When South London rapper Dave performed at the 2020 Brit Awards, he stunned the nation with a politically driven, Black Lives Matter-inspired song steeped in shocking sentiments the entire world needs to hear.
Titled, “Black,” this performance has swept the world, finding vivid support among US viewers just as much as us here in the UK, with Dave crafting his poignant, poetic lyrics around real-world experiences often too taboo to speak out about. It’s one of the most important songs in recent pop history, and Music Man readers can check out Dave’s 12 million-times-viewed masterpiece in the video below.
With his dramatic, monochrome stage design drawing all focus to his music, then-21-year-old Dave (a.k.a. Santan Dave) sits alone at a double-sided piano, his very first lines setting the scene for the storm about to unfold: “Black is beautiful, Black is excellent. Black is pain, Black is joy, Black is evident. It’s working twice as hard as the people you know you’re better than ‘cause you need to do double what they do, so you can level them.”
It’s not just shocking; these words are age-old truths which desperately need to be acknowledged, respected, and deeply understood by those not personally involved or affected by the BLM scene. They’re a message which has been dying to escape into the mainstream for decades, if not centuries. Trust this legend to bring it all to the surface!
As his song unravels the most honest traits of what it truly means to be Black, especially to those living within a White country, graphics are cast upon the flat top of Dave’s piano; striking visuals which add emphasis to his gut-punching lyrics, as the live Brit Awards audience watches on in pin-drop silence.
A quarter of the way through this time-defying set, Dave’s long-time friend, producer, and fellow pianist, Fraser T. Smith, sits at the second set of piano keys opposite the rapper, serving both contrast and breathtaking unity as they turn the track into a piano duet.
Also, can we take a moment to mention Dave’s jaw-dropping ability to rap lightning-fast lyrics whilst playing piano at the same time? This guy achieved a Grade 7 in piano, but to rap complex rhythms atop his instrumental work is staggering, to say the least!
Before long, a live string section adds symphonics to this already emotional piece, as Dave drops back, handing the piano track to Fraser to focus on his lyrics: the rapper soon uncovering the remnants of the African slave trade within our modern world, the struggle of knowing one’s distant family is living in poverty abroad, even calling out the racist tendencies found within the police and prison system.
You don’t need to be a rap fan to be completely moved by Dave’s messages. You don’t even need to share his life story. As one top commenter on this viral performance wrote, “You know it’s powerful music when it makes you angry about things you never experienced.”
Even Dave’s fans were stunned to discover that THIS was the song Dave brought to the Brit Awards. And they have nothing but adoration for the breakthrough artist, with one fan noticing, “He had a choice of any of his songs. Professor X. Disaster. Location. Thiago Silva. He could have promoted himself even more if he wanted. Instead he went for a song with a message. Big up Dave.”
Dave’s 2020 Brit Awards performance remains essential viewing — a bold, poetic statement that resonated worldwide. If you want to explore the song, the full performance and further reading on its impact, check the useful links below to discover more about Dave and “Black.”