Nile Rodgers' Chic Drops 1st Video in 20 Years, Starring Karlie Kloss

Nile Rodgers’ legendary disco-soul band Chic has reunited, but “I’ll Be There,” the group’s first single and video in 20 years, is like they never left. Pulling Kimberly Davis and Folami’s super-slick vocals over that indelible, driving disco lifeforce that is Rodgers’ guitar style, the group is clearly making good on the disco revival of late (started, of course, by Rodgers’ appearances on tracks with Daft Punk and Pharrell). The song makes its nostalgic intentions known, waxing on how great the ’70s were, but there’s also a qualifier: “No I don’t wanna live in the past,” they sing, “but it’s a nice place to visit/and if you come along, I’ll be there.”

The video, which was released on Rodgers’ Facebook today and directed by Inez + Vinoodh, stars supermodel Karlie Kloss in a clip direct from a salacious ’70s movie (or Thank God It’s Friday, an excellent-bad disco film). First off, she’s writhing around in her underwear amid a pile of records that Rodgers worked on in some form or another, and her body is shiny so the camera can, you know, capitalize on a Victoria’s Secret model’s sex appeal. (But for real though, now I know it is possible to have a micro-muscle on the third rib on the left side of your back.) It’s interspersed with old clips of the band, which makes it a little starker that they chose Karlie rather than, say, Jourdan Dunn or Chanel Iman or Joan Smalls. Yes, I know, disco was a very multiracial, multicultural scene at least with clubgoers, and they probably chose Karlie because she is famous for her dancing. Maybe I’m still scarred from this morning’s break-shit-inducing carefree white girling. Give me some more caffeine.

Then, Karlie heads out to the club where Chic is playing (Studio 54 or The Zoo, no doubt) while wearing a phenomenal white bell-bottomed catsuit and dances all night, between more close-up, stylized-to-be-titillating shots of her bod and butt.

Rodgers, on Facebook:

#WorldPremiere!! #IllBeThere is a moving concept for me about decisions we make in life. We’ve tried to capture all the nuances in the full length video and still keep it fun. Supermodel Karlie Kloss connects the past and present through visualizing old school vinyl – then goes out to a current party where #CHIC happens to be playing live. I’m very thankful to be debuting it exclusively w Music on Facebook to the world. Here it is. I hope you like it.

Love the jam, mixed feelings about the video. Hear “I’ll Be There” on Spotify if you do not feel like gawking at every nuance of Karlie Kloss’s skinny-ripped physique.