‘TEARS’, the new single by Aidan Martin is out now. The video for the single stars Aidan alongside US star Todrick Hall, as they depict the song’s themes of the damaging effects of toxic masculinity, and how they can be battled with vulnerability, bravery and honesty.
Inspired by a recent breakup of Aidan’s, the single deals with emotions very close to the singer-songwriter’s heart:
“‘TEARS’ was originally written about a breakup I had a couple years ago. I remember being so heartbroken, alone in my London flat, crying my eyes out. Comments from my youth came rushing back: ‘boys shouldn’t cry’ and ‘man up’ – and I felt overwhelmed with shame for showing my emotions. So I wiped my tears and kept the heartbreak to myself, suffering in silence. It wasn’t until several years later that I realised how much these unrealistic standards surrounding emotions were causing me and other men around me to self-destruct.
A harrowing 77% of all suicides are committed by men, toxic masculinity is a significant contributing factor to this heart-breaking statistic. The LGBTQ+ community particularly has suffered greatly with suicide and depression, as many of us attempt to navigate through a world where we can’t express who we truly are. I wanted to show that your tears, in fact, can set you free. I am so unbelievably proud of what we’ve created and hope that this video can encourage others to accept and express themselves freely, for it is these beautiful emotions that make us humans so precious.”
The video follows the story of five people, in an empty water tank, representing the societal construct many feel trapped in. As the video progresses, the tank begins to fill with their tears, eventually overflowing and allowing Martin and his companions to break free from their confines. The video features memories personal to each character, written on their backs, outlining various pain and heartbreak that have held them back from self-actualizing. By the end of the video, they swim freely together in their tears and are able to break free from these societal binds once and for all.
