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Lil Yachty has collaborated with Jesse Jo Stark, who is a singer-songwriter and the heiress of Chrome Hearts, for the new song ‘Who Knew’. This song is all about the mood. Surprisingly, the track was released along with a stunning, cinematic music video which has already sparked a lot of conversations among the viewers, with most praising its artistic style while others still questioning its true motives.
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From the very beginning, the atmosphere is entirely new. The most Yachty’s music in the past has been wiped off and replaced by a tobacco, breathing soundscape. The video, dark yet nearly gothic in its nature, moves through gripping images, cross-and-crown symbols, and the still-pointer, luxury brand Chrome Hearts of the past. This is a collaboration in which, possibly, music, fashion, and personal branding do blend.
The crowd overwhelmed the comments section and presented their diverse reactions. The music was very well received by a large number of listeners. One user posted, “This song is so beautiful,” and another one particularly focused on the “ending and outro guitar,” pronouncing it as a highlighted spot. Some users linked Yachty’s busy 2023 to the release while talking about it, with one comment saying, “Yachty has been the most consistent artist this year easily.”
However, the dialogue moved from the music to the visuals and the brand behind them, very quickly. One of the views that formed among the people was that the whole project was just a transaction. “This was to extend the chrome contract 😂,” one of the most commented remarks read, and this viewpoint was shared by a lot of people who replied. Someone stated it more bluntly: “Boy thinks he is smart, he is trying to get into that free chrome bag.” It was rather common that someone would say that the video looked like a high-end commercial, with one user saying, “This shit is just a promo for chrome hearts,” and another person agreeing, “It looks like a very long commercial.”
The criticisms did not only concern the brand and were not all negative. Some started to argue about the meaning of the signs, one of the internet users discussing the spiritual aspect: “I don’t know, but this doesn’t feel right in my spirit, 333 the hat looking like crown of thorns, misappropriating the cross… if you satanic just say that.” A different user went to the extent of posting an intricate and cryptic paragraph that talked about “Masonic ritual” and “Adrenochrome”, implying how the ambiguous visual message in the video could lead to broader conspiracy theories.
Amidst all the commotion, some comments were so bizarre that they stood out the most, like the one user who wanted to charge Jesse Jo Stark for unpaid photoshoot work dating back to many years ago. However, the gist of the story was very clear: the partnership between the rapper from Atlanta and the styling heir is being recognized as a strong yet obvious mix of their interconnected domains.
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Lil Yachty’s case is the same as the current trend of flexible genre exploration and alignment with high fashion practitioners. On the other hand, Jesse Jo Stark has made another step forward in her attempt to reveal her musical talent to her inherited reputation through her father’s legacy. The song ‘Who Knew’ has already attracted all the attention it needed whether regarded as an artistically deep declaration or an expertly done marketing trick. The release is a testament to the rule that a song, in the modern world, is hardly ever just a song—it is an entire ecosystem of aesthetics, alliances, and audience interpretation, all happening in real-time. Lil Yachty recently released another track, and fans have also been excited about his surprise collab with Lucki. In other news, the artist announced a surprise pop-up event in Athens.
