“‘Hourglass’ is all love,” pop avant-garde artist Keny Chan says about his new single in an Instagram DM. After last year’s industrial fever dream, “Be OK (B.O.K),” Chan was hesitant to release a slower track, wondering if people would understand its purpose.
“Hourglass” captures the passage of time. Time has the ability to heal, turning painful self-discovery into precious gifts.
Where his last single set free a fiery analysis of self-hate, “Hourglass” serves as an invitation to self-reflect, offering a comforting embrace from oneself. The second single from Chan’s work-in-progress debut project is an ethereal electro-ballad about the never-ending road to self-acceptance.
“I was always more comfortable behind the camera. After ‘Be OK (B.O.K),’ I had the courage to look at myself in another way,” Chan says. “It‘s an interesting process to map your personal stories into something universal for many people. I guess now I’m like, ‘Here are my insecurities, you can look at them.'”
The Berlin-based artist finetunes his mastery, footing the credits for production, mixing, mastering, and even the single’s cover art. In the co-directed music video with Kareem Baholzer, Chan leaves the bathroom of “Be OK (B.O.K),” escapes the city, and finds peace in nature– ethereally styled by Anton Hargesheimer.
While finding refuge, he’s practically iridescent (marvelously glowing in the VHS videography helmed by Marbelite.) That sparkle carries into the chorus: “Don’t blame, don’t blame for who you are, baby. The hourglass will take you far away. You are, you are, my precious baby. What you don’t see in yourself is more than what you say.”
Despite growing up in a relatively queer-tolerant environment, societal norms are still subconsciously ingrained in Chan’s thoughts– a universal experience for many queer people. “Hourglass” is that heartwarming antidote for himself and queer listeners that time heals everything.
