Paloma Faith refused a request to reshoot her 'Only Love Can Hurt Like This' video because executives were convinced having a black love interest would stop Americans buying her records.
Paloma Faith was told to reshoot a music video in which she kissed a black man if she wanted to break America.
The 38-year-old singer claimed record company bosses insisted her career would never take off in the US if she didn't change the promo she'd filmed to accompany her 2014 single 'Only Love Can Hurt Like This'.
Speaking to Samira Ahmed for Intelligence Squared+, Paloma recalled how the unnamed ''very high-up exec who was African American'' told her she had to reshoot the video ''because America will not buy a song with a white woman kissing a black man like that.''
The executive had told her ''this is the biggest chance we've got at breaking the States with your music career'', but she was ''completely shocked and obviously taken aback'' when asked to alter the video, which featured a Ugandan childhood friend.
As a result, the singer - who has a three-year-old daughter with partner Leyman Lahcine - refused to comply with the request as she didn't want ''dirty'' money if the move proved fruitful.
She said: ''If I broke America and made loads of money as a consequence of that, knowing that I'd re-shot a video to make it not a biracial relationship, I wouldn't be able to live with myself, I don't want that money. It's dirty.''
After snubbing the request, Paloma returned to England.
She recalled: ''[I said] I'll break America on my terms [and he said] 'OK,' and then flew me back and I didn't hear from my record company again after that.''
However, the 'New York' hitmaker is still optimistic she'll crack the US one day.
She said: ''There's still time.''
Paloma recently admitted she always casts ''hot'' guys in her videos or as backing dancers.
She said: ''I don't have dancers that often, but when I do I find them really hot. And when I've done videos and stuff with guys, I always fancy the guy. I just have the best job ever because I'm allowed to snog hunky, hot guys.''
Sheffield's very own all girl group Pretty Fierce are still on a high after the recent release of their debut single - 'Ready For Me'.
Three nights before the end of his current tour Will Varley returned to his home town of Deal to delight a sold out crowd in The Astor Theatre.
With only a few days to go before Portsmouth based songstress and producer WYSE releases her new single, 'Belladonna', we caught up with her to find...
Colorado raised, Glasgow educated and Manchester based Bay Bryan is nothing if not a multi-talented, multi-faceted artist performing as both...
Former Marigolds band member Keelan Cunningham has rediscovered his love of music with his new solo project Keelan X.
Wiltshire singer-songwriter Luke De Sciscio, formally known as Folk Boy, is set to release is latest album - 'The Banquet' via AntiFragile Music on...
Electronic music pioneer and producer Annie Elise says that the release of her first EP - 'Breathe In, Breathe Out' feels "both vulnerable and...
Ahead of the imminent release of his second solo album - Dekker, aka Brookln Dekker, took time out to let us know about the musical project he...
Mick and Fred have been friends lifelong friends, now both reaching their more senior years...
Watch the trailer for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Doctor Parnassus is a doctor unlike...