Hey rebecca thanks so much for reacting to my song and for your beatiful words. I totally agree with what you said at the end about the length, it needs to be as long or as short as is necessary for what needs to be expressed, i believe thats really important in a world where everyones telling you "DO THIS TO GET MORE VIEWS' you kinda loose sight of whats important, really glad it connected, and thanks for supporting my work
I think its awesome that you go and thank the reactors for sharing your music. I just found you today through the reactors I follow and I have listened to this song so many time in a row just in the last 3 hours. Thank you for sharing your art with the world.
You can do no wrong, dear Ren. You walk in knowledge the internal monologue is a little shiite, equipped with 4k videos of all your failures, whilst there's barely one photo of a great moment. A parasitic mind, with malevolent intent. Keep right on brother you inspire because you are free....oh and a feckin genius....that helps.
Just wanted to say that I hate and love you for this piece you wrote. It cuts pretty close to the bone, so I'm sure you'll understand what I mean by that. Perhaps I'll ever reach a place anywhere similar to that of tranquility. But until then it most definitely still feels like an eternal battle.
He WAS signed, many yrs ago, but they dropped him because of his health issues. He is an independent artist. BTW, the closed captioning is totally wrong, find the original lyrics.
@@sharonlee4622 he talked about it in an interview recently with Justin Hawkins that the label thing wasn't as ominous as a lot of fans make it out to be. He had like a three-year contract with Sony... But then he got sick for a very long time and the time limit of the contract just ran out. They didn't drop him because of his health issues... the three-year time limit expired and so the contract voided, basically. He is absolutely NOT jaded and completely understands why he wasn't able to finish the album that he started with the producers at Sony. He does feel guilty that the producers put so much time and effort into the songs that he was able to create with them but he's not upset or angry about the fact that the contract voided. Not in current day, anyway.
Ren has been an independent artist since he was dropped by Sony after falling ill about 10 years ago. Just makes his amazing accomplishments that much more impressive!❤ Please react to Chalk Outlines for his singing and to Hunger, Power, Genesis, Losing it for his rapping ability, and to Money Game 1 & 2 and the Jenny/Screech/Violet trilogy because everything he creates is unique and genuinely amazing!
The ending monologue is so profound...you need to listen to it. I dont struggle with mental health or any of these issues, but that last speech inspired me in so many ways. This guy is an absolute gem and we are lucky to be experiencing this firsthand.
She didn't watch the ending? Wtf. This isn't just a song. You have to watch the whole thing (Edit, I commented before watching the whole thing. My bad)
Seriously! There's not a soul on earth that couldn't be uplifted by that monologue. Trauma/illness/mental health issues or not, just the sheer difficulty level of being human and the absolute breathtaking beauty of what it is to be sentient life complete with entire spectrums of dark and light washes over me everytime i listen to that monologue. I tend to neener at the gods and blow a raspberry at the angels (fallen or not) that i have the sublime honor of being spectacularly human :)
The irony of the lyric in this song where he says he might actually do something great and maybe he will be remembered, in the song that literally opened the world's ears and eyes to Ren 💜🇦🇺
You need to listen to The Tale of Jenny and Screech by Ren, he is an absolute genius! He was misdiagnosed for many years when he actually had Lyme disease which led to mental health and serious health issues, he's currently here in Canada undergoing treatment for the next six months, i adore this man, he is a raw honest and a very candid breath of fresh air!
I never don't cry watching this. I've spent ¾ my life ill with fibromyalgia, bipolar, general anxiety, cptsd & chronic fatigue. He said he wanted to something to remember him by. Ren, mate, you did shake it up. People are having big discussions after this.
@@rva thank you. It's been a rough ride. We have kinda figured out stuff started when I was 4 & got Ross River virus & had a massive fever. After that I would say I had no energy, I would get chest pains, my limbs were so painful but it was called "being lazy & having growing pains". When I started high school I just didn't fit in & got really depressed. It was "puberty blues" but several attempts to unalive over the years later & yup I understand things better now, I'm on the right meds for the things that work with meds. Being in domestic violence & I've been assaulted twice in street violence my body is really falling apart, I just turned 44 2 weeks ago & I know for sure the best years are behind me, I walk with a cane now. But I'm really glad Ren is getting help, here in Australia they're really funny about Lyme disease as well. Lots of drs don't even believe in it (same with fibro, also was denied welfare as I didn't make every lifestyle choice to improve the condition which apparently, according to the people who make decisions on others health yet aren't doctors themselves, should clear up in 14 years. Like ugh we used to do well here, stuff was modelled on nhs there but for some reason the powers that be want to have us like America. Medical gaslighting is real & if a dr is doing it to you chances are they do it to a lot of people. Great reaction
@skulijakobsson5116 you have zero idea about what my life has been like. Keep your opinions to yourself. Chronically ill people don't need to be told hundreds of times about what works, what doesn't, what to eat, what not to eat. If it works don't you think I would be doing it?
I'm 61, been listening to and playing music since the middle 1970's. I can honestly say that Ren is the one of the most humble artists I've ever heard/seen. That he takes the time to seek out and thank every reactor, every listener, just blows me away. That kind of humility is breath taking and inspiring. His parents have to be so proud of this young man.
The incredible part of what Ren is doing is the timing of it. He has put this song out at a time when we're being told that AI is about to take over music (and everything else). Well, only an extremely thoughtful and talented HUMAN BEING can create art as good as this!
I hear the spirit of what you're saying but I regret to inform you that it isn't true. The AI really only has two limitations at the moment: (1) Its knowledge is limited to what/how much data it's trained on, and (2) AI doesn't have a will of its own, therefore it still only operates as a tool for artists, not a replacement for artists. I.e., AI doesn't "want" to make art or music. In fact, it doesn't "want" anything because it's just code. If you don't tell the AI to make art, it won't. That being said, the AI can already create visual art that looks awesome, it writes text really, REALLY well (better than 80% of actual humans I know), and I've heard a bunch of different music and voice AI progs that are emerging and converging as we speak (and which I predict you'll see a lot more about later this year). And, I gotta tell you, some of them sound really good. Like, to the point that, even now, I think I could put together a song with the AI progs EVEN IN THEIR CURRENT STATE and you wouldn't be able to tell that a human didn't write and record the song. Tbh, I will be surprised if there's not a top 10 song written and performed completely by/with AI in the next few years. I know there are a lot of people scared of AI and who (desperately, imo) take every opportunity to point out any small shortcomings in what AI can currently do, usually followed up with some snarky variation of "Well, I guess we don't have to worry about AI taking over any time soon, lol..." or "See! AI can't do what the human spirit can!" But this ignores what many of us see very clearly: This is still extremely early days for AI. I mean, think back to the first mobile phones. Or, hell, think back to just your first phone (unless you're a teen or something). Think about how much telephone and communications tech has advanced just in the past 10 years. Or how 'bout the internet? I'm old enough to remember the world before the internet, cellphones, home computers, etc. And yet, just across one small portion of my lifetime, how far have those technologies advanced? How much have they advanced in just the past 5-10 years? How much have they changed society? Technology of any kind does nothing but advance and get better and better and AI's no exception. I've been using the AI art progs since they went public and, I gotta tell ya: It's moving and advancing FAST. Especially the open source stuff! The public-driven advancements alone are moving so fast they're almost impossible to keep up with, never mind the pro stuff happening behind closed doors. Basically, what you see AI doing today -- in only the first year it's been widely available to the public and open source -- is already crazy and yet what it does today is going to look archaic and old-school 6 months from now. A year from now? Two years from now? Forget it. Any hopes people were holding out that AI wouldn't be able to do what humans can do will fade in the harsh light of reality as the tech keeps advancing. I get it. Humans want to be special. We want to think that we're the special center of the universe and the things we can do -- particularly art and music -- are these magical things that require "the human spirit" to replicate. But the truth is that all art is, at it's base, patterns and abstractions. And I'm