Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar has released a new track for a new short film by French fashion house Chanel. Entitled Button, the film was directed by Lamar’s close friend Dave Free and was released through their company pgLang.
The Chanel film stars the legendary actress Margaret Qualley and the iconic British supermodel Naomi Campbell. This latest track from Lamar is his first release since he put out his 2022 project, Mr Morale & The Big Steppers.
The soul-infused jazz-hop record hears Lamar singing. However, currently, it is unclear whether it will be released as an official single. Listeners can listen to the LA native sing lines such as “There’s a hold on me / and it’s changed / is a troubled spirit hard to explain?”
Lamar has been inactive since 2022, when his critically acclaimed fifth studio album hit streaming platforms. Music publication NME gave the project a five-star review, writing, “His fifth album serves up vignettes about what it’s like to be a Black adult whose trauma still haunts them.”
It continued, “In laying his soul bare, he hopes we realise how we can set ourselves free from generational curses too. This album is as much about struggle as it is freedom, and what a beautiful sentiment that is.”
Although the Section.80 emcee hasn’t released any solo material since 2022, last year, he appeared alongside Baby Keem on their single ‘The Hillbillies’. The drill track sampled a Bon Iver song and was the pair’s tenth collaboration.
Other collaborations from the duo include tracks such as the Grammy-award-winning Family Ties and 2021’s ‘Range Brothers’ and ‘Vent.’ He performed ‘The Hillbillies’ with Baby Keem at Tyler, The Creator’s epic Flog Gnaw festival.
You can watch Chanel’s short film Button in the video below.
