Progressive R&B singer serpentwithfeet has returned with “Safe Word,” his first music release of 2024.
Produced by serpentwithfeet and the collective I Like That, “Safe Word” is a deep exploration of intimacy in the bedroom where two partners are enveloped in each other’s love, all while ensuring a sense of security.
“Choke me now, f**k me now / Upload that d*ck into the cloud / I’m insatiable, make it conversational / Oh, I heard it’s gonna rain cats and dogs,” he sings.
Speaking on his new single, serpentwithfeet shares: “‘Safe Word’ is a sensual song about the beauty of trust that’s been earned and the wonder that follows when partners explore each other with care.”
“Safe Word” is the second single from the Baltimore, Maryland, native’s upcoming album, GRIP, out Feb. 16 via Secretly Canadian. The physical version of the album will release March 29.
“Safe Word” arrives with a lo-fi visual directed by serpentwithfeet and Micaiah Carter, which can be viewed below.
“Safe Word” is the follow-up to his pulsating banger “Damn Gloves” featuring Ty Dolla $ign and Yanga YaYa. “I didn’t wanna waste this chance to celebrate my waist in his hands,” serpentwithfeet said of the latter track.
GRIP, a 10-track offering, will include additional features from Mick Jenkins and Orion Sun.
According to press materials, “GRIP celebrates and fosters the spirit and magic of Black queer nightlife while also honoring the communities that are nurtured within the walls of these intimate spaces and the monumental impact that they have on the lives of many people on the margins.”
The album will follow his sophomore project, DEACON, released March 26, 2021. Serpentwithfeet followed up later that November with DEACON’s Grove, a five-track EP that included a feature from Ambré and Alex Isley on “Fellowship (Remix).”
In 2023, serpentwithfeet launched his Heart of Brick theatrical show, which explored Black queer nightlife.
“The dance floor has been a medium for Black queer people to decompress and build community,” he explained. “Going out has given me incentive to go inward and I am a better person because of it. Engaging the body is essential to engaging the spirit. I have Proof.”
Stream Serpentwithfeet’s new song “Safe Word” and watch the official video below.
serpentwithfeet’s GRIP Tracklist
1. Damn Gloves (ft. Ty Dolla $ign and Yanga Yaya)
2. Safe Word
3. Spades
4. Deep End
5. Rum / Throwback
6. Black Air Force (ft. Mick Jenkins)
7. Hummin’
8. Ellipsis (ft. Orion Sun)
9. Lucky Me
10. 1 to 10