saying this as a lifelong artist! In the very near future (much nearer than many expect, I believe), I think more and more people will start to see -- assuming they open their eyes and pull their fingers out of their ears -- that great artistry can, at the very least, be imitated by AI to a point that a human viewer/listener couldn't tell the difference (and to the point that a lot of middling artists would be easily outdone). You might argue that art - visual or musical or whatever - MIGHT be patterns and abstractions BUT the core of art is using the medium to express emotion... and an AI doesn't have emotion, so it can't do that. This is partially right in that AI doesn't feel emotion, but also partially wrong in the fact that, just because AI can't feel emotion doesn't mean it can't do a pitch-perfect imitation of it. In fact, if you know what you're doing with prompt-engineering and have a good AI workflow, the AI can already make very striking, emotional images. The AI doesn't FEEL the emotion in your picture but if you tell it an emotion to portray, it knows how to do that because there are millions of examples of that emotion in the AI's database. It understands how to convey the emotion to a human even if it doesn't actually feel the emotion itself. And that's today! Wait and see what it can do a year from now! Music is similar and, in some ways, I'd argue, at least as easy to replicate emotion with as visual art. Music is math. All those emotions you feel in your favorite songs? Those emotions are the result of particular patterns of notes, chords, etc. At the absolutely simplest level (because I don't know what your musical ability is or isn't), I could tell an AI to write a song using a minor progression and a human listener will hear the melancholy in the music even if the AI doesn't feel melancholy because that's what minor chords do. Train an AI on enough songs and music theory and there's absolutely no reason it couldn't write a song that would make you cry. And, should we ever reach true General AI (rather than these mini neural nets and super advanced chatbots we currently have), then even the question of "will" and "desire" that I brought up at the beginning of this comment would change. I'm not trying to be a dick here. I hear what you're saying. But the idea people have that human artistic expression is somehow magical and beyond the ability to engineer...? Sorry. I don't know if you've been using any of the AI tools at all or if you're just repeating things you've heard (from people with their own personal biases and insecurities about AI) but, if you haven't, I'd be willing to bet they already are capable of way more than you think. And, if you have tried them out and learned anything about them, then I don't see how you could possibly not realize how fast they're advancing or how quickly they're going to be able to do everything we can do and more. To be clear, though, this is not an all-or-nothing situation. Even if AI can suddenly make the most beautiful art and music, that's no reason for you or any other human artist to stop expressing yourself through art or music. If the feeling that you're somehow less "special" because an AI can create art as well as (or better than) you causes you to say, "Well, then I've wasted my life practicing my art, going to school for it, etc! Why even make art anymore?" then I'd argue that you weren't really an artist to begin with. A true artist creates because they HAVE TO create, not because their friends all think they're really cool when they draw chibi versions of Yu-Gi-Oh! characters or whatever. If AI makes you quit art or music, you were never going to get anywhere with it anyway because you're not an actual artist at your core. You're just a technician who learned a money-making party trick and then threw a tantrum and went home when technology finally outpaced you. It's a mistake to take an "us vs. AI" stand because it's a losing proposition. Tech never goes backwards and it never goes back in the bottle (until something even more powerful replaces it). Right now, while tons of "artists" are complaining about AI, signing petitions, spreading misinformation (AI doesn't "steal" anyone's images, and it's not just collaging parts of other images together; those are lies mostly propagated by people who've never even tried one of the AI progs), other artists like myself are learning the new AI tools, developing our skills with the tools as they develop (which, as I said, is FAST and non-stop right now), and finding all the best ways to incorporate the AI tools into our personal artistic processes. So, the only thing these artists fighting against AI are going to accomplish is making sure that, a year or two from now, whenever they finally give up the pipe dream of stopping technological progress, they're all 1-2 years behind the rest of us in the AI learning curve. TL;DR: This is still early days of AI. If you've tried any AI tools recently -- and not just once, casually, with no knowledge of how to make them work best -- then you know that they're already capable of doing what a lot of artists can do (and what many can't). AI tech is developing faster than most people think and there are a lot of tools coming down the pipe that will just keep expanding what it can do and what media it can do it with. Yes, it's true that AI couldn't create a song like "Hi Ren" right now. Give the AI a year of tech-advancement though and the answer may be very, VERY different.
have watched this video/reaction at least 50 times now and the most profound thing to me (besides the speech) is... Temptation: I am Temptation, and I'm Immortal! Hope: Oh yeah? Well I am HOPE, and I am ENTERAL! We are a coin of different sides.... Ren is has Shakespeare like level of writing ability (both musically and poetically) while being able to sing, rap, play instruments , and ACT. It's amazing!
And please listen to For Joe, Suicide, Fred Again mashup, Back on 74/Message in a bottle, and so many more.....you are missing a year of brilliant beautiful, funny, deep, soulful (and more..) music by Ren.. Great reaction to this song! 🙂
Rebecca please do more Ren!!! I love your reactions and I'm in love with Ren, can't stop listening to him. I'd recommend Chalk outlines, how to be me (live), Jenny & Screech, Fire, and so many more!! lol his catalog is so diverse and amazing! It's like there's nothing he can't do genre wise. He's like a prodigy, pure genius
I totally agree that clincher at the end had me saying, "oh hell no! Nooooo!!"Then I learn Screeches girlfriend was busy, remember his guy friend was not home ...Ren said Screech's gf was busy with his guy friend who didn't answer his knocks...even another layer not referenced in the trilogy.
Ohh. I wish you had tried to hear the rest of it. I just discovered this yesterday through another reactor. SO heavy. I was instantly blown away. I will be watching a lot of reactions to this. Wow, I definitely have to hear more of his stuff. What a beautiful person ... damaged. I want to hug him.
Charming, honest, funny, sensitive and smart is how I describe your reactions. I’ve viewed many and am a fan. Can’t wait to see more. I appreciate you!
Its a pity that the video cut out so many times, especially the end dialogue.... Thats where it hit in the feels, and everyone needs to go to the original video and see, experience and acknowledge this.
@@znk0r This is correct. All the audio except the monologue is 1 continuous track. The head shots at the end are the only visuals that are not from that 1 performance. No way to get the close ups and the wide shots at the same time without getting the handheld camera in the shot.
Ive been waiting for you to do this reaction video. I must be responsible for 1 third of the views for this track. This song, and Ren, will go down as our generations Bohemian Rhapsody or Beatles, he is that good.
This song is incredibly personal, and brave for it. I gather Ren was signed to Sony years ago but lost the deal when he fell very ill shortly after. He was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome that left him weak, in pain and housebound. After years of unsuccessful treatment he also developed depression and then went on to develop a bipolar disorder, and suffered the side effects of the many medications that he was taking. Throughout this he had music to hang onto. Then he finally got through to the right doctor. He found out that he was misdiagnosed, and mistreated as a result. He didn't have chronic fatigue syndrome. He had undiagnosed and untreated Lyme disease for nearly 10 years, his apparent bipolar disorder was actually stress induced psychosis together with some neurological damage from the untreated lyme disease. He gained some relief from an accurate diagnosis that lead to a stem cell treatment. But has been left with a lot of issues as a result of the lyme disease being untreated for so long. He has crowdfunded money to seek treatment in Canada and is currently there undergoing extensive daily treatment.
After years of dreaming that I would "get better" someday, and live without my illnesses, I was recently faced with the reality that they are a permanent part of me that will be with me for life. Autoimmunity, depression, anxiety, and a developmental disorder that is making college near impossible to get through. I want to keep dreaming that it will all go away someday, but Ren's message has reminded me that running from yourself doesn't help. I know there are steps I can take to help myself, even if I'll never live a totally normal life. It sounds defeatist, but sometimes you really can't change the hand you were dealt. You can just learn to live with it.
As someone who has also been "ill" half my life, I love that you reacted to this. I've loved this song, and Ren in general, since I first heard it a while back. I love to see Ren getting the coverage he deserves.
