Pearls Negras may look like a bubble-gum pop girl group from the outset, but, as their music demonstrates in spades, they are anything but. Their image, like the subjects they explore, is a subversion; a trap to exploit and derail any preconceptions you may have. Hailing from Favela Vidigal, Rio De Janiero, the angelic-looking band's sound is making a name for them as an aggressive antidote to the post-World Cup malaise felt throughout Brazil.
With incredible highs, inevitably, comes incredible lows. In the build-up to the tournament, many of the country's favelas were rapidly and haphazardly "gentrified." Since then, many of its citizens have felt displaced, unwelcome, and understandably alienated. So it should come as no surprise that the country's latest export is diametrically opposed to the faux-euphoria of the World Cup. These three teenagers—Alice, Jemi, and Mari—serve to reflect the danger and personality of life in Brazil’s post-World Cup favelas, through aggressive lyrical mastery and gnarly bass-heavy favela rhythms.
Pearls Negras' latest track, “Make It Last”—taken from their Nossa Gang (Our Gang) mixtape—makes use of primitive, harsh electro synths and acerbic lyrics to figuratively respond to the demands for a carnival atmosphere, with a warped and cynical take on the way the rest of the world sees them. The home video-styled visuals work a treat, too.
The girls will be playing some select dates around Europe, this month and next. Check them out below and peep the Complex UK premiere of the “Make It Last” video, up above.
29/08 – PALAISSEAU, FRANCE: Aoutside Festival Headline Show
03/09 - PARIS, FRANCE: Silencio
04/09 - LONDON, ENGLAND: Old Blue Last
11/09 – LISBON, PORTUGAL: LUX
13/09 – LONDON, ENGLAND: Birthdays
