The most underrated party jam of the summer finally gets a video, as Dej Loaf and Big Sean take a trip to a Detroit roller rink to dance and groove to “Back Up,” off Dej’s #AndSeeThatsTheThing EP.
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“Back Up”
Dej Loaf feat. Big Sean
Columbia
The roller rink setting is actually a pretty good substitute for the clubs where you’re most likely to hear “Back Up.” The bright colorful lights that cut through the dark fog sync surprisingly well with the song’s murky bass and the production’s airy, synthesized hook. Dej — who keeps creeping closer and closer to mainstream success — still looks like no one else with her hair short, her sunglasses large and her camo No. 88 jersey a size too big so it qualifies as a dress. All throughout, she’s backed up by a talented posse that makes skating and dancing look easy.
It’s cool to see Sean in a neon green hoodie and black vest rapping against a multi-colored neon background (his guest spot separate from all the others, likely because of tour commitments), and it’s nice to see Dej having fun back in her hometown, but “Back Up” ’s video, on the whole, doesn’t sink or elevate the song. The dancing and the rollerskating tricks are fun, but it’s the audio, not the visuals, that make it all memorable.