San Mei premiered the sunny music video for her latest single “Cry” on Tuesday (March 24), exclusively to Billboard.
In the clip, the up-and-coming artist, born Emily Hamilton, ditches her job as a down-on-her-luck waitress, stealing a car to hit the beach and play games in an arcade. “You’re wishing all your time away/ You wanna feel something else/ Do you have enough to give away?/ Just wanna feel like someone else/ I know, I/ I know you don’t wanna cry/ I know, baby, I/ I know that you still cry,” she sings on the hazy, synth-driven chorus.
“‘Cry’ is about longing, daydreaming, wishing for more and for a better day,” Hamilton tells Billboard. “While it’s important to me that people are able to relate to the type of restlessness that can often bring pain, I wanted the video to feel wistful and celebrate the idea that you can break free from your own mindset if you just let go, breathe, and find some joy in the present.”
Hamilton also points out that the snapshots of the arcade, beach and “driving to nowhere in particular” that appear in the visual serve as “reminders to stop and enjoy your youth while it’s here. Just be grateful for today.”
“Cry” serves as the title track to San Mei’s third EP — which was released Friday (March 20) Sydney-based indie label Etcetc Music — and follows singles “Cherry Days,” “Hard to Face” and 2019’s “Love in the Dark.”
Check out the exclusive premiere of the visual for “Cry” below.
