Sky Ferreira responds to accusations of ‘racism’

Sky Ferreira has responded to accusations of racism following the release of her new video yesterday (April 16).

The cult pop singer, who is currently supporting Miley Cyrus on tour in the US, unveiled the video for I Blame Myself from her debut album Night Time, My Time, which was released in the UK last month (March) and received a five-star review from Attitude.

The video features scenes in which Ferreira plays a gang leader who ends up getting arrested and interrogated, interspersed with dance routines in which she is flanked by an all-black male troupe.

Following the video’s release, the 21-year-old singer was subject to criticism on social media, with some viewers branding it “racist” and accusing the singer of using black people as “props”.

One Twitter user wrote: “A #racist mess. She, white woman, dances in Compton in front of #POC [people of colour]”

In a statement posted on Facebook earlier today (April 17), LA native Ferreira has responded to these accusations, calling them “disgusting” and saying she feels “insulted”.

“Nothing upsets me more than being called racist because that is one of the most hateful things anyone can be. Not only do I find it insulting towards myself but I also feel insulted for the actors & dancers & my family in the video,” she wrote.

“I did not use black back-up dancers as ‘props’. I never have and never will look at any human being as a prop.”

Ferreira continued: “I know that you have to be socially aware & mindful of others but when I look at this video I don’t see race as a issue. Stop trying to search for something that isn’t there. Comments like ‘rich little white girl exploiting the black people & the ghetto’… I never exploited anyone & I don’t use people in any shape or form.”

Ferreira went on to discuss her mixed race heritage, saying: “Because I have pale skin & green eyes doesn’t mean I was raised in Beverly Hills and have Swedish film investor parents or whatever some have created in their minds.”

The accusations come following similar complaints against Lily Allen’s video for Hard Out Here and Miley Cyrus’s We Can’t Stop.

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