Missy Elliott, who starred with Katy Perry at the 2015 Super Bowl halftime show, returns to the big game via a new Pepsi commercial with H.E.R. Pepsi Zero Sugar debuted a 30-second teaser on Wednesday, which finds the pair performing a segment of the Rolling Stones’ 1966 song “Paint It Black.” While the original song is a morose, minor-key, Eastern-flavored dirge about depression, in the context of the commercial it’s about the soft drink’s trademark matte-black-colored can.
“I’ve been following H.E.R.’s career closely; her talent is undeniable,” said Elliott in a statement. “When the opportunity came up, to not just work together but collaborate and create something all our own, we had to make it happen. I called up [longtime coproducer] Timbaland and [choreographer] Sean Bankhead, I got the best of the best to make sure we brought the noise and did Pepsi Zero Sugar right.”
“Everything about this experience – from the music, to the shoot, to the collaboration with an icon like Missy – it was really special,” said H.E.R. “Pepsi gave us the creative liberty and platform to create this song and the video, it’s an honor and I think people will appreciate how real we tried to be with the final product.”
In the days leading up to Super Bowl LIV and The Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show performance, Pepsi will host the Pepsi Zero Sugar Super Bowl LIV party featuring Harry Styles with special guests Lizzo and Mark Ronson and a number of parties at Pepsi Zero Sugar Neon Beach at the Clevelander Hotel – featuring Snoop Dogg, Lil Jon, Fat Joe, Farruko and many more.