The concept behind the song and video for bLAck pARty’s “Purple Heart” is so simple, it’s a wonder nobody’s done it sooner.
Or maybe they have, they just didn’t do it with quite as much soul.
“Purple Heart” is chock full of military references, sonic and visual, all paid off by an equally simple heartbreaker of a post-chorus: “You left, you left, you left, right?”
Sounds a little gimmicky until you see and hear it for yourself.
As a military base kid though, Malik Flint (real name) probably heard that cadence echoing in his sleep, so can you fault him for using it to follow his dreams? Malik actually credits his retired Army vet father with the original lyrics for “Purple Heart,” while he wrote its melody, hook, and music himself. His upbringing is intricately tied to his craft, and it shows.
There’s even backstory built into the name he chose for himself. The letters capitalized in bLAck pARty are stand-ins for the places he calls home: LA where he lives now, and Arkansas where he was raised. That’s where he learned trumpet, guitar, bass, keyboards, and studio engineering, and he’s quick to credit the Natural State for his sound. “We’re surrounded by a lot of other places like New Orleans, Memphis, Dallas, and Houston. We’re a melting pot of all of those cultures… the core soul, blues, and funk.”
His bLAck pARty stage name is ALSO a tribute to that sound, “a pseudonym that represents a celebration for all the dope Black musical contributions in the world.” As a member of Childish Gambino’s Royalty Collective, bLAck pARty’s already made his own dope contributions, appearing on the soundtracks for Atlanta, Insecure, and Dear White People along with many more producing and collaborating credits with his Royalty cohorts.
Not too shabby for a guy with a wounded heart.