Home Milwaukee's Finest Shle Berry – “Fake Smiles” (Song & Video)

Shle Berry – “Fake Smiles” (Song & Video)

by Miracle

Screen Shot 2014-08-22 at 11.57.51 PM (Photo By Shle Berry)

Shle Berry can be fun and lighthearted but she also has a tendency to pen deep personal tracks that can resonate with just about anyone. Her newest single falls into the latter category. It’s a pointed number called “Fake Smiles.” When describing her intent behind the record she shared: “People smile in my face daily and tell me things I want to hear, but they’re the first people to agree with negative comments behind my back. I hear about it all the time. This song is for them. This is so they know that I can hear them and so they know, that no matter what they have to say behind my back. They will never slow down my pursuit of this dream.” Her raw honesty and determination is inspiring. The track was produced by Empty Beatz and it has an accompanying video as well.

The production here is likable. The instrumental is comprised of: a softened foundation, floating background elements, a moderate pace, and a carefree vibe. The hook is shining. The vocals are refreshing and the lyrics are genuine. The verses are good. Shle Berry administers a silky flow, honest wordplay, and introspective rhymes. She unveils some personal details about her career while at the same time putting the fraudulent people around her on notice as previously mentioned. She makes cutting points with lines like: “The pursuit of this dream has opened up your true colors. And my ride or die friends are worse than all the newcomers. Now I hear about that chitter chat, Facebook, and Twitter crap.” Those are just a few words but they pack a big punch. As a whole, this is an astute expressive selection.
The video for the tune was jointly directed by Shle Berry and her Mint Mindz sponsor. The concept is relatively straightforward. Shle spends some alone time wandering throughout the woods and lingering around a metal staircase. While amidst the trees she sort of just zones out with her shades on throwing in the occasional glimpse of her free-spirited persona. While amidst the stairs she kicks back for a bit but then she begins to ascend them. Not sure if it was intentional but it makes for a clever symbol of her rising above the negativity that stems from the artificialness surrounding her. The flick closes out with a couple of end credits and a comical outtake. Overall, this was a stand-up venture.
**My Two Cents: As always, I truly enjoyed this offering from Shle Berry. It was real and very relatable. All of the different moving parts for the song came together quite nicely. The video was great too. I love how even though the subject matter was somewhat serious, Shle still managed to infuse a bit of playfulness into the mix. It speaks a lot to the awesomeness of her character. Glad she’s not letting the fictitious behavior affect her too much. Readers should show her some legitimate love by giving the song & video a whirl. -MinM

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