'Pillotwalk' and the Sexualization of Black Women

Zayn Malik, a former member of One Direction, released the music video for his new single "Pillowtalk" over the weekend. The video was filled with trippy visual effects and a lot of sensual kissing between Zayn, and rumored girlfriend, Gigi Hadid. Another aspect of the video was the inclusion of an unnamed black woman adorned in spikes. The woman, whose open and naked legs contained an image of a blooming flower, emphasizes the constant sexualization and commodification of black women in the media. Her inclusion in the video was confusing, she was not another love interest but merely a prop, exploited by her race to be used as a piece of scenery.