Alas, your review of 'Hi Ren' is just so brilliant, lovely and compassionate. ❤ I really love it and I absolutely can relate to your feelings. Thanks so much for this.
You need to watch the last few words of this. It couldn't be more perfect. I've watched so many reaction videos to this to confirm to myself I'm not the only one who gets teared up at certain points. I wish Ren was my mate. Really hope his current treatment gives him a step towards a better quality of life. I don't even like rapping stuff, but he's completely changed my views on what I thought I liked or not...
I would absolutely love it if you did a series on Ren. He is a lyrical and musical GENIUS. The things he can do with his voice continue to amaze me, and the stories he shares with his music resonate so incredibly strongly with so many of us.
Someone else who did a similar thing of honest approach to their mental health is Bo Burnham in his left side/right side bit of comedy. I do recommend it to anyone, not just that bit but all his specials. Big ups for the video, love from Romania! Take care of yo mental health everyone!
I actually think Ren is a breath of fresh air he's super talented, I wouldn't be a massive fan but I can appreciate raw talent when I see it. Hope you are keeping very well Rebecca ✌🏻❤️
Don't worry about copyright strikes. Appeal it, and Ren will approve your use of his music. He wants to share his music. He isn't with Sony. They dropped him when he got sick. He is independent now.
This is art of transcendent beauty and an *important* song. Artists often struggle with imposter syndrome. There’s a movie starring Olivia Munn called “Violet” that rings of this and was a transformative experience for me… just as this song also resonates. As a person who’s never been able to escape imposter syndrome and negative self-talk, *realizing* that I can exert the strength that destructive voice questions-strength that I *know* I have-was sooo important. It takes time to push past the negativity-to make your own voice stronger, but if anyone out there is struggling with this, please please please *know* that you can do it. *Know* that I believe in you… but you don’t need me to-just like you don’t need the shroud of doubt that feels first of protection and then as a prison. You are *stronger* than that voice. You are stronger than you can *possibly* know… until you push back with softness or aggression-your choice.
At first I was curious about all the hype around him here on TH-cam. Then, I was mesmerized by the way he started playing the guitar with such intensity. But once he actually started speaking it was just... Wow... It left me speechless, from the beginning to the very end, and I'm still trying to process what I listened to. As someone who deals with mental issues and has a sort of split personality syndrome, I think this is a HUGE message to those who may not understand us, who deal with our inner demons every day. The way the two "Rens" went back and forth, is exactly how, sometimes, both of my personalities "go at each other" inside my head, this perfect chaos is just.. crazy amazing.
Ren, is the real deal. He is the hope for all us music lovers who are fed up of Hip Hop, Rap, Helium voiced girls and slutty girls with no voice or clothes. Gave up on music in the West almost two decades ago. The nearest I can think of to the musical genius of REN, is Chinese singer Hua Chenyu. You've previously REACTED to "Hua Hua" so you'll understand that "connection", of storytelling and multiple Personalities telling their stories. (Think you did Hua Hua's "Fake Monk" but probably not "Dad I'm home".. live with subtitles, which had hulking burly men, across TH-cam, in tears, before it was removed). 😭 Hua Hua has been doing this for past decade. But it is lovely to see someone in the West "getting" what the public NEEDS, as an antidote to the repetitive bilge we've been force-fed for past 20 years. Hua Hua's "7 Personalities" is the nearest to this, but not even in my Top 30 Hua Hua Performances. We NEED REN to show how music should touch you. Not Western singers touching themselves, and everyone else. (Sam Smith 🤢🤮). We need a new Bowie or Freddie in the West. China has had Bowie, Freddie, Axel, Prince, George Michael, and Elton John 😂 wrapped in one person.. Hua Chenyu. Give REN time and space to regain his health to deliver that star power. (Ren is so much more than this. His Nina Simone with his band is truly wonderful). REN is the real deal. Not Cowell-clones, or has-been desperate "performers" like Sam Smith trying to be Cardi B. 🤮😱
You should have listened to the final closing - I think the part about life being a dance bring everything full circle and to me, I thought that was the most powerful aspect of this whole performance.
Oh Rebecca. I am so excited and I haven't even seen the video yet. I have been on a ren excursion with anyone I could find it was doing anything remotely related to his work. I've been saddened that the ones like yourself that I had listened to and learned so much from and not discovered it yet. So I had to stop before I heard what you said and just tell you how glad I am to see your beautiful face. On to the video.
I watched your face and after he stood up is when I saw a change. This song hits close to home for a lot of us. Ren is a lyrical and musical genius and this was an amazingly real performance. Thank you for reacting and being real with your emotions. ❤ A little disappointed that you didn't finish the video. The ending monolog is important.
Also, you should do the live version of Ren's Freckled Angels written and performed a few months after his best friend committed suicide....the vocals are absolutely heartbreaking
Rrrrrrebecca! This was so incredibly unique. I have never heard anything remotely like it before. Can always count on you my friend 👍 Exquisite reaction by the way! Peace and love..... ✌💕
aghhh at long last!!! So excited! Was waitign for the one and only Rebecca to do this one! This song happens to you. 2 months later i'm still using reactions like a support group to cope with how powerful this is. I would LOVE to see you respond to his more vocal performances like Wade In The Water or Blind Eyed
Hi Ren has touched me in so many ways I am a stroke survivor there was a time when I felt what Ren describes his song is so cathartic I can not listen to it without crying. Rrrebecca yours is by far one of the best reactions I hope you were able to hear the end of the song/ I just love how the resolution was we are all just human.
I love these react videos and the exact moment that you figure out what he's doing with the two different voices... There is always the one mouth dropping moment
I love your reactions; because they are real, you can tell when you feel and let other musicians just get credit even when their performance is cracked with emotion. Love that accent too! :)
It’s lovely to observe your practice of relaxing into the present moment. It’s remarkable and inspiring. You’ve made me want to drop my defenses more and trust in the beauty of my vulnerability. Your insights were as deep as those of someone who had seen the video ten times. A testament to your openness. Brava
Just found this amazing performance 43 minutes ago and have already shared it with all my friends. I was worried at first when I saw the length. By the end I was aching for more.
Ren is a true bard his music awakens the hurt in the soul. This is also why it resonates and can stay with you for days. A lot of music can be a distraction, but this is a song of our times. We all suffer it's just a matter of when you experience this pain. We are conditioned to avoid the pain, but the aim should be to embrace it, be with it as this is how we grow. Great reaction and love your moment of being with the emotion of the song.
Ren is an incredible talent. Wether solo, dueting or with his band - the big push - his musicianship and vocals are something to behold. Lots of great videos to check out.
You talked about how he could and does grab people due to emotions, and then he grabbed you as he started to sing. That makes the song and you more beautiful. Thanks love!!
This is the first time I've watched/listened such a good music first time via a reaction. And It's a really good idea!! I really could soak in a lot of emotions in each pause and get part's beauty.
You'll probably get a reply from Ren at some point, he totally loves watching reactors to him! I think he's Welsh but been in Brighton for a long time. 🏴
Absolutely recommend Jenny and screetch (full). It's a trilogy of 3 short tales in one video. Personally i think the cuts you did were a little bit disorienting, and it was hard to tell if you missed parts when pausing or if you went back and listened to them. I would recommend doing the trilogy without the cuts, and going back a little bit when pausing so you don't miss stuff. And don't look up the lyrics and spoil the story! He's independent and likes reactions, so he won't block your stuff.
Brilliant! Your life has just changed; hopefully you'll take us with you fir at least some of it in reactions. Ren is a crazy ride. Not two songs/performances/videos are alike. He can rap, sing, play guitar, perform, oh, so much more. And he can write, compose, see. You will fall in love with the artist and the human being(s). Cause there are beautiful, beautiful musicians collaborating. I love your style and look forward to exploring your channel.
