How does an Under Armour commercial display the full potentiality of feminine athleticism and power? They could set the whole video to a Sampa the Great song, for one.
A Zambian-born, Botswanan-raised artist with a point to prove, Sampa the Great has distinguished herself as not only one of Africa’s great female MCs, but one of the world’s great MCs— female or not— and her music serves to support this claim. Embracing the role of feminist inspiration and all-around skilled MC, Sampa the Great’s F E M A L E possesses a powerful and uplifting message about the power of women around the world. Its lines acknowledge just how much respect women deserve in a society that constantly allows accomplished females to go unrecognized. She also mentions the power in African women, and the importance of recognizing our roots and how they contribute to our strength. She mentions the power of women struggling economically, the power of women fighting everyday to reach their goals, and the power of women to get out and continue to achieve more.
In the video this is all appropriately placed over shots of women proving their physical abilities in strength, agility, and an overall impressive display of feminine potential. The first half of the video features shots of women pulling off awe-inspiring dance routines including feats of the human body otherwise thought to be impossible. Then the video kicks it up a notch. Shots of women curling huge weights, showing off basketball skills, and training in boxing exemplify the inherently feminist message of both the song and the video. Not to mention one particularly impressive shot of a woman supporting herself horizontally while grabbing nothing but a pole (a stunt I’m sure would prove near fatal for an average person). The music along with the video portray a very important message, not only of feminine power, but also of women and their bodies. The video and lyrics show that women are strong, powerful, and shouldn’t be sexualized. Instead, as Sampa the Great suggests, we should give big, bold women a round of applause.
Give the song a listen here:
And watch Sampa peform it live, here:
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