SonReal drops "right before my eyes" ahead of 'i can't make this up' EP
SonReal (Aaron Hoffman) is sharing his latest music video “right before my eyes” exclusively with Alternative Press. The track will be included on the singer’s upcoming EP, i can’t make this up.
The track follows the release of previous singles off the EP, “bananas” and “bank on me.” Gentle beats complement easygoing vocals about the experience of life and the artist’s own wonders.
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Directed by Sterling Larose, the accompanying imagery captures the journey of a person who isn’t aware his life is being recorded for millions to watch. A reflection of his career, the video’s deeper meaning is hidden within the television as several of SonReal’s past music videos flash across the screen.
With various focuses embedded within the video, the singer says the main point of the track was that no matter what we’re trying to pursue, for some reason we’re never truly happy. Check out the details behind SonReal’s thoughts and music video below.
i can’t make this up drops Friday, Aug. 20 and is available for preorder via Black Box.
Can you tell us about the new track? What story were you trying to tell?
The song is about multiple things to me. But one of the themes [is] mental health and how we are always searching for something we don’t have—no matter how successful we get. It doesn’t matter. There’s just different levels to it. I’ve had my head down chasing my dream of doing music to the highest level for so long that sometimes I forget to look back on what we’ve accomplished. When my daughter came into my life, I feel like it was the first time I had a second to just be present in my life minus music for a second. And that moment gave me inspiration I’ve never felt.
The video has a very distinctive style and narrative. What were you going for with the visual?
We wanted to do something that encompassed all my videos but in a way we’ve never done before. It’s heartfelt, nostalgic and has humorous moments. It is very in line with the constant lyrics regarding mental health throughout this EP, and I loved having my daughter act in it. [Laughs.] It’s inspired by The Truman Show with our own twist. When Sterling [Larose] sent me the treatment, I knew it was ambitious, and that’s what I loved about it.
Can you set the stage for your new EP? What should fans expect?
It is a melting pot of my musical career but evolved. I do everything on this EP—sing/rap—and the content underlying each song is deep and tied in together. This EP is made to lift up my audience. I get DMs every day from fans saying my music saved their life or I helped them achieve a goal, etc. This EP is to let you know I have bad days just like everyone else, and no one’s life is as perfect as you may think. I have a song on here for everybody.
The visual aesthetic you’ve developed for this project is really compelling. It spans from the cover image to the opening of the video. What were you going for with that look?
I wanted the art to feel classic, shot on film, but have more color than my previous art. The music felt like that to me. I also wanted a talented kid I know to be the creative director of the art. His name’s Sterling. He’s 20 years old, and he has dedicated so much to the vision of this.
