Source: rollingstone.com

So have you all seen the new Erykah Badu/Flaming Lips video? You haven’t? Well, I can describe it for you in just one word: Um….

For a more detailed description, the video, which was directed by George Salisbury, features Badu crooning to the remake of Roberta Flacks’ version of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” while her fully naked younger sister Nayrok frolicks about in bathtubs full of glitter, then blood, then some substance with a white and thick consistency. I’m just going to come right out and call it semen (seriously, that’s what it looked like). Anyway, the entire video is shot in one sequence repeated three times, with Badu singing, often times butt naked in a tub, while her younger sister gives us full on boobs, then butt and for the finale, a full frontal shot. Did I mention that this was a music video?

Oh, if you were wondering, the Flaming Lips were in the video too-albeit fully clothed. They stood around, beating fur covered snarl drums, twirling aluminum foil and made ugly ecstasy faces into the camera. For a song called “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” ironically, we only get to see Nayrok’s face and that isn’t until the end, when she is dripping the ambiguous white stuff all over it. Try getting that visual out of your head?

The video has been mostly removed from YouTube and scrubbed from much of the Internet, with the exception of a few sites being smart enough to actually download the clip and save it to their own domains. However, if you haven’t seen it yet, know that it’s more audacious than the “Window Seat” video. And it is probably more abstract and eclectic than anything that Badu has ever attached her name too. It’s clear that Badu is seeking to translate her flare for the multifarious into other realms of art but, the video is a serious head scratcher. It is probably the most “WTF” Badu video I have ever seen. And we are talking about Erykah Badu here, so you know that’s saying a bunch.  I’d like to say that I could get past all the naked booty to find a deeper meaning, but I kept coming back to the same conclusion: I just watched a video of a naked woman covered in glitter, blood and semen.  So has Badu finally gone off the deep end?

We know black women aren’t the sexual prudes we’ve been made out to be, but there hasn’t been a place for us to read bold, informative information about sex and some of our intimate taboos in a non-sensational way—until now. Arielle Loren, a writer who’s written extensively on women and sexuality for The Grio, Jezebel, NPR, Ebony, The Root, AOL Black Voices, and many more outlets has launched a new digital magazine titled Corset, as the go-to-publication for all things sexuality. According to the magazine’s website, the writers and creators:

“Embrace human curiosity, honor sensuality, and celebrate sex through real-life stories submitted by an international community of writers and photographers. We believe that activism starts with conversation, and Corset is a catalyst for finding solutions to real issues related to sex, health, and human relationships. We’re currently on tour partnering with local communities and organizations to spark an international movement for better teachings and stronger activism related to sexuality.”

Having checked out the Spring issue, which is dedicated to orgasms, I can tell you this publication is not for the squeamish (just click the link to the magazine). The imagery alone forces you to think outside of your sexual comfort zone, not to mention the topics. What’s great about the magazine is that real experts from a variety of backgrounds weigh in on everything from tantra and “self-love” to ways to raise a sexually aware child and increase you and your partner’s mental and physical sexual pleasure.

Visit Corset’s website for more info and to check out their first two issues. What do you think about this magazine idea?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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