Davina Bennett’s recreation of Grace Jones’s Nightclubbing album cover for Halloween has everyone doing a double take. With an uncanny resemblance, Bennett, 2017’s Miss Jamaica Universe captured the iconic elements from the 1981 photograph—right down to the androgynous style and intense gaze. The original album art, titled Blue-Black in Black on Brown, was created by Jean-Paul Goude and has remained a powerful cultural image due to its unique mix of beauty and intensity.
In expressing her excitement at the outcome Bennett, who hails from Clarendon Jamaica posted on Instagram, “Homage to the Legendary GRACE JONES 🇯🇲✨ DID WE NAIL IT!?”
She went on to explain the process in Chanel long the image which was created before she was born saying, “About a month ago I went to visit my friend @eveharlowephoto to catch up like we always do when I was struck by this iconic portrait of the incomparable Grace Jones in her home. I confessed my long-held desire to recreate the image, and Eve, being the visionary she is, said, “Let’s do it!” It turns out Eve shares the same sentiments and mentioned Grace is the inspiration behind her own work!”
“Initially, I was nervous about reimagining such an iconic shot, fearing I wouldn’t do it justice,” she continued. “But as Jamaicans, we’re resilient and adaptable. Getting my self in that zone came surprisingly natural (peep me practicing in the last slide!), it was the cigarette that was a challenge to perfect!😅🤭.”
In the original artwork, Jones wears an Armani wide-shouldered suit, unlit cigarette resting at her lips, her bare chest adding an edge of vulnerability and strength. The image, known for its gender ambiguity, has drawn comparisons to Marlene Dietrich and David Bowie, with critics praising its timeless impact. Rick Poynor wrote about how the portrait captured Jones’s “mixture of beauty and threat,” with her dark skin lending a striking blue-black hue.
Nightclubbing is the fifth studio album by Jamaican singer Grace Jones, released on May 11, 1981, by Island Records. Recorded at Compass Point Studios with producers Alex Sadkin and Chris Blackwell, the album blends new wave, reggae, R&B, dub, and funk, featuring both original songs and cover versions. Key contributors included the rhythm section duo Sly and Robbie. Nightclubbing received critical acclaim, with NME naming it the best album of the year. It charted in the top 10 in five countries and became Jones’s highest-ranking album on the US Billboard 200 and R&B charts. Notable singles include “Pull Up to the Bumper” and “I’ve Seen That Face Before (Libertango).”
