Dev Hynes Annotated “Sandra’s Smile” For Genius

“A part of me had my eyes closed, as a form of numbness.”

October 29, 2015

Earlier this week a new Blood Orange track surfaced titled "Sandra's Smile." Hynes recently explained parts of the song for Genius. "I had a somewhat delayed depression upon Sandra [Bland]’s death," he notes. "I was hurt and upset and mad instantly, of course… but I think a part of me had my eyes closed, as a form of numbness..a few days later it hit me and i was unconsolable."

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A New York Magazine interview provided the inspiration for the second verse. "I was reading the interview with Sybrina Fulton in NYMAG where she says she is not ready to forgive," he remembers. "[I] saw it become such a huge story. It’s insane to me people even pose this question to her, it’s no ones business except for hers. On top of that, when a white family loses a member to a tragic situation such as a school shooting, that question isn’t thrown on them, so why is Sybrina asked it?"

Watch the video for "Sandra's Smile" above, and see the rest of his annotations here. Read FADER's Blood Orange cover story.

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Dev Hynes Annotated “Sandra’s Smile” For Genius