moment where these powerful ladies shine effortlessly, naturally, and without the unsolicited “approval” of any man. They shine perfectly whether alone or as a unit. That proclamation becomes even more powerful when they come together as a group, fearlessly and joyously commanding the camera’s attention.

From there it could be easy for the music video to take a turn for the obvious: have Albert and his cohorts in Filthy the Kid and Jesediah swoop through to prove they’re the men of their dreams. To be honest, part of me thought that’s exactly what was about to happen. What better way to prove they’re not like other guys than to show up when nobody called for them? Throwing themselves in the picture as the “nice guys” who deserve a chance.

This is precisely why it’s such a treat to dissect anything Albert does. No, the trio doesn’t impose themselves on the scene to be yet another group of men taking liberties no one afforded them. Instead, they remain outside, acting as a Greek chorus of sorts to provide the soundtrack to a carefree night. Further, they’re happy to remain largely absent from the music video, except for the obligatory group shot toward the end.

Indeed, the focus is squarely on these women where it belongs. The brilliance of the piece, subtle though it may seem at first, is its intention. What could have ended up being just a few guys expressing a somewhat superficial love affair of women of East Asian descent is instead a celebration of their womanhood. “Asian Glow” isn’t a fetishist anthem, meant to perpetuate an almost century’s old stereotype of 1) the docile “Lotus Flower” or 2) the hypersexual “Dragon Lady.” The point of the song is to highlight Asian beauty, full stop.

The men who first sought the attentions of our three young protagonists represent a tradition of imposing an imperialist narrative on the lives of Asian women. Of forcing a role upon them they didn’t ask for, nor do they deserve. The fact that it’s another woman that removes them from a hostile environment of male entitlement speaks volumes of the solidarity women should and most times do have for one another. The most powerful image is of all these women of different shades, shapes, sizes, and appearances standing together to sing a song that praises the merits of their Asian heritage.

To put a cap on the entire thing, we see the men from the beginning begging the bouncer to be let into the back. They’re still attempting to impose their presence in these women’s lives (even if just for that night). Still trying to force their own narratives and expectations.

Conclusion

More than commentary on the pitfalls of society, “Asian Glow” is a celebration of the diversity in the Asian community. While obvious in some ways, the imagery of “Asian Glow” digs deeper than you’d expect from a music video about physical beauty. It’s an affirmation of female unity. A declaration that standards from centuries of imperialist oppression and expectation are no longer valid and are certainly unwelcome in this safe space. I applaud Albert, Filthy the Kid, Jesediah, and especially Zach Han for taking a moment of frivolity and transforming video into relevant social commentary.

Related Links:

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FLANNEL ALBERT    [icon type=”facebook-square”]     [icon type=”instagram”]     [icon type=”soundcloud”]     [icon type=”twitter-square”]     [icon type=”youtube-square”]