‘Skate’: Silk Sonic Debuts New Single and Music Video to Help Us Glide Into the Summertime

I don’t know about you, but given the tumultuous year we had in 2020 (and continue to have in 2021, high-key), I’ve been beyond ready to roll and ride into better days and better times. Now, thanks to the brand new hit from Silk Sonic (aka Anderson. Paak and Bruno Mars), it looks like I’ll be able to do just that!

After inviting us all to an unspecified “Summertime Jam,” the silky singers finally dropped a follow-up to their smash hit, “Leave the Door Open.” This time, the duo opted to invoke some serious nostalgia with a staple summertime pastime: roller skating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEw-7cMnBDY

In the video, Paak and Mars can be seen crooning to a host of beautiful brown-skinned women as they “float” and “glide” all around them, flaunting colorful box braids, locs and the like, and doing skating stunts my Megan Thee Little Pony knees could only dream about. Paak brings his signature sounds while jamming on the drums while Mars belts out lyrics with bongos. A snippet of the chorus from “Skate”:

I’m tryna roll, I’m tryna ride

I’m tryna float, I’m tryna glide

No, no don’t be shy just take my hand and hold on tight

Skate to me baby (SKATE!)

Slide your way on over (Slide your way on OVER!)

Skate to me baby. (SKATE!)

I wanna get to know ya (I WANNA GET TO KNOW YA!)

“That song sounds like it’s straight out of some Gamble & Huff lost sessions,” mused Very Smart Brothas co-founder Panama Jackson. And good golly, Miss Molly, if that isn’t the truth!

Not only does this song invoke the true essence of Philly Soul’s finest but I’d even go so far as to say that this song captures those same exact “Happy Feelings” that Frankie Beverly and Maze were talking about back in the late ‘90s. This song feels like the song played at the end of every feel-good movie. This song feels like that one Bow Wow and Nick Cannon movie. This song feels like a staple Club Quarantine joint (knowing D-Nice, he probably already had this in his queue two weeks ago.) Most importantly, this songs feels like the possibility of better days and better times finally making their way towards us, and after a week like this one, this song feels like step skate in the right direction.

At least for now, that is. We’re still waiting on that album though, Silk Sonic. Don’t think we forgot!