Overview
- Staples released the single "Cotton" with a video he co-directed with Bradley J. Calder that repurposes an American flag shot through with holes as a backdrop for archival images of Black American experience.
- The song pairs upbeat, half-sung production with lyrics that link the comfort of music to the history of slavery and racial persecution, creating a tension between sound and subject.
- Cry Baby is being presented as Staples' first album for Loma Vista and emphasizes live instruments and a more organic sound that the campaign frames as a deliberate artistic turn.
- Staples will stream his sold-out El Rey Theatre release show, and he promoted the event by giving away final tickets at a Converse/Undefeated La Brea activation tied to custom Cry Baby Chuck Taylor sneakers.
- Earlier videos in the rollout have been subject to platform moderation for their confrontational imagery, and the new "Cotton" visuals are likely to further draw scrutiny and public conversation.