Channeling the experience of pain, both physically and mentally, Queen Kwong’s new single ”I Know Who You Are” is an exorcism of everything toxic and all that has gone wrong to make way for something new. Industrial sounding with potent lyrics and etherial vocals, ”I Know Who You Are” melts into your brain like a liquid hot metal swirling around and hissing until finally cooled. Calling out the person who wronged her, while admitting to her own patterns in relationships, Kwong releases the anger inside her to verbally obliterate her ex husband — the lyrics spurned from their ugly divorce.
The music video for Kwong’s song features the songstress slowly walking toward a set of stairs that lead to a tunnel (presumably an underground walkway or subway station entrance). Her almost angelic like stroll becomes more and more agitated as she goes further into the dark hallway; her movements become sinister and perverse as if possessed. Eventually, she begins jerking, laughing menacingly and spitting up blood and a milky white substance. In the end though, she walks out just as casually as she entered, having purged her toxic past.
Inspiration for the intense and visceral visuals come from a scene in Andrzej Żuławski’s 1981 horror classic Possession, starring Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill. In a pivotal scene, Adjani walks down a subway and has a similar episode as she becomes overtaken by a demonic entity and ends up having a miscarriage.
“I Know Who You Are” Kwong’s new album, Couples Only, is out July 12 via Sonic Ritual. Her new album, produced by Joe Cardamone (The Icarus Line, Dark Mark vs Skeleton Joe), focuses mainly on the gut-wrenching divorce she went through and features Roger O’Donnell (The Cure), Kristof Hahn (Swans), Laura-Mary Carter (Blood Red Shoes).
Discovered by Trent Reznor at the age of 17, Carré Kwong Callaway, AKA Queen Kwong, has been releasing music since 2010. For more on Queen Kwong, make sure to visit her website and follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
Words: Patti Sanchez
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