Hey Pookie~
A look into SAILORR's career and the beauty ritual of teeth blackening
I remember seeing SAILORR a few months ago when she was getting a little criticism for her From The Block Performance of POOKIE'S REQUIEM. Specifically, for her bold feminine style and almost-black grillz.
I kind of didn’t register the song or her look UNTIL I heard Summer Walker was a feature on the POOKIE'S REQUIEM remix, so I had to tune in. Now, it is one of my favorite songs of the moment.
Very random thing about me but I love Summer Walker. She has been my top artist since 2019 (except for 2024, it was SZA).
So whenever Summer does something, I move. Especially since I am waiting for her third studio album Finally Over It (2025).
Anyways, I noticed her grillz in the music video while trying to take in SAILORR’s eclectic style. Upon researching her, her life, and style, I learned why she has black grillz: to represent the traditional Vietnamese beauty ritual of teeth lacquering.
Before we jump into the ritual specifically, I wanted to talk about SAILORR.
Who Is SAILORR?
SAILORR is a 26-year-old first-generation Vietnamese American from Jacksonville, Florida.
She describes her songs as: “songs that girls can run over curbs in their Nissan Altimas to.”
Up and till 2023, I think, she was known as Sailor Goon. Originally, the aliases SAILORR and Sailor Goon was because she grew up watching Sailor Moon with her family, but the names also have a second meaning:
“ But also, most of my family and the people I come from were sailors. It was a mass exodus of refugees that fled Vietnam by boat after the war and I always want to pay homage where I can.”
— SAILORR reveals the hidden Easter eggs in ‘POOKIE’S REQUIEM’ for DAZED
She explains in the same article that all her music, identity, or brand you can say, is paying homage to her experiences growing up and to the women of color who came before her. This includes her grillz being black, which is supposed to represent the Vietnamese beauty ritual of teeth blackening.
What Is Teeth Blackening?
“My grillz are black because my grandma’s teeth were dyed black – a customary beauty standard for Southeast Asian women to ward off bad spirits and signifies wealth.”
— SAILORR reveals the hidden Easter eggs in ‘POOKIE’S REQUIEM’ for DAZED
Teeth blackening, also known as teeth lacquering, is practiced in a lot of cultures around the world, from some small groups in Peru to being an old beauty custom across Asia. While it was practiced in a lot of places, I will be focusing on sharing it as a Vietnamese custom.
It is believed teeth blackening was practiced in Vietnam as early as 400 BCE. For reference, during this time, Alexander the Great was conquering Persia and China was entering its Warring States period.
It was heavily practiced by a majority of Vietnamese people and minority ethic groups in Vietnam. A lot of Vietnamese women had their teeth blackened till the 1930s. However, due to French colonization, Western influence, social revolutions, etc. — the practice has significantly decreased.
In the 1920s, most women in Hanoi (capital of Vietnam) had their teeth dyed, and today, Vietnamese women who had their teeth blackened are most likely in their 80s.
Why Did Women Blacken Their Teeth?
It had a few major meanings: it is seen as a rite of passage for young women (or marrying women), and to spiritually protect the person from otherworldly beings. White teeth were actually associated with ghosts, ghouls, and wild animals. It is also noted by SAILORR it was to signify wealth.
However, some smaller Vietnamese ethnic groups, like the Lu ethnic group, believe having black teeth for men is compulsory to get married and to be recognized by their ancestors in the after-life.
How Do Women Blacken Their Teeth?
I found the process really varies between Vietnamese villages/towns and ethnic groups. With that being said, it is strenuous process of about a week, including preparing the teeth, preparing the dye and lacquer, and application.
The process is done by a professional, but I would not be surprised if other women in the family take on the role as well.
The process includes:
Preparing the mouth by brushing the teeth with dried betel nuts, sea salt, and coal powder three days before application.
A day before dyeing the teeth, women had to rinse their mouth with rice wine and chew on lemons or limes to thin and soften the enamel. This can be painful due to gum swelling.
Then a shellac mixture, or some solution, was applied to the teeth. Then reapplied every other night (or every night) after dinner and left on overnight. After a few days, the teeth are dyed a dark red color.
For about two days, the teeth are covered in a shellac mixture that results in that glossy, black finish.
Finally, the teeth are laminated with a glue mixture made from coconut.
During step three, women were not allowed to chew, but could swallow when necessary, and could only drink liquids. Saliva would dilute the shellac mixture.
There are different ingredients, mixtures, and processes on how to dye the teeth, but something fascinating is that it can last up to 20 years with special care. However, the two women I found when researching, only dyed their teeth once in their teens and their teeth are still in great condition!
I also included a short Instagram video below from beauty journalist and also friend of Cute, Kind Of Charisse Kenion. The video talks about SAILORR and teeth blackening as a Japanese beauty practice.
Finishing Thoughts
Teeth blackening is very straightforward but still very interesting to learn about.
Back to SAILORR, I think it is very touching that she always wants to include and acknowledge her Vietnamese and American South upbringing, and wants it signified in everything she does.
“With everything I do, I want to give proper respect to those who came before me: whether that’s R&B and Black culture in general – like, all music is Black art, let’s be for real – or, of course, my own heritage. Having grown up in an immigrant family, that already bleeds into who I am. So, it’s not a conscious thing for me to be like, ‘Oh, I want to do a fan dance [for From The Block] because it’s going to highlight me as a Vietnamese person. That’s a product of my environment.”
— SAILORR reveals the hidden Easter eggs in ‘POOKIE’S REQUIEM’ for DAZED
Watch the POOKIE’S REQUIEM music video below.
Also, all the pink reminds me of Summer Walker’s debut studio album Over It (2019). That album shifted the world (in a good way), and I have never been the same since.
Please let me know your thoughts below! There was not much information on Vietnamese teeth blackening online so if someones got a Vietnamese grandma or relative who has more insight, let me know below!
Till next time 💕🎀
Love,
Laila
Update
Feburary 26, 2025: I totally forgot to include Charisse Kenion’s video on SAILORR and teeth blackening. I remember watching it a while back but forgot to add it to the post. It has been updated with the video and her Instagram handle.
Sources
[@]sailorr on Instagram
Teeth blackening on Wikipedia by Wikipedia contributors on February 11, 2025
SAILORR reveals the hidden Easter eggs in ‘POOKIE’S REQUIEM’ by Solomon Pace-McCarrick for Dazed on January 17, 2025
SAILORR Promises 'Bankroll Freak Hoe Behavior' by Ivan Guzman for Paper Magazine on Jan 30, 2025
Black teeth: Vietnam's once hot beauty regimen by Ngoc Diep-Hai Huyen for The Voice of Vietnam on March 30, 2021
Lu Ethnic Minority Group by The Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs, Book “Ethnic groups in Vietnam”.