Keke Palmer is doing big things these days. The new mommy has launched her new online network Key TV, made star turns on the big and small screens and even made successful ventures into the music world. She’s decided to combine all those elements into one with the release of her new album Big Boss and its accompanying short film.
We got a small taste of the project when Keke dropped her single “Waiting” and its tightly choreographed, prison-themed video. However, the album and film choose to tell the story of Keke trying to navigate her stardom, with a particular focus on her struggles trying to break into a music industry that wanted her to compromise her vision and standards. But Big Boss isn’t a sad collection of songs. Instead, she celebrates life and love throughout most of the set’s 10 tracks. However, the centerpiece of it all seems to be “Standards,” on which the star lays out her boundaries.
Though the song is mostly about romance, the chorus also doubles as her modus operandi for navigating her 20-year career. “I got standards / And I won’t lay down my standards / Just to be involved / I can’t let my crown fall,” she sings.
The short film focuses on Keke, down to the opening credits letting you know that she wrote, directed and pretty much did everything else involved in its creation. It takes us inside her mind as tries to sort out her personal and professional lives. That includes sitting with a therapist (played by actress Karen Malina White) to work through her issues and dealing with slimy industry types, including two producers played by Robert Ri’chard and Kyle Massey who seem like parallels for a few well-known industry dudes.
She eventually finds her tribe thanks to guidance from her mother and others, including Big Boss’ actual producer Tricky Stewart (who plays himself), and gets her moment to shine in her own right.
The film and album are both independent productions, showcasing the real boss moves that Keke Palmer is capable of and how she hopes that her journey inspires others.
“To get to this point, I didn’t just arrive here, and I didn’t always know what I know now. I had to go through things,” she told HuffPost about her journey. “When you’re going through stuff, and things aren’t going your way, know that there is something on the other side, and you’ll get through it. You can make it, and you can get the last laugh.”
It’s been said before, but it bears repeating: Baby, that’s Keke Palmer! You can stream Big Boss and watch the short film in full when you head below.
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