In his new single and music video “Explode,” Canadian pop singer/songwriter Chris Ning gets as brutally honest as he’s ever been with his lyricism, unleashing what could be one of the more personal tracks of its kind this season. A crushingly intimate ballad that touches on suicide and self-awareness in a raw, unfiltered manner, “Explode” doesn’t attempt to hide the vulnerabilities of its lead singer in any way, shape or form, instead utilizing them as the centerpiece they ought to be in such a brooding single. Ning has an amazing voice, and here, it’s bringing forth a message everyone should be hearing in 2020.
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The guitar competes with the synthetic element in this mix incredibly well, and given the abrupt swell the latter challenges the former with as we get into the midsection of the track, that’s no small statement for me to make. While it’s a subjective opinion, there’s really no arguing whether or not the textural expressiveness of this song plays a part in how we’re to interpret the lyrics and their deeper meaning, and in today’s pop genre on either side of the Canadian-American border, that makes Ning’s one of the more involved singles I’ve heard this year.
This production quality is absolutely ethereal for both the song and its music video, and I think it makes things clear as to how paramount Chris Ning holds clarity when creating new content for his fans. There have been an increasing number of detail-oriented players coming out of his scene in the last few months, but part of the reason why I think “Explode” sounds as important as it does is because it doesn’t carry forth an overly-elaborate surface structure. This is, for most fans, a vocal-driven ballad with some warmth to its string harmonies, and that will ultimately be what drives home its success among the mainstream audience.
If you didn’t know anything about Chris Ning before taking a peek at this new song, I think you’re going to be in the same boat as I am in looking up his complete discography to explore his talents a bit more. “Explode” is emotional TNT, but instead of bearing the self-indulgent lust that a lot of straight-up emo/pop has possessed in the past, it’s a little stealthier – and a lot more intellectually stimulating – with the delivery of its message. Ning is quite the charismatic player, and I can’t wait to hear what he does with this sound next.
Kim Muncie