Jackson Wang's shared his haunting new single, Cruel, as well as a dystopian music video for the song. The song's rollicking bassline underpins Jackson's vocals, while lyrics like "I won't keep you up, take a nap/A little gasoline and a match" hint at the song's incendiary nature. Jackson sizzles on Cruel, which is fitting given the clip takes place in a world that's gone up in flames.
The cinematic visuals for Cruel channel the song's energy, which Jackson describes as being comparable to a "beautiful mental breakdown". The clip sees Jackson battling to stay alive in a reality that no longer resembles our own, and the clip's choreography is top-notch. Jackson can truly do it all.
Jackson's also announced that his new album, MAGIC MAN, will be released on September 9th. The album will feature the previously released Blow, as well as Cruel, and the title refers to Jackson's alter ego. The album will explore Jackson's humanity, and takes place in an alternate reality. It's set to highlight a more vulnerable side of his personality.
Speaking about the single, Jackson reveals, "Cruel is a very special record for me. It really set the precedence for where the narrative of the album needed to go and sound. We were working on many records before this one, but we were struggling to find a clear direction.
"Cruel is like a manifestation of the environments and hurdles we had to overcome at the time. Every time we felt we were getting close, something slips past us and it all felt so far away. Once Cruel came into our hands, it all made sense for us, it was like a beautiful mental breakdown.
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"Cruel’s grunge and raw sound is exactly the perfect representation of the distorted and warped story that I am trying to unfold. It is the opus to a wild yet beautiful symphony." You can check out Cruel below, and stay tuned for more news about Magic Man!
