You want American Sign Language in your music videos? Gee, thanks — you got it, courtesy of Nyle DiMarco.
DiMarco, a deaf artist and winner of America’s Next Top Model and Dancing With The Stars, gifted fans this morning with the release of an ASL version of Ariana Grande‘s “7 Rings” music video — complete with signs, captions, and an aesthetic that perfectly matches Grande’s original visuals.
The unofficial “7 Rings” ASL version, directed by master music video recreator Jake Wilson, is a major win for accessibility in music, a cause DiMarco regularly uses his platform to advocate for. After criticizing the lack of captions on Grande’s video for “Thank U, Next,” DiMarco celebrated their inclusion for her “7 Rings” video.
But DiMarco took Grande’s captions to the next level in Wilson’s video, as he and his backup dancers sign the lyrics to “7 Rings,” all while serving hair, body, face, and choreo. With a fire wardrobe and a spot-on set, Wilson and DiMarco capture all the swag and sexiness of the original music video while further increasing the song’s accessibility to deaf communities.
Their recreation comes just a month after singer Tove Lo released ASL music videos for every song on her Blue Lips album, each starring deaf performers and ASL interpreters. As more artists continue to make their music and videos more accessible, pressure will build for these practices to become the norm.
Plus, Wilson and DiMarco’s timing couldn’t be better. Their video dropped the same day “7 Rings” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Check out Wilson’s music video for the “7 Rings” ASL Version starring Nyle DiMarco below.
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