Hi Rebecca....I've been watching you for just over 4 months and I really admire the work you do and how critically and thoroughly you analyse music and singing in terms of tonality technique and style, please keep going!! I would also like to recommend Faith Sosene - Because you loved me (from the voice AUS) :))
Ren was signed by Sony quite a while ago, but they dropped him after his diagnosis. He is now independent and very reactor friendly, so nothing for you to worry about.
Oh how I've missed you and your insight. What an amazing song! Poor guy is amazing. Not sure if you know but he's currently in Canada undergoing treatment for his health issues and will be for 6+ months. Love hearing what you have to say and I sincerely hope you are well! Much love to you from me in Phoenix Arizona USA
There are a LOT of channels doing reactions to this video but yours is the only one I want to see 'cause you have spoken about mental health struggles in the past.
It's a joy to watch someone you admire bring joy to another. You will cry a river when you review the 3 part opera, that is the tale of screech and violet and Jenny. A musical trainspotting moment. (the books Irvine Welsh wrote about Renton- ironically)
I very much appreciate how Ren constructed climax of the "battle" so that the anxiety, the darkness, the fear, and all that ... they seem so powerful and threatening and unbeatable - right until the point where he starts talking about hope, and it just completely overpowers every bit of self-doubt
Not sure if you've done a vocal analysis on 4 Non-Blondes. First time I heard them was back when they first came out back in 1989 and I was in love with Linda Perry's voice! You have to do their rendition of Led Zeppelin's Misty Mountain Hop, you will NOT regret it! I believe their biggest hit was "What's Up".
I watch a few reactions to this almost every day - love your insights and subbed - and yea the hope part gets me every time , good cries very therapeutic , thank you.
I used to work for Sony until I got ill..eventually being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when I was 29. I am 54 now and been unable t work since I was in my 30s. Ren is very talented but I feel he might struggle to find a corner to get his music out to everyone...though now with social media it might be easier to reach out and I hope he does and gets the recognition and support he deserves. As he says at the end 'We must never forget we are all human"
Sony aren't good at dealing with both artists or staff who get hit with something like this and I fear it leaks out in to our everyday world. I have am grateful for Ren and what he is saying and I can emphatically say I won't be the only one .
Great reaction your response to this piece is similar to my own ... Laugh and cry while waiting on the next word his ability to reach in and touch ❤️. This artist is worth a deep dive his back catalogue will have you on the edge of your seat singing rapping story telling genius that is Ren.... Independent needs our support ✌️❤️. More Ren please Rebecca.
This song seemed nuts the first time I heard it. Seemed like Gollum talking to himself. But the more I listen to it, the more I like it. And the more I think it might be the best song I've heard in at least the last decade. The way he emotes... damn.
The song structure itself is incredible. It starts off as a battle between his positive (Angel) and negative (Demon) aspects, the negative makes an overpowering last ditch effort to reign supreme, but ultimately fails as the final act, being the "God" aspect, emerges Triumphant, though still acknowledging and accepting that it will always be a battle because we are all "a coin with 2 different sides". It's a powerful piece of performance art that gives "broken" people HOPE. It's a beautifully raw musical masterpiece. Ren is special. Welcome to the Ren rabbit-hole, it's a trip worth taking.
Love your channel, Rebecca. I'm so glad you have discovered the exceptionally gifted Ren. You should definitely react to his duets with another independent British artist, Chinchilla. "Chalk Outlines" and "How to Be Me" are outstanding. Also, you will love Chinchilla's "FINGERS Live for HungerTV" performance. It is simply mesmerising.
Took the climax right out of the scene for your viewers. Ren responds to reactors, if he didn't I don't think he will, since his best sentence came at the end in his eyes.
❤❤❤It's so nice to see a British reaction after watching lots of Americans LOL - nothing wrong with Americans but when you're a British Lass watching a British young talent like Ren, seeing a British reaction from a British Lass is nice. I'm only down the road from Brighton too in Eastbourne and couldn't be more proud of this young British lad oozing talent and really expressing how a lot of people are, me included feeling. As a person who suffers with all that stuff you know? And I think as a creative person myself, us artists, I think we often suffer with things , maybe because we feel things so deeply and struggle with our identities and self-worth and all that - it's hard to be seen as a creative person these days, I feel. It's probably always been like that actually, but when someone like this sneaks through the cracks and slaps us in the face, it's so refreshing. I am on a low at the moment, in my second week of just sleeping most of the time and I have literally no energy to even get up and pee or eat after having a couple of months of being really quite OK, I won't say full of energy, but feeling well enough to go and do art every day in my little art room and be creative. I just love him, he inspires me to want to write poetry again, and maybe I just will. Thank you for your lovely reaction, liked, subscribed and all that jazz. ❤❤❤
I waited, patiently, for your reaction to this. I was not disappointed :) You had 1.25 million subscribers. I just subscribed ( sorry it took so long ). Now you have 1,250,001 subscribers. big time.
Hey rebecca thanks so much for reacting to my song and for your beatiful words. I totally agree with what you said at the end about the length, it needs to be as long or as short as is necessary for what needs to be expressed, i believe thats really important in a world where everyones telling you "DO THIS TO GET MORE VIEWS' you kinda loose sight of whats important, really glad it connected, and thanks for supporting my work
I think its awesome that you go and thank the reactors for sharing your music. I just found you today through the reactors I follow and I have listened to this song so many time in a row just in the last 3 hours. Thank you for sharing your art with the world.
You can do no wrong, dear Ren. You walk in knowledge the internal monologue is a little shiite, equipped with 4k videos of all your failures, whilst there's barely one photo of a great moment. A parasitic mind, with malevolent intent. Keep right on brother you inspire because you are free....oh and a feckin genius....that helps.
It's a shame that some of the greatest music comes from the darkest aspects of life and human experiences.
Love his musical expression in literary form.
It is refreshing and really helpful for those who understand the message he conveys!!!
Just wanted to say that I hate and love you for this piece you wrote. It cuts pretty close to the bone, so I'm sure you'll understand what I mean by that. Perhaps I'll ever reach a place anywhere similar to that of tranquility. But until then it most definitely still feels like an eternal battle.
He WAS signed, many yrs ago, but they dropped him because of his health issues. He is an independent artist. BTW, the closed captioning is totally wrong, find the original lyrics.
Ren has enclosed the lyrics in his pinned comment in the original video.
I was wondering about that, coz he always says he has no label. Thanks fir clearing that up. No wonder he is jaded with them all
@@sharonlee4622 he talked about it in an interview recently with Justin Hawkins that the label thing wasn't as ominous as a lot of fans make it out to be. He had like a three-year contract with Sony... But then he got sick for a very long time and the time limit of the contract just ran out. They didn't drop him because of his health issues... the three-year time limit expired and so the contract voided, basically. He is absolutely NOT jaded and completely understands why he wasn't able to finish the album that he started with the producers at Sony. He does feel guilty that the producers put so much time and effort into the songs that he was able to create with them but he's not upset or angry about the fact that the contract voided. Not in current day, anyway.
@@AnxietyRat thanks 😊
Ren has been an independent artist since he was dropped by Sony after falling ill about 10 years ago. Just makes his amazing accomplishments that much more impressive!❤
Please react to Chalk Outlines for his singing and to Hunger, Power, Genesis, Losing it for his rapping ability, and to Money Game 1 & 2 and the Jenny/Screech/Violet trilogy because everything he creates is unique and genuinely amazing!
The ending monologue is so profound...you need to listen to it. I dont struggle with mental health or any of these issues, but that last speech inspired me in so many ways. This guy is an absolute gem and we are lucky to be experiencing this firsthand.
I think she actually did, it just cut off the recording so we don't see that part. Could be wrong.
@@TheJohmac That would appear to be the case, yes. She mentions as much, at least.
She didn't watch the ending? Wtf. This isn't just a song. You have to watch the whole thing
(Edit, I commented before watching the whole thing. My bad)
@@zachhenderson7982 She _did_ watch the ending, the recording just got cut off.
