Emotional Oranges enlisted “badass performers” Becky G and Jessie Reyez to join them in a sultry video for “Candy Gum.” Rolling Stone can exclusively premiere the new video which sees Emotional Oranges’ Vali dancing around in a hotel room with her collaborators as they sing about a thirsty, thirsty man.
“‘Candy Gum’ is one of my favorite songs off our debut album, so bringing it to life with Becky and Jessie was a dream,” Vali told Rolling Stone in a statement. “They’re not just badass performers, they’re kind, humble, and the most fun to work with. Literal icons. The video feels bold, sexy, beautiful, and unapologetically us… just waiting on Tarantino to turn it into a feature film.”
The Zhamak-directed visual watches Vali, Becky G, and Reyez mischievously strutting through a hotel hallway before making their way into a room to sing about a lover. “We pull out, stops the drive so I can ride his uh,” sings Vali on the danceable R&B track. “He pulls out, he needs some time so he tells me to ride his.”
Reyez teased that the stars filmed an intro shot for the video that she hopes comes out one day. “That shit was a movie,” she said. “We look like Charlie’s angels. Except instead of saying anything, we’re there to fuck shit up.”
“Candy Gum” marked the second time that Becky collaborated with Emotional Oranges, after joining them on “Down to Miami” from the 2021 EP, Juicebox.
“We had a blast on set, and just fully leaned into the sultriness of the track and let ourselves feel the moment, which honestly mirrors the whole vibe of us coming together to make this song,” said Becky. “I loved collaborating with this group and bringing the project to life. After having so much fun with ‘Down To Miami,’ it felt natural to link up with EO again and create something special for their debut album.”
Azad, the other half of the Emotional Oranges duo, said he wanted to work with a fellow Iranian creative on the “visual storytelling” of the song. “I’ve been sleeping 7-8 hours a night since we completed the video. We put our whole foot (all of our limbs really) into this project. All 22 of our toes have athlete’s foot,” he joked.
The currently untitled album, which is arriving sometime this year, is made up of “elite material” reminiscent of the early aughts. “It’s one of those deserted island albums (prepare for a juicy cliche!) that if you found 50 years in the future, it’d paint an accurate picture of what growing up in the 2000s would sound like,” he said. “And you’re getting it from 2 different perspectives from opposite coasts. Buckle up, buddy!”
Emotional Oranges originally released “Candy Gum” back in February and followed it with “Out the Blue.” Since 2019, Azad and Vali have released five EPs, including three volumes of The Juice, 2021’s feature-filled The Juicebox, and 2023’s Still Emo.
