Erykah Badu Really Likes Using Phones, Records Music Video on Periscope App

Another week, another bit of oddball Erykah Badu news for the world to ponder. The Dallas soul queen has been especially busy of late, dropping a remix of Drake's "Hotline Bling" and performing a run of "one-human" (not to be mistaken for one-woman) shows at The Black Academy of Arts...

By Jeff Gage

November 6, 2015

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18855504",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17105533",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105532",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105535",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Another week, another bit of oddball Erykah Badu news for the world to ponder. The Dallas soul queen has been especially busy of late, dropping a remix of Drake's "Hotline Bling" and performing a run of "one-human" (not to be mistaken for one-woman) shows at The Black Academy of Arts and Letters last weekend. Even her mom has been staying busy. Last night Badu dropped a new music video from her upcoming BUT U CAINT USE MY PHONE mixtape, and she did it in the most Badu way possible.

Badu first announced the news that she'd be dropping the new single, "PHONEDOWN," and music video on Twitter Wednesday night, explaining that she'd be recording the video in real time on the Periscope app on Thursday afternoon. Groundbreaking? Well, maybe. If she hadn't promoted it as a "live video" beforehand, we'd probably just call it a cool selfie video of her singing along to her new song, but whatever.

Oops a leak . Second single from mix tape tomorrow Creating live video in real time on PERISCOPE
— ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) November 5, 2015

today.... real time ... on PERISCOPE... creating video live ... 4pm ok I'm gone try this ... mix tape ... 2nd single : PHONEDOWN
— ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) November 5, 2015

What can we glean from the "PHONEDOWN" video, beside the fact that Badu is really committed to the whole phone theme with this new mixtape? (Ironic given that the chorus insists, "I can make you put your phone down," while you're watching it on your phone. Sneaky.) Mainly, it appears to be a pretty routine thing to have people posing in the streets of Las Vegas (where the video was recorded) and happily waving at the passing traffic. Oh, and Badu has an endless supply of hats; she goes through three in the two-and-a-half-minute video. But we already knew that.

Call us simple-minded, but we would've been perfectly happy with a video of Badu recreating Drake's "Hotline Bling" video. (Just imagine the meme potential.) But hey, this is Badu after all. She's making this shit up as she goes.

Check out the video here.

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Dallas Observer has been defined as the free, independent voice of Dallas — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.