How Chloe Secretly References Shakira’s ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ in ‘Have Mercy’
Chloe Bailey (also known by the stage name “Chloe”) is one of the masterminds behind “Have Mercy,” adding not-so-secret references to Greek mythology and even Shakira in her lyrics. Here’s what Chloe said about her 2021 release and her love for “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira.
Chloe released her first solo song, ‘Have Mercy’ in 2021
In debuting original songs like “Don’t Make It Harder On Me,” “Do It,” and “Forgive Me,” Chloe x Halle gained recognition in the R&B music scene. The sister duo, full names Chloe Bailey and Halle Bailey, appeared together for several projects, even doing an NPR Tiny Desk Concert and earning several Grammy nominations.
With Halle off working on Disney’s live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid, Chloe had time to pursue music as a solo artist. In 2021, the songwriter released her first single — the chart-topping track titled “Have Mercy.”
Since its release, the “Have Mercy” YouTube music video earned well over 50 million views. Chloe performed at the MTV Video Music Awards. She also offered insight regarding the lyrics of this song.
Chloe’s solo song ‘Have Mercy’ references Shakira’s ‘Hips Don’t Lie’
In addition to singing on this track, Chloe helped write the “Have Mercy” lyrics. In one video created in conjunction with Genius, Chloe deciphered the lyrics of “Have Mercy,” diving into the symbolism and the references to Greek mythology.
There were also references to other musicians, specifically with the lyrics, “Body language/ like speaking Spanglish/ I’ll educate ya how to do this s***.”
“I love to dance and, you know, Shakira’s ‘Hips Don’t Lie…’ that’s what I thought of in the moment,” Chloe said. “’Body language like speaking Spanlish.’ Music is a universal language and also dancing and body language. And you know it was kind of a play on words with that. So that was really fun.”
Chloe often shares her love for other musicians. At the MTV Video Music Awards, she paused to take a picture with BTS. She’s also a huge fan of Beyoncé, with the artist even featuring Chloe x Halle in the Lemonade visual album. (Beyoncé signed the sister duo to her music label Parkwood Entertainment.)
Has Chloe Bailey ever met ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ artist Shakira?
Although Chloe mentioned “Hips Don’t Like” while discussing “Have Mercy,” it’s unclear if these artists have ever met in real life. Both have been considerably busy, though, with Chloe making her American Music Awards debut during 2021 and Shakira performing alongside Jennifer Lopez at the 2020 Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Even when she’s not working as a solo artist, Chloe keeps busy recording and producing music with her sister, Halle Bailey. Thanks to her social media platforms, Chloe also offers a glimpse into her creative process.
Music by Chloe x Halle is available on most major streaming platforms.
