MV: Jasmine Sokko – “HURT”

The Matrix meets bubblegum kawaii in Singaporean singer-songwriter Jasmine Sokko’s video for her latest EDM-influenced single, “HURT”.

Jasmine Sokko – “HURT” single cover art

In her press statement, the visor-donning artist stated that the song’s inspiration comes from miscommunication and misperceptions that she’s had with close friends in the past.

“A person’s intention is something that can never truly be transferred,” she explains. “It’s just created and understood. Their actions might come from a good place but you could perceive it in a different way. (A sentiment made clear with her cutting line “You said you meant me well with your affection / So I guess there’s a glitch in transaction / Some kind of miscalculation”.)

In the case of “HURT”, Sokko wanted the person she was addressing to feel the same way that she did when she was hurt. Though the message behind “HURT” might seem a bit “petty” (a fact that she acknowledges herself), it’s one that is unfortunately too relatable to the majority of people–which is perhaps why it’s such an enjoyable song to listen to.

The video, which was directed by Martin Hong, features Sokko strutting around a pink-and-black cyber-dystopian warehouse proudly with a stylish black half-visor covering her face (a look that has become one of her signatures). Sokko has never looked more confident, or more badass. According to the video’s director, the video even suggests a larger world at play that isn’t strictly tied down to the lyrical content of the song. With “Hurt”, Sokko breaks the “stereotypes of what women are in the music industry” should be like, since she produces and writes all of her songs herself. She’s not going to be tied down by these stereotypes (in fact, there’s footage of her breaking free from some pink restraints) and she’s going to fight back against the industry as well as the people who’ve hurt her in any way.

Though she “knows [she’s] kind of selfish”, and she’s ultimately “sorry” because she wants to “hurt you back”, all of these courtesies are tossed out of the window once that drop and chorus kicks in. Revenge has never sounded so sweet.

Artist pages: Facebook | Spotify

Check out “HURT” on our Discovery Playlist!

Li-Wei Chu

Li-Wei Chu is the chief editor of From the Intercom. When he’s not editing drafts and searching for new artists to cover for the website, he loves watching cult films, cooking, and listening to his ever-growing collection of vinyl records. You can follow him on LetterBoxd and make fun of his taste in movies here!