Jazmine Sullivan on ‘Till’s’ Original Song ‘Stand Up’: ‘We All Need to Be Affirmed and That’s What This Does’
A.D. Amorosi The import of crafting an original song for “Till,” director and co-writer Chinonye Chukwu’s heart-wrenching biopic on the execution of Emmett Till and the quest for justice led by his mother, Mamie, was never lost on Jazmine Sullivan and Dernst “D’Mile’ Emile II, the songwriters, performer and producer, respectively, of “Stand Up.” Soon to be submitted for Academy Awards consideration, “Stand Up” was released on Oct. 7, as the film, “Till,” expands with its broad theatrical release planned for Oct 21. The lineage of “Stand Up” is beyond stellar. The emotional depth-defying vocals and songwriting skills of Sullivan won her 2022 Grammys for best R&B performance (“Pick Up Your Feelings”) and best R&B album (“Heaux Tales”). Equally emotive when it comes to crafting melody, D’Mile became the first songwriter in Grammy history to win song of the year two years in a row with H.E.R.’s “I Can’t Breathe” in 2021 and Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open” in 2022, along with having won an Oscar for best original song for his “Judas and the Black Messiah” (2021) track, “Fight for You,” with H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas.