North Carolina’s own TiaCorine is currently operating in a higher dimension. Following the October release of her third project, CORINIAN, she has just dropped a reality-bending music video for the single “Lotion.” Produced by the ubiquitous Kenny Beats and featuring a guest turn from Alabama’s Flo Milli, the track is a masterclass in ’80s freestyle throwback energy, complete with rubbery bass and keyboard percussion that feels like it was ripped straight from a vintage boombox. The video, directed by Dell Nie, leans heavily into Tia’s “kawaii-coded” aesthetic, opening on a pink moon before descending into a cinematic house party where Tia literally shrinks her enemies into Barbie dolls. It is exactly the kind of irrepressible, unpredictable vibe we have come to expect from an artist who has spent the last three years building a futuristic, pink-hued multiverse.
CORINIAN serves as the final chapter in a trilogy that began with 2022’s I Can’t Wait and 2024’s Almost There. According to Tia, she has officially reached her “final form,” a sentiment backed up by the heavy hitters she assembled for the record, including Wiz Khalifa, J.I.D, and Saweetie. The critics are paying attention, too; Pitchfork and HYPEBEAST have both hailed the project as her most polished and daring work yet. This all comes on the heels of a massive year that saw her breakout hit “FreakyT” go RIAA Gold and her appearance on Chance the Rapper’s STAR LINE. With a new manga, Impossible Girl, and a trail of psychedelic visuals in her wake, TiaCorine isn’t just making music—she is finishing the world-building she started years ago.