Crimson & Quarantine: On Pom Pom Squad's New Single and Why We Love It
By Sami Loy
Following closely on the heels of their Valentine’s Day rockin’ release, “Red with Love,” comes Pom Pom Squad’s newest offering: a rendition of the 1960’s ballad “Crimson and Clover” in honor of Juneteenth and Pride month.
The track, initially written by psychedelic quintet Tommy James and the Shondells, has gone on throughout the ages to become, quite unintentionally, a signature anthem of love amongst the LGBT community, immortalized by punk goddess Joan Jett and further instilled by esteemed musical geniuses such as Dolly Parton and Prince. But Pom Pom Squad’s take is a gentle slide through sound, with vocalist Mia Berrin easing us via coos and rippled echos into a deeply sensual two minutes and thirteen seconds. Gone are the heavy chords we’ve come to expect from this track, replaced with lulling moans—and while they’ve been known to produce some bangers in the last few years of their career, the band makes good use of their specialty for slow and meditative tones here.
The music video is a faint callback to ‘80s eroticism—it’s simple, but with the slightest nod to Jett’s influence. At the same time, the song’s roots are acknowledged by the video’s end, with fragmented ‘60s flavor concluding our daze. Produced and shot by Berrin herself, this video could very well come to be one of the more memorable quarantine creations of the year.
With Pride Month coming to a close and the Black Lives Matter movement moving at a steady pulse, we can’t help but enjoy such a welcome classic as we march.
The track is available for purchase on Bandcamp, with proceeds directed to For the Gworls medical fund, an assistance program dedicated to combating homelessness in the Black Transgender community.
“This year would have been my first Pride as an ‘out’ person,” writes Berrin. “It took me a long time to come to terms with my identity in a true and honest way, but I am proud to meet myself where I am now. This year, the idea of walking down a street proudly, in my queerness and in my brown skin, feels particularly difficult for a multitude of obvious reasons, but this song is my small celebration of the scary, complicated, empowering process of owning my black, queer identity.” And we’re grateful for that glory.
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Additionally, Mia Berrin recently posted some words on Twitter about making way for BIPOC within the indie music sphere that you should check out!