Rising R&B starlet Paloma Ford first came on the radar back in 2013 as the next pretty young thing poised to steal the scene. But, after appearing on the track “I Don’t Know” with Nick Minaj’s bae, Meek Mill, not much has been heard from the California native. However, Paloma has been grinding in the background, pursuing her dreams in earnest and calling on her idols to push her through, specifically one of the baddest chicks in the game, "Jada."
On "Jada," Ms. Ford pays homage to her heroes and sheroes over a sparse, laid-back ballad, name dropping and fantasizing about her future. Ford sweetly rap-coos, "'Bout to set it off in the motherf*cker right now / Michael Jackson / Swear to God I got the glove on my hand right now," over the Blaqtuxedo-produced track, expressing both hopelessness and determination.
The black-and-white Matty Barnes-directed clip for the song finds Paloma traveling through the desert, pulling a heist and contemplating life, love and the pursuit of stardom. While the video isn’t short on seductive images of Paloma, it feels like there is a scene or two missing where Paloma really does set it off like Jada Pinkett Smith's character Stoney in Set It Off. Though the heist is more implied than shown, using a caper as a metaphor for the blood, sweat and tears associated with trying to achieve stardom is a unique and brilliant move. However, the execution falls flat, leaning a little too much on Paloma’s looks and not quite enough on the actual storyline. Thematic problems aside, Paloma provides enough eye candy to keep your attention.
“Jada” is the lead single from Paloma’s forthcoming debut EP, Nearly Civilized. While information on the project is scarce, we can expect to hear previous singles “Summer in California” featuring Snoop Dogg and Iamsu! and the underrated slow jam “Hit of You” when the project drops in October.
