Visual albums have always been an engaging yet fleeting creative outlet in album release space. However, the unique format has seen plenty of success in the past. Frank Ocean’s Endless counterpart engaged the audience in the setting of a grim black-and-white basement. Climbing up stairs that go nowhere, Ocean uses the setting to parallel a younger version of himself. Of course, the project would be overshadowed by the grandiosity and streaming success of Blonde. We also had the more public Beyonce’s Lemonade, a cinematically vivid masterpiece that vulnerably shattered her hard exterior. While the visual format has succeeded in music, it remains a rarity. Now, we have Keke Palmer’s Big Boss.
The latest to embark on a visual-music counterpart project, the Illinois-born and raised artist is looking to spotlight the music industry’s shortcomings. Of course, her career far transcends the musical space. From her electric performance on Jordan Peele’s Nope to becoming the Glamour cover star, Palmer has reached a unique level of stardom as she approaches her 30s. It’s a career that has been in the works since Palmer was an infant, with her parents briefly working in the acting space before settling into more stable careers. She even auditioned for a stage production for The Lion King at age 9.
Big Boss Chronicles Keke Palmer’s Personal Growth
After a multi-decade-long career in the acting space, Palmer is making her directorial debut with Big Boss. The project focuses on her navigation of a male-dominated industry, as well as a transition into a new phase of her life. She told HuffPost, “I didn’t budge on any aspect of putting this together. I really was fully sound and clear in my mind and what I wanted for this, and I followed through in a way that I never did before. I think it’s easy to just get sidetracked and just give up. And this time, I didn’t do that.” The project potentially signifies a more focused space into the sonic space for Palmer, whose musical ventures have primarily been side gigs as she’s put most of her energy into a burgeoning acting career. After releasing So Uncool in 2007, she wouldn’t release another album for over a decade.
However, Palmer’s talent in the music space has always been apparent. Her high-pitched vocal falsettos fill up any room she’s in, commanding a unique presence amongst the field of female artists. At five years, she was the hot topic of shows in her local church choir. Expanding on the narrative meaning of Big Boss, she stated, “A lot of that stuff happened when I was like 19, 20, 21, 22. This is a collection of experiences that happened over the course of that time period of my life.” As she puts it on the booming production of “Standards,” “This time, when I put me first, I will not regret it.” Facing uncomfortable narratives in the entertainment industry throughout her teenage years, she’s breaking free of that toxic treatment with Big Boss, which sonically mirrors groovy summer R&B tracks.
She Attacks The Controlling Music Industry
As for the visual counterpart of Big Boss, Keke Palmer chronicles her life through various interactions. Whether it’s with people in the music industry or an intimate conversation with her mother, the focus is on growth. Regarding the music label industry, she muses, “With the music, it seems even worse. They try to snatch your f***ing soul out.” This sets the stage for the 40-minute experience, which sees Palmer overcome being surrounded by masculine toxicity. There’s a suffocating pressure to fit into the people around her, which has Palmer escaping into solitude to catch her breath. A heart-to-heart with her mother would see Palmer break free from the expectations of those around her by the film’s end.
Big Boss solidifies Keke Palmer as more than a talented actor or musician. The visual album proves that as she approaches three decades into her decorated life, she’s looking to move into an influential activist role by opening up conversations surrounding the treatment of artists by music record labels. Along with Virgo Tendencies, Pt. 1 and Virgo Tendencies, Pt. 2, Big Boss is Palmer’s third project in as many years. That consistency hints at an upcoming decade that could see her more focused on album-making rather than moviemaking. However, this trend remains to be seen. If Palmer has proven anything, it’s that she can do it all. Big Boss will also give Keke Palmer more opportunities to work on the production or directing side of film in the future. It’s certainly been a huge 2023 for Keke Palmer. Outside of Big Boss, she also recently celebrated her first Mother’s Day.