Seattle-based pop crooner Thavoron embodies all the unadulterated intimacy of Frank Ocean coupled with the enthralling soundscapes of Bon Iver. After two albums the Cambodian-American artist has divined a reputation for songs that loom and glow with stirring vulnerability, expanding a previously nonexistent space for his fellow Southeast/Asian American and queer creators.
Thavoron announced his arrival a few years ago with his Bold EP (2020) before releasing a string of singles — “You” and “Bend, OR” — that would become his debut album Ugly (2021). From its dreamily driving opener “Chevrolet” to its heartwrenching closer and title track “Ugly,” the record confirmed the engrossing effects of Thavoron’s ethereal vocals, sincere lyricism, and glacial layerings of sound.
His second outing Tommy Loves You dropped just last year and found him digging deeper into prodding questions of identity and the aching tension of relationships. Its first single “18” — for which he recently released an acoustic version — nurses the painful memory of a heartbreak suffered on the cusp of adulthood. At the same time, the spacious ballad “Good” unfolds as a plea for parental mercy in the face of tender love.
“Body” offers a vision of what’s in store for Thavoron as he further embraces his love of resounding atmospherics and electrifying instrumentals. Through an icy scintillation of shrill guitars and iridescent synths comes an ecstatic ode and longing for physical intimacy. “Give in and pull up and I’ll self-destruct in real time,” he sings against the shimmering backdrop. “Feeling lonely and I want to see your body on mine.”
A music video for “Body,” directed by Thavoron and Maddie Ludgate, pairs the track with raptly divine visuals that capture the charged wonder of such a body-on-body connection. It opens with a shot of Thavoron and Eli Smith holding each other, their bodies and surroundings illuminated by a beaming light, eventually cutting to darkness as a series of starry and glittering projections are cast on their naked skin.
Stay tuned for more music from Thavoron!
Words: Steven Ward
Visit Thavoron on his website and Instagram to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements.
Watch the music video for “Body” the new single from Thavoron below!
