When it comes to brown-skinned girls, Beyoncé puts her money where her mouth is, and the dazzling duo of Chloe x Halle is proof. When their 2013 YouTube cover of Beyoncé’s “Pretty Hurts” went viral, it caught the attention of The Lady Herself, and she ultimately signed them to her label, Parkwood Entertainment.
Being beautiful helps, being sisters certainly adds to the appeal, but Chloe & Halle Bailey’s success surely lies in the fact that their talent is absolutely unreal. The two write and arrange their own songs, which is brilliant enough in their industry, but even more so when you know that they’re entirely self-taught.
They’ve also done a bit of acting here and there, with starring roles in ABC’s grown-ish and Halle’s casting in the upcoming live action version of “The Little Mermaid.” Perhaps that’s why they’ve become the stars of quarantine performance in the last year. While other singers did some very creative green-screening, because Chloe x Halle are sisters AND play their own instruments, they were able to put budgets into real sets, costumes, and other “extras” that really make video special. In fact, this is one of those performances.
“Baby Girl” was performed live for Billboard’s 2020 Women In Music Awards, just before Beyoncé presented the sisters with Billboard’s Rising Star Award, honoring female artists for “[their] ascent in the pop charts and the repercussion that [their] music caused.” If you’ve never seen Chloe x Halle perform live, prepare for a treat. Like their mentor, they don’t miss a detail. Everything from set design to costume to hair is tended, and here, there’s a gorgeous Afro-fantasy/futurism vibe that fits their ethereal voices to a T. Speaking of those voices, their live vocals and harmonies are so absolutely flawless, it’ll make you second-guess whether they’re actually singing live at all. (Spoiler: They are.)
Lyrically, “Baby Girl” recounts the social pressures and mental burdens of being a girl, and encourages defying all of that for the sake of the “little girl that’s in your spirit.” Considering they’re only 22 and 20, but have already been releasing their music publicly for 10 years, it’s safe to say they sing from experience.