Cloaked in more ways than one, the sprawling red embroidery with simply PENG may be the way for her TikTok audience to know her. As she wittily calls it, 5.5 million adorable penguins are waddling to her galore of glow-up transitions. But all of that luscious, blonde hair was once inked black, sitting as two space buns on her head. Then, Christine and Lee spaced on either side. And we may be back in the ballpark of her Olympic gymnast career.
‘Pretty Please’
Yep! Just as one recognizes someone from a face, her near-to-full name is most likely shuffling your memory through her 2018 NCAA Championship performance. And then slotting the final ‘Pretty Please’ instrumental jigsaw piece into the passing over of the G.O.A.T (Gold Over America Tour, an event happening this summer where she’ll be MCing and performing) beanie to other Olympians, such as Simone Biles, that was posted over a month ago, simultaneously leaving crumbs for her music debut.
PENG’s punchy pop fiesta regarding taking one’s self-belief back after being tormented by bullies was packaged with brazen lyrics and a replicate-as-we-watch dance routine at the most recent VidCon. But its music video directed by her former teammate Vanessa Zamarripa has yet to be seen. Thankfully, we’re partnering with her for an exclusive premiere.
Blow-By-Blow On PENG Vs. PENG
As a creative, a part of my art is not only the music but the feelings that go with it. I wanted to showcase that this song was made to inspire anyone to stand up for themselves. I wrote ‘Pretty Please’ last year with my amazing songwriter ZEV at a time in my life where I had just graduated from university and was trying to find my career post-gymnastics. Music and songwriting have always been a way for me to creatively share and express my thoughts since I was young. I hope this song is found to be empowering and inspires those to [gain] courage to speak up. I believe that everyone is their own little superhero.
PENG in a press release
Firstly, we’re not on a tumbling mat anymore. If anything, PENG’s high-kicked into the boxing ring. The cloak formerly shrouded her face, coming undone to reveal feathered braids, seizing herself to a woman with a similar-hairstyle. Instinctively, it tells us it’s not a “who,” but rather her inner demons that are the bully. They’ve clawed at her for a while, having her only now join the tousle over anxieties while the other triumphed in the prior round. Sharp hooks and teetering footsteps aren’t PENG’s only movements either, impressing with a group choreography of gymnast stuntwomen under a decor of colorful backdrops and glistening luster. Another interesting note is that circular globes of light echo the ones on the edge of the boxers’ frame.
Creative Roots
PENG seemingly always needed to express herself creatively. But she feels brave enough to spiral herself out into a glitzy sphere now. She echoes this statement in a TikTok video of a baby PENG with boxed bangs singing from a spiraled toy microphone. A bit taller, 31-year-old PENG is a confidently spunky mirage in look book-worthy outfits or “fits,” if we’re borrowing from that same TikTok vernacular. It’s mainly in a close-up shot of a gold lip ring. And those space buns even come into play again, just in one messy half-bun with her curls flowing. It’s as if all of these tinier details are the first strokes of a painting, and then the larger brushes are decorating into a spitfire tune that we’ll use as our next pick-me-up anthem.
It’s obvious that PENG wins the fight. We even get closure on our theory as the closing shot is of her throwing a punch toward the camera. What’s your excuse for incessantly hitting replay until your subconscious gets the message? After all, we’re aiming to be resilient as PENG.
Let us know on our social media: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram! Who needs to plead here when the material is as good as this? But do yourself your own favor, and ‘Pretty Please’ enjoy smashing the replay button before your cursor wanders over to her next hit, where a slew of fresh pop singles will occur soon.