Seriously! There's not a soul on earth that couldn't be uplifted by that monologue. Trauma/illness/mental health issues or not, just the sheer difficulty level of being human and the absolute breathtaking beauty of what it is to be sentient life complete with entire spectrums of dark and light washes over me everytime i listen to that monologue. I tend to neener at the gods and blow a raspberry at the angels (fallen or not) that i have the sublime honor of being spectacularly human :)
The irony of the lyric in this song where he says he might actually do something great and maybe he will be remembered, in the song that literally opened the world's ears and eyes to Ren 💜🇦🇺
Great observation
You need to listen to The Tale of Jenny and Screech by Ren, he is an absolute genius! He was misdiagnosed for many years when he actually had Lyme disease which led to mental health and serious health issues, he's currently here in Canada undergoing treatment for the next six months, i adore this man, he is a raw honest and a very candid breath of fresh air!
He's here in Canada? Whereabouts?
@@peterscott3276 Calgary
@@ChillsHills72 that's amazing I'm only a few hours away. Ren, reach out I'll buy you a coffee sometime 🤣
The tale of Jenny and Screech, and then Hunger, just for some variations on style.
And then ... everything else.
Yes
I never don't cry watching this. I've spent ¾ my life ill with fibromyalgia, bipolar, general anxiety, cptsd & chronic fatigue. He said he wanted to something to remember him by. Ren, mate, you did shake it up. People are having big discussions after this.
Thanks for sharing. Hugs
@@rva thank you. It's been a rough ride. We have kinda figured out stuff started when I was 4 & got Ross River virus & had a massive fever. After that I would say I had no energy, I would get chest pains, my limbs were so painful but it was called "being lazy & having growing pains". When I started high school I just didn't fit in & got really depressed. It was "puberty blues" but several attempts to unalive over the years later & yup I understand things better now, I'm on the right meds for the things that work with meds. Being in domestic violence & I've been assaulted twice in street violence my body is really falling apart, I just turned 44 2 weeks ago & I know for sure the best years are behind me, I walk with a cane now. But I'm really glad Ren is getting help, here in Australia they're really funny about Lyme disease as well. Lots of drs don't even believe in it (same with fibro, also was denied welfare as I didn't make every lifestyle choice to improve the condition which apparently, according to the people who make decisions on others health yet aren't doctors themselves, should clear up in 14 years. Like ugh we used to do well here, stuff was modelled on nhs there but for some reason the powers that be want to have us like America.
Medical gaslighting is real & if a dr is doing it to you chances are they do it to a lot of people.
Great reaction
Your food choices are doing it to you. Change it slowly.
Look into carnivore.😜
@skulijakobsson5116 you have zero idea about what my life has been like. Keep your opinions to yourself. Chronically ill people don't need to be told hundreds of times about what works, what doesn't, what to eat, what not to eat. If it works don't you think I would be doing it?
@@shirazzza have you tried the carnivore diet?
I'm 61, been listening to and playing music since the middle 1970's. I can honestly say that Ren is the one of the most humble artists I've ever heard/seen. That he takes the time to seek out and thank every reactor, every listener, just blows me away. That kind of humility is breath taking and inspiring. His parents have to be so proud of this young man.
The incredible part of what Ren is doing is the timing of it. He has put this song out at a time when we're being told that AI is about to take over music (and everything else). Well, only an extremely thoughtful and talented HUMAN BEING can create art as good as this!
Absolutely true 100%
I hear the spirit of what you're saying but I regret to inform you that it isn't true. The AI really only has two limitations at the moment: (1) Its knowledge is limited to what/how much data it's trained on, and (2) AI doesn't have a will of its own, therefore it still only operates as a tool for artists, not a replacement for artists. I.e., AI doesn't "want" to make art or music. In fact, it doesn't "want" anything because it's just code. If you don't tell the AI to make art, it won't.
That being said, the AI can already create visual art that looks awesome, it writes text really, REALLY well (better than 80% of actual humans I know), and I've heard a bunch of different music and voice AI progs that are emerging and converging as we speak (and which I predict you'll see a lot more about later this year). And, I gotta tell you, some of them sound really good. Like, to the point that, even now, I think I could put together a song with the AI progs EVEN IN THEIR CURRENT STATE and you wouldn't be able to tell that a human didn't write and record the song. Tbh, I will be surprised if there's not a top 10 song written and performed completely by/with AI in the next few years.
I know there are a lot of people scared of AI and who (desperately, imo) take every opportunity to point out any small shortcomings in what AI can currently do, usually followed up with some snarky variation of "Well, I guess we don't have to worry about AI taking over any time soon, lol..." or "See! AI can't do what the human spirit can!" But this ignores what many of us see very clearly: This is still extremely early days for AI. I mean, think back to the first mobile phones. Or, hell, think back to just your first phone (unless you're a teen or something). Think about how much telephone and communications tech has advanced just in the past 10 years. Or how 'bout the internet? I'm old enough to remember the world before the internet, cellphones, home computers, etc. And yet, just across one small portion of my lifetime, how far have those technologies advanced? How much have they advanced in just the past 5-10 years? How much have they changed society?
Technology of any kind does nothing but advance and get better and better and AI's no exception. I've been using the AI art progs since they went public and, I gotta tell ya: It's moving and advancing FAST. Especially the open source stuff! The public-driven advancements alone are moving so fast they're almost impossible to keep up with, never mind the pro stuff happening behind closed doors. Basically, what you see AI doing today -- in only the first year it's been widely available to the public and open source -- is already crazy and yet what it does today is going to look archaic and old-school 6 months from now. A year from now? Two years from now? Forget it. Any hopes people were holding out that AI wouldn't be able to do what humans can do will fade in the harsh light of reality as the tech keeps advancing.
I get it. Humans want to be special. We want to think that we're the special center of the universe and the things we can do -- particularly art and music -- are these magical things that require "the human spirit" to replicate. But the truth is that all art is, at it's base, patterns and abstractions. And I'm saying this as a lifelong artist! In the very near future (much nearer than many expect, I believe), I think more and more people will start to see -- assuming they open their eyes and pull their fingers out of their ears -- that great artistry can, at the very least, be imitated by AI to a point that a human viewer/listener couldn't tell the difference (and to the point that a lot of middling artists would be easily outdone).
You might argue that art - visual or musical or whatever - MIGHT be patterns and abstractions BUT the core of art is using the medium to express emotion... and an AI doesn't have emotion, so it can't do that. This is partially right in that AI doesn't feel emotion, but also partially wrong in the fact that, just because AI can't feel emotion doesn't mean it can't do a pitch-perfect imitation of it. In fact, if you know what you're doing with prompt-engineering and have a good AI workflow, the AI can already make very striking, emotional images. The AI doesn't FEEL the emotion in your picture but if you tell it an emotion to portray, it knows how to do that because there are millions of examples of that emotion in the AI's database. It understands how to convey the emotion to a human even if it doesn't actually feel the emotion itself. And that's today! Wait and see what it can do a year from now!
Music is similar and, in some ways, I'd argue, at least as easy to replicate emotion with as visual art. Music is math. All those emotions you feel in your favorite songs? Those emotions are the result of particular patterns of notes, chords, etc. At the absolutely simplest level (because I don't know what your musical ability is or isn't), I could tell an AI to write a song using a minor progression and a human listener will hear the melancholy in the music even if the AI doesn't feel melancholy because that's what minor chords do. Train an AI on enough songs and music theory and there's absolutely no reason it couldn't write a song that would make you cry.
And, should we ever reach true General AI (rather than these mini neural nets and super advanced chatbots we currently have), then even the question of "will" and "desire" that I brought up at the beginning of this comment would change.
I'm not trying to be a dick here. I hear what you're saying. But the idea people have that human artistic expression is somehow magical and beyond the ability to engineer...? Sorry. I don't know if you've been using any of the AI tools at all or if you're just repeating things you've heard (from people with their own personal biases and insecurities about AI) but, if you haven't, I'd be willing to bet they already are capable of way more than you think. And, if you have tried them out and learned anything about them, then I don't see how you could possibly not realize how fast they're advancing or how quickly they're going to be able to do everything we can do and more.
