Pop singer/songwriter Chris Cool is always pushing boundaries and buttons with his work, and the video for his latest single “So Hard” is pushing it all, well… hard. And we’re here for it.
Shot by by cinematographer Lyana Leblanc (@tunedamour), who collaborated with Chris on the surreal video for his single “BFFF” (watch it here), the video explores what happens when you welcome the darkness in.
Chris explains:
“When life gives you voices, you make art with them. But more specifically, you don’t try to pretend they’re not real, you materialize them, give them a seat at the table, hear them out, but also make sure they’re tied up and they know who’s the boss.”
References abound—Britney’s TMZ era bob, the buffet scene in LOTR: Return of the King, Julianne Moore’s lips in A Single Man—adding colour and depth to Chris’s twisted vision:
“[“So Hard”] is a wake up call from my fierce self to my depressed self. The emo boy in me sometimes needs tough self-love. I wanted to channel this side of Chris Cool that helps kick me in the butt and overcomes anxiety. Turns out that dom side of me also has toxic traits. Like the aggro boyfriend that you don’t wanna be around when he crashes out. I love a dark, twisted character that’s also protective and makes you snap out of the paralysis self-doubt can cause.”
“So Hard” is the latest single from Chris Cool’s upcoming album Lord Take My Load, out October 9th on Breakglass Records.
Watch the video for “So Hard” after the jump!

