Tank And The Bangas Release “DM Pretty” Following Viral Lyrics On TikTok
Renowned band Tank And The Bangas, have officially released their new track, “DM Pretty,” upon its viral success on TikTok. The poetic tune which starts, “This boy be in my DMs — say I’m pretty” was originally written as an empowering piece from vocalist Tarriona “Tank” Ball’s poetry collection. However, the opening lyrics have seen social media success as celebrities and fans alike have turned it into the No. 8 trending sound on TikTok.
As many have made clips mouthing the opening lines of the number, the band has hoped that listeners will not only give the entire poem an ear, but understand the importance behind it.
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“I wrote ‘DM Pretty’ so that women could know that they are beautiful, dope, sexy, smart and obviously pretty,” says Ball via press release. “I also love when people really listen to the poem in its entirety to see why he’s sliding into her DM’s…. It starts off with a compliment at about 2 A.M. in hopes that charm can get them what they really want but if she already knows that she won’t be so quick to flatter…. My hope is that real conversations can happen around this poem and people can truly feel seen through its intent.”
As the poem recites with acoustic sounds underneath, the lyrics speak to how Black women can be objectified with compliments that are sometimes coupled with disingenuous intent.
Elsewhere in the official track, the lyrics read, “He make my lonely less lonely/ He make my body feel nice and curvy/ And my skin clear and deep,” before going on to recite, “Say I look nice, real nice/ In those combat boots/And my afro, and my t-shirt/ He told me what he couldn’t say in the A.M./ As if telling a Black girl that she is beautiful and sexy/ Can only be done in the P.M./ When it’s dark and it’s night and no one knows.”
Recently, 50 Cent’s girlfriend Jamira “Cuban Link” Haines made a video pranking her media mogul beau with the lyrics to Tank’s poem “DM Pretty.” Unclear of where the line came from, 50 jokingly brushed her off.
Tank And The Bangas’ 2022 avant-garde album Red Balloon received much acclaim as it was nominated for “Best Progressive R&B Album” at the 2023 Grammy Awards. Just two years before, the band received a “Best New Artist” nomination in 2020.
VIBE described the May release as, “an ode to their home city, New Orleans; filled with brassy melodies and rich harmonies peppered with playful moments fused with jazz, funk, Hip-Hop, and R&B.” Tank And The Bangas’ members include Ball as lead vocalist, Albert Allenback as alto saxophone and flutist, Joshua Johnson on drums, and Norman Spence as pianist.
Take a listen to the official released track “DM Pretty” below.