To be clear, though, this is not an all-or-nothing situation. Even if AI can suddenly make the most beautiful art and music, that's no reason for you or any other human artist to stop expressing yourself through art or music. If the feeling that you're somehow less "special" because an AI can create art as well as (or better than) you causes you to say, "Well, then I've wasted my life practicing my art, going to school for it, etc! Why even make art anymore?" then I'd argue that you weren't really an artist to begin with. A true artist creates because they HAVE TO create, not because their friends all think they're really cool when they draw chibi versions of Yu-Gi-Oh! characters or whatever. If AI makes you quit art or music, you were never going to get anywhere with it anyway because you're not an actual artist at your core. You're just a technician who learned a money-making party trick and then threw a tantrum and went home when technology finally outpaced you.
It's a mistake to take an "us vs. AI" stand because it's a losing proposition. Tech never goes backwards and it never goes back in the bottle (until something even more powerful replaces it). Right now, while tons of "artists" are complaining about AI, signing petitions, spreading misinformation (AI doesn't "steal" anyone's images, and it's not just collaging parts of other images together; those are lies mostly propagated by people who've never even tried one of the AI progs), other artists like myself are learning the new AI tools, developing our skills with the tools as they develop (which, as I said, is FAST and non-stop right now), and finding all the best ways to incorporate the AI tools into our personal artistic processes. So, the only thing these artists fighting against AI are going to accomplish is making sure that, a year or two from now, whenever they finally give up the pipe dream of stopping technological progress, they're all 1-2 years behind the rest of us in the AI learning curve.
TL;DR: This is still early days of AI. If you've tried any AI tools recently -- and not just once, casually, with no knowledge of how to make them work best -- then you know that they're already capable of doing what a lot of artists can do (and what many can't). AI tech is developing faster than most people think and there are a lot of tools coming down the pipe that will just keep expanding what it can do and what media it can do it with. Yes, it's true that AI couldn't create a song like "Hi Ren" right now. Give the AI a year of tech-advancement though and the answer may be very, VERY different.
@@johnplaysgames3120 Great response, but I'll always take humans over AI when it comes to creating art.
have watched this video/reaction at least 50 times now and the most profound thing to me (besides the speech) is...
Temptation: I am Temptation, and I'm Immortal!
Hope: Oh yeah? Well I am HOPE, and I am ENTERAL! We are a coin of different sides....
Ren is has Shakespeare like level of writing ability (both musically and poetically) while being able to sing, rap, play instruments , and ACT. It's amazing!
Ren x Chinchilla Chalk outlines live. Excellent vocals
My favorite song by him, though crutch is a close 2nd.
The subject matter on Chalk outlines is important as well.
@@joshuaanderson1197 Check out "How to Be Me." It's incredible.
Just got to this one. Heart-wrenching lyrics and performances.
And please listen to For Joe, Suicide, Fred Again mashup, Back on 74/Message in a bottle, and so many more.....you are missing a year of brilliant beautiful, funny, deep, soulful (and more..) music by Ren..
Great reaction to this song! 🙂
Rebecca please do more Ren!!! I love your reactions and I'm in love with Ren, can't stop listening to him. I'd recommend Chalk outlines, how to be me (live), Jenny & Screech, Fire, and so many more!! lol his catalog is so diverse and amazing! It's like there's nothing he can't do genre wise. He's like a prodigy, pure genius
This guy is gonna change the game. For beautiful vocals/harmony - give 'Chalk Outlines' a listen. (the LIVE version)
how can not you not listen to the last part? speechless.
Now you need to do Jenny and Screech's tale, Violet's tale! 3 songs, 1 story! A triology.
A theatrical performance of epic proportion
I totally agree that clincher at the end had me saying, "oh hell no! Nooooo!!"Then I learn Screeches girlfriend was busy, remember his guy friend was not home ...Ren said Screech's gf was busy with his guy friend who didn't answer his knocks...even another layer not referenced in the trilogy.
Yep and WITHOUT captions!
Ohh. I wish you had tried to hear the rest of it. I just discovered this yesterday through another reactor. SO heavy. I was instantly blown away. I will be watching a lot of reactions to this. Wow, I definitely have to hear more of his stuff. What a beautiful person ... damaged. I want to hug him.
Fantastic reaction Rebecca. This piece speaks at such a deep level to so many of us. Ren has a unique and amazing talent.
I totally agree!
Charming, honest, funny, sensitive and smart is how I describe your reactions. I’ve viewed many and am a fan. Can’t wait to see more.
I appreciate you!
Its a pity that the video cut out so many times, especially the end dialogue.... Thats where it hit in the feels, and everyone needs to go to the original video and see, experience and acknowledge this.
Yeah. I don’t get why she cut out so much of the video.
When you find out it’s a one take, along with so many of his other narrative type songs, the mind gets blown.
It was recorded live .
It wasn't one take.
@@seandan7873 I read that is was one take, it just took four takes to get that one take he felt was good enough.
@@lisahuff818 apparently so for the audio, visuals you see at least 2 takes spliced together for closeups and wide shots.
@@lisahuff818I've read that too.
I mean, it's not true but I've read it.
@@znk0r This is correct. All the audio except the monologue is 1 continuous track. The head shots at the end are the only visuals that are not from that 1 performance. No way to get the close ups and the wide shots at the same time without getting the handheld camera in the shot.
Ive been waiting for you to do this reaction video. I must be responsible for 1 third of the views for this track.
This song, and Ren, will go down as our generations Bohemian Rhapsody or Beatles, he is that good.
This song is incredibly personal, and brave for it. I gather Ren was signed to Sony years ago but lost the deal when he fell very ill shortly after.
He was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome that left him weak, in pain and housebound.
After years of unsuccessful treatment he also developed depression and then went on to develop a bipolar disorder, and suffered the side effects of the many medications that he was taking.
Throughout this he had music to hang onto.
Then he finally got through to the right doctor. He found out that he was misdiagnosed, and mistreated as a result. He didn't have chronic fatigue syndrome. He had undiagnosed and untreated Lyme disease for nearly 10 years, his apparent bipolar disorder was actually stress induced psychosis together with some neurological damage from the untreated lyme disease.
He gained some relief from an accurate diagnosis that lead to a stem cell treatment. But has been left with a lot of issues as a result of the lyme disease being untreated for so long.
He has crowdfunded money to seek treatment in Canada and is currently there undergoing extensive daily treatment.
Thank you for breaking this down. I didn't know the whole situation. What a story to make such a come back from
After years of dreaming that I would "get better" someday, and live without my illnesses, I was recently faced with the reality that they are a permanent part of me that will be with me for life. Autoimmunity, depression, anxiety, and a developmental disorder that is making college near impossible to get through.
I want to keep dreaming that it will all go away someday, but Ren's message has reminded me that running from yourself doesn't help. I know there are steps I can take to help myself, even if I'll never live a totally normal life. It sounds defeatist, but sometimes you really can't change the hand you were dealt. You can just learn to live with it.
Keep stepping forwards 💙
If you don't invite all of yourself in, the demon takes two chairs -Swordfather
As someone who has also been "ill" half my life, I love that you reacted to this. I've loved this song, and Ren in general, since I first heard it a while back. I love to see Ren getting the coverage he deserves.
Alas, your review of 'Hi Ren' is just so brilliant, lovely and compassionate. ❤
I really love it and I absolutely can relate to your feelings.
Thanks so much for this.
You need to watch the last few words of this. It couldn't be more perfect. I've watched so many reaction videos to this to confirm to myself I'm not the only one who gets teared up at certain points. I wish Ren was my mate. Really hope his current treatment gives him a step towards a better quality of life. I don't even like rapping stuff, but he's completely changed my views on what I thought I liked or not...
