Released March 18, 2012 Producer(s) Markaholic | Format Digital download "Trouble"(2012) "Chow Down"(2012) | |
"Chow Down"(2012) "The Vagina Song"(2012) | ||
"Chow Down" is a song by American singer and drag queen Willam Belli, featuring Detox and Vicky Vox. The song was released on March 18, 2012, following Willam's elimination from the fourth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. The original music video went viral.
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Background and composition
"Chow Down" was written by Willam Belli, Detox, and Vicky Vox as a parody of "Hold On" by Wilson Phillips. The song was produced by Markaholic. It also features a rap by Detox as an homage to "Waterfalls" by TLC. The song was released as the second single from Willam's first studio album The Wreckoning. "Chow Down" addresses the 2012 Chick-fil-A same-sex marriage controversy and the opening of a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Hollywood.
Reception
Within three days of its release, the YouTube page for the music video had been viewed over 400,000 times.
Hugh Merwin, writing for New York's Grub Street commented, "It's amazing how oddly and efficiently the drag queen trio in this video approach the notoriously anti-gay, foundational agenda of the Georgia-based fried chicken franchise Chick-fil-A in this video."
Music video
The music video for "Chow Down" was directed by Michael Serrato. Serrato is a writer for the Neil's Puppet Dreams, in which Willam has appeared. RuPaul's Drag Race pit crew member Jason Carter appears in the music video. In the music video, Willam dresses as Wilson Phillips member Chynna Phillips, Detox dresses as Wendy Wilson, while Vicky Vox appears as Carnie Wilson. The music video's waterfall scene was filmed at the Electric Fountain.