In January, Chicago songwriter Reno Cruz—who’s previously performed with artists like Lala Lala, Sen Morimoto, and Wyatt Waddell—released his debut solo album Falling in Love Is Not That Hard, with the poppy bossa nova slow jam “Your Love” as its lead single. Now, to coincide with his album release show, he's giving "Your Love” a music video as flowery as his falsetto. It was the first track he produced for the album, so this is something of a full-circle moment. At the time, though—at least on a conscious level—Cruz says he had no intention of releasing anything.
“I was traversing a complex emotion and just using songwriting as an exercise, as an exorcism, just heaving the feelings out and pruning it all down until I had something clear and simple,” he shares. “Maybe I was making a time capsule for some future self to witness. Maybe, deep down, I wanted to be seen.”
In his words, the song tackles “the intrinsic futility of a codependent relationship.” For the poignant video, director Shelby Dillon similarly shifted focus away from love and toward the challenges—and ultimately, changes—that can come from such a dysfunctional pairing. She represents the dynamic as a bouquet of flowers that becomes overwhelmingly large as Cruz stacks more and more stems on top. As balance shifts and romantic fantasy falls apart, the video’s color palette changes from ecstatic red and orange to deep blue and purple.
“Reno’s lyrics explore the profound tension between loving someone and the turmoil that comes when our shadow side is revealed to another person,” says Dillon. “I wanted the music video to reflect that tension, and showcase not only Reno’s love but also the debilitating weight of codependency and how that pathology can lead to an impossible relationship. My hope with this music video is that the viewer witnesses the yearning, loss, and growth that the song holds.”
Check out the video for “Your Love” below.