PLEASE REACT TO ANOTHER REN'S MASTERPIECE: "CHALK OUTLINES" X CHINCHILLA. GREAT REACTION BY THE WAY!!!!
I've really been waiting patiently for you to cover this song
I would absolutely love it if you did a series on Ren. He is a lyrical and musical GENIUS. The things he can do with his voice continue to amaze me, and the stories he shares with his music resonate so incredibly strongly with so many of us.
Someone else who did a similar thing of honest approach to their mental health is Bo Burnham in his left side/right side bit of comedy. I do recommend it to anyone, not just that bit but all his specials.
Big ups for the video, love from Romania!
Take care of yo mental health everyone!
I actually think Ren is a breath of fresh air he's super talented, I wouldn't be a massive fan but I can appreciate raw talent when I see it. Hope you are keeping very well Rebecca ✌🏻❤️
This song gave me hope for this generation. They are aware. There’s is a trying time.
It’s a masterpiece! I’m a 54 year old woman.
Happy Sunday beautiful people! As always thanks Rebecca for sharing and caring 🌷💃❤️
You are so welcome! Hugs 2 all
finally....been waiting for all my fave vocal coaches to pick up on ren
OMG Rebecca; please do his other song " The tale of Jenny and Screech", WOW; so impressive and the tears will fall from you Rebecca; I promise.
Don't worry about copyright strikes. Appeal it, and Ren will approve your use of his music. He wants to share his music. He isn't with Sony. They dropped him when he got sick. He is independent now.
if you liked it, please encourage your subscribers to support Ren, he deserves it
This is art of transcendent beauty and an *important* song. Artists often struggle with imposter syndrome.
There’s a movie starring Olivia Munn called “Violet” that rings of this and was a transformative experience for me… just as this song also resonates.
As a person who’s never been able to escape imposter syndrome and negative self-talk, *realizing* that I can exert the strength that destructive voice questions-strength that I *know* I have-was sooo important.
It takes time to push past the negativity-to make your own voice stronger, but if anyone out there is struggling with this, please please please *know* that you can do it.
*Know* that I believe in you… but you don’t need me to-just like you don’t need the shroud of doubt that feels first of protection and then as a prison.
You are *stronger* than that voice.
You are stronger than you can *possibly* know…
until you push back with softness or aggression-your choice.
Do I know how powerful those words are? Yes, because that's the point the tears come every single time I listen to this.
At first I was curious about all the hype around him here on TH-cam.
Then, I was mesmerized by the way he started playing the guitar with such intensity.
But once he actually started speaking it was just... Wow...
It left me speechless, from the beginning to the very end, and I'm still trying to process what I listened to.
As someone who deals with mental issues and has a sort of split personality syndrome, I think this is a HUGE message to those who may not understand us, who deal with our inner demons every day.
The way the two "Rens" went back and forth, is exactly how, sometimes, both of my personalities "go at each other" inside my head, this perfect chaos is just.. crazy amazing.
Ren, is the real deal. He is the hope for all us music lovers who are fed up of Hip Hop, Rap, Helium voiced girls and slutty girls with no voice or clothes. Gave up on music in the West almost two decades ago. The nearest I can think of to the musical genius of REN, is Chinese singer Hua Chenyu. You've previously REACTED to "Hua Hua" so you'll understand that "connection", of storytelling and multiple Personalities telling their stories. (Think you did Hua Hua's "Fake Monk" but probably not "Dad I'm home".. live with subtitles, which had hulking burly men, across TH-cam, in tears, before it was removed). 😭 Hua Hua has been doing this for past decade. But it is lovely to see someone in the West "getting" what the public NEEDS, as an antidote to the repetitive bilge we've been force-fed for past 20 years. Hua Hua's "7 Personalities" is the nearest to this, but not even in my Top 30 Hua Hua Performances. We NEED REN to show how music should touch you. Not Western singers touching themselves, and everyone else. (Sam Smith 🤢🤮). We need a new Bowie or Freddie in the West. China has had Bowie, Freddie, Axel, Prince, George Michael, and Elton John 😂 wrapped in one person.. Hua Chenyu. Give REN time and space to regain his health to deliver that star power. (Ren is so much more than this. His Nina Simone with his band is truly wonderful). REN is the real deal. Not Cowell-clones, or has-been desperate "performers" like Sam Smith trying to be Cardi B. 🤮😱
You should have listened to the final closing - I think the part about life being a dance bring everything full circle and to me, I thought that was the most powerful aspect of this whole performance.
I never grow tired of this reaction. The pure brilliance of Ren and the complete honesty of Rebecca. Would love to see you two collab:)
so sad that it cut off, he final words are extremely powerful
Oh Rebecca. I am so excited and I haven't even seen the video yet. I have been on a ren excursion with anyone I could find it was doing anything remotely related to his work. I've been saddened that the ones like yourself that I had listened to and learned so much from and not discovered it yet. So I had to stop before I heard what you said and just tell you how glad I am to see your beautiful face. On to the video.
I'm glad you're back. I missed seeing you. Yes I cannot stop watching Ren. It is so special to me as it talks to me in many ways.
I watched your face and after he stood up is when I saw a change. This song hits close to home for a lot of us. Ren is a lyrical and musical genius and this was an amazingly real performance. Thank you for reacting and being real with your emotions. ❤
A little disappointed that you didn't finish the video. The ending monolog is important.
Also, you should do the live version of Ren's Freckled Angels written and performed a few months after his best friend committed suicide....the vocals are absolutely heartbreaking
Rrrrrrebecca! This was so incredibly unique. I have never heard anything remotely like it before. Can always count on you my friend 👍 Exquisite reaction by the way!
Peace and love..... ✌💕
Oh, I loved your reaction, the honesty and openness and understanding. Fantastic, thanks for sharing!
aghhh at long last!!! So excited! Was waitign for the one and only Rebecca to do this one! This song happens to you. 2 months later i'm still using reactions like a support group to cope with how powerful this is. I would LOVE to see you respond to his more vocal performances like Wade In The Water or Blind Eyed
Hi Ren has touched me in so many ways I am a stroke survivor there was a time when I felt what Ren describes his song is so cathartic I can not listen to it without crying. Rrrebecca yours is by far one of the best reactions I hope you were able to hear the end of the song/ I just love how the resolution was we are all just human.
Thanks darling. Hugs to you
I love these react videos and the exact moment that you figure out what he's doing with the two different voices... There is always the one mouth dropping moment
I love your reactions; because they are real, you can tell when you feel and let other musicians just get credit even when their performance is cracked with emotion. Love that accent too! :)
Thanks so much 🙏
Do you plan to react to Dimash anymore, especially his new songs, El Amor En Ti and The Story of One Sky? We loved you and your reactions.
I hope you were able to listen to his closing monolog. There are no words you just have to listen. Ren is absolutely brilliant and gifted
It’s lovely to observe your practice of relaxing into the present moment. It’s remarkable and inspiring. You’ve made me want to drop my defenses more and trust in the beauty of my vulnerability. Your insights were as deep as those of someone who had seen the video ten times. A testament to your openness. Brava
My pleasure 😊 thanks ⚡️
Been missing you on TH-cam glad to see you back
Just found this amazing performance 43 minutes ago and have already shared it with all my friends. I was worried at first when I saw the length. By the end I was aching for more.
Ren is a true bard his music awakens the hurt in the soul. This is also why it resonates and can stay with you for days. A lot of music can be a distraction, but this is a song of our times. We all suffer it's just a matter of when you experience this pain. We are conditioned to avoid the pain, but the aim should be to embrace it, be with it as this is how we grow. Great reaction and love your moment of being with the emotion of the song.
First comment! This song has been on my list alot
I can ALWAYS count on you to bring things to my attention that I've never heard of before. Love u gorgeous one.
Thank you so much!
