Chlöe Bailey kicked off her Sunday shoes with Pepsi for the company’s newest commercial celebrating the limited edition return of Pepsi-Cola Soda Shop with a modern twist.
In the Hannah Luxe Davis-directed, Sean Bankhead-choreographed advertisement, the 24-year-old superstar turns up the party in a stuffy, retro-style diner — hopping up on the counter to perform a R&B-tinged rendition of “Footloose” from the beloved 1984 film. When the diner owner cuts the cord on the performance, Chlöe doesn’t let that stop her and ends up throwing a Footloose-style barn party.
“It’s a milestone in someone’s career,” Chlöe tells Billboard of working with Pepsi on the new ad. “All of the greats have done it, and I was so excited that I got to have my own moment doing it as well. It was such a dream come true.”
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The Chloe x Halle singer shared that the process was incredibly collaborative, and she had “complete creative control” on the vision. As for the decision to cover “Footloose,” she explains, “It’s such a classic. Tying into the theme of everything, we’re literally taking a new approach on the classic. Even the messaging is so relevant in my life today, where the world is constantly telling you that you can’t do something, or you should tone it down or stop singing or moving that way. No, I’m going to take my own approach and live my own life.”
That sense of individuality and personal autonomy is a core value for Chlöe and her sister Halle Bailey. “My sister and I love performing and we bare our entire souls into everything, whether it’s acting or singing or dancing,” she says. “To be able to do this as a career and to have people be receptive to it is such a dream come true, and I’m so grateful.”
In addition to the commercial, Pepsi is launching a “Footloose” TikTok dance challenge until October 15. Participants are encouraged to share their best dance moves using Chlöe’s reimagined “Footloose” track along with hashtags #PepsiSodaShop #PepsiSweepstakes. The lucky winners will get autographed items from Chlöe herself, including posters, the dancing shoes that she wore on the set of the music video and more.
Watch Chlöe’s Footloose-inspired Pepsi ad below, and snag a can of the brand new Zero Sugar Cream Soda Cola flavor here.