@@rva I've always found certain pain very cathartic. This made me cry, I felt something deep inside was being washed. Thx again ❤️
Ren is an incredible talent. Wether solo, dueting or with his band - the big push - his musicianship and vocals are something to behold. Lots of great videos to check out.
He's a genius.His internal battle right there on display.You definitely can't put him a box,now can you??Nice to see you again,gorgeous!!
No to the constraints of boxes!
A Masterpiece, a piece of Art. I've listened to this song 50+ times over 2 weeks, and it never gets less moving.
You talked about how he could and does grab people due to emotions, and then he grabbed you as he started to sing. That makes the song and you more beautiful. Thanks love!!
This is the first time I've watched/listened such a good music first time via a reaction.
And It's a really good idea!! I really could soak in a lot of emotions in each pause and get part's beauty.
I hate when people use auto generated words for music because it is NEVER right and can take away from the artists real intent sometimes.
You'll probably get a reply from Ren at some point, he totally loves watching reactors to him! I think he's Welsh but been in Brighton for a long time. 🏴
Absolutely recommend Jenny and screetch (full). It's a trilogy of 3 short tales in one video.
Personally i think the cuts you did were a little bit disorienting, and it was hard to tell if you missed parts when pausing or if you went back and listened to them.
I would recommend doing the trilogy without the cuts, and going back a little bit when pausing so you don't miss stuff. And don't look up the lyrics and spoil the story!
He's independent and likes reactions, so he won't block your stuff.
Finally you did it, been waiting for your reaction and it was worth it. Great vid, he's taken over my musical taste for the last two months
Brilliant! Your life has just changed; hopefully you'll take us with you fir at least some of it in reactions. Ren is a crazy ride. Not two songs/performances/videos are alike. He can rap, sing, play guitar, perform, oh, so much more. And he can write, compose, see. You will fall in love with the artist and the human being(s). Cause there are beautiful, beautiful musicians collaborating. I love your style and look forward to exploring your channel.
Hi Rebecca....I've been watching you for just over 4 months and I really admire the work you do and how critically and thoroughly you analyse music and singing in terms of tonality technique and style, please keep going!! I would also like to recommend Faith Sosene - Because you loved me (from the voice AUS) :))
Ren was signed by Sony quite a while ago, but they dropped him after his diagnosis. He is now independent and very reactor friendly, so nothing for you to worry about.
Oh how I've missed you and your insight. What an amazing song! Poor guy is amazing. Not sure if you know but he's currently in Canada undergoing treatment for his health issues and will be for 6+ months. Love hearing what you have to say and I sincerely hope you are well! Much love to you from me in Phoenix Arizona USA
There are a LOT of channels doing reactions to this video but yours is the only one I want to see 'cause you have spoken about mental health struggles in the past.
You are da bomb. Loved this reaction. Subscribed. Obsessed with your perspective.
It's a joy to watch someone you admire bring joy to another. You will cry a river when you review the 3 part opera, that is the tale of screech and violet and Jenny. A musical trainspotting moment. (the books Irvine Welsh wrote about Renton- ironically)
Listen to Crutch, it will break your heart
I was looking for your take on Ren just last night. You must have read my mind😊
I very much appreciate how Ren constructed climax of the "battle" so that the anxiety, the darkness, the fear, and all that ... they seem so powerful and threatening and unbeatable - right until the point where he starts talking about hope, and it just completely overpowers every bit of self-doubt
Not sure if you've done a vocal analysis on 4 Non-Blondes. First time I heard them was back when they first came out back in 1989 and I was in love with Linda Perry's voice! You have to do their rendition of Led Zeppelin's Misty Mountain Hop, you will NOT regret it! I believe their biggest hit was "What's Up".
Agreed. Misty Mountain Hop cover is amazing!
I watch a few reactions to this almost every day - love your insights and subbed - and yea the hope part gets me every time , good cries very therapeutic , thank you.
I used to work for Sony until I got ill..eventually being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when I was 29. I am 54 now and been unable t work since I was in my 30s. Ren is very talented but I feel he might struggle to find a corner to get his music out to everyone...though now with social media it might be easier to reach out and I hope he does and gets the recognition and support he deserves. As he says at the end 'We must never forget we are all human"
Sony aren't good at dealing with both artists or staff who get hit with something like this and I fear it leaks out in to our everyday world. I have am grateful for Ren and what he is saying and I can emphatically say I won't be the only one .
I just fell in love. Lol thank you mate absolutely appreciate you
Oh dear Rebecca I think I have literally fell in love with you. Carry on being absolutely fabulous darling! You are spectacular!
That's really sweet! Thank you poppet
Great reaction your response to this piece is similar to my own ... Laugh and cry while waiting on the next word his ability to reach in and touch ❤️. This artist is worth a deep dive his back catalogue will have you on the edge of your seat singing rapping story telling genius that is Ren.... Independent needs our support ✌️❤️.
More Ren please Rebecca.
This song seemed nuts the first time I heard it. Seemed like Gollum talking to himself. But the more I listen to it, the more I like it. And the more I think it might be the best song I've heard in at least the last decade. The way he emotes... damn.
I absolutely love you and respect your opinions, and knew this would get to you and would do it justice. Thank You.
Yayay! I am so so happy you reacted to this! I so ,I’ve your reactions. :)
The song structure itself is incredible. It starts off as a battle between his positive (Angel) and negative (Demon) aspects, the negative makes an overpowering last ditch effort to reign supreme, but ultimately fails as the final act, being the "God" aspect, emerges Triumphant, though still acknowledging and accepting that it will always be a battle because we are all "a coin with 2 different sides". It's a powerful piece of performance art that gives "broken" people HOPE. It's a beautifully raw musical masterpiece. Ren is special. Welcome to the Ren rabbit-hole, it's a trip worth taking.
As a vocalist you'll love his song "chalk outlines" featuring Chinchilla, the live version.
You know that a voice/artist and or their song moved you if you “need a moment” ❤️ that’s what I love about music ❤
Love your channel, Rebecca. I'm so glad you have discovered the exceptionally gifted Ren. You should definitely react to his duets with another independent British artist, Chinchilla. "Chalk Outlines" and "How to Be Me" are outstanding. Also, you will love Chinchilla's "FINGERS Live for HungerTV" performance. It is simply mesmerising.
Took the climax right out of the scene for your viewers. Ren responds to reactors, if he didn't I don't think he will, since his best sentence came at the end in his eyes.
The eternal inner struggle invented once more - TY Ren and TY RVA for this reaction ... imperfect and beautiful like life ;-)
❤❤❤It's so nice to see a British reaction after watching lots of Americans LOL - nothing wrong with Americans but when you're a British Lass watching a British young talent like Ren, seeing a British reaction from a British Lass is nice. I'm only down the road from Brighton too in Eastbourne and couldn't be more proud of this young British lad oozing talent and really expressing how a lot of people are, me included feeling. As a person who suffers with all that stuff you know? And I think as a creative person myself, us artists, I think we often suffer with things , maybe because we feel things so deeply and struggle with our identities and self-worth and all that - it's hard to be seen as a creative person these days, I feel. It's probably always been like that actually, but when someone like this sneaks through the cracks and slaps us in the face, it's so refreshing. I am on a low at the moment, in my second week of just sleeping most of the time and I have literally no energy to even get up and pee or eat after having a couple of months of being really quite OK, I won't say full of energy, but feeling well enough to go and do art every day in my little art room and be creative. I just love him, he inspires me to want to write poetry again, and maybe I just will. Thank you for your lovely reaction, liked, subscribed and all that jazz. ❤❤❤
Love your last sentiment. I live in my head most of the time and it's a very weird and wonderful place 😂😂😂😂
I think it's time to react to his newer stuff 👌😁
I waited, patiently, for your reaction to this. I was not disappointed :) You had 1.25 million subscribers. I just subscribed ( sorry it took so long ). Now you have 1,250,001 subscribers. big time.
@Message__RebeccaVocal_Athlete seems legit.