Relationships in the modern era are anything but simple. Because of social media and other ways that society sets standards, it can be hard to know what love is today. In his new video for “Listenin’”, Reggie Becton gives his perspective on what it is like to be a male navigating love in today’s culture while also confronting toxic masculinity and toxic relationships in general. With influences from past and present R&B artists, it is easy to be taken back to previous eras while also appreciating where music has gone since then.
The stunning visual illustrates the difficulties of being in love with someone when it isn’t easy to be with them for one reason or another. The two love interests appear to be physically separated by a wall, perhaps as a metaphor for how it feels to be in such a situation. This is likely to be the result of something much more complicated than one would initially be led to believe. The lyrics demonstrate that Becton struggles with conflicting thoughts about his emotions. It is evident from this and moments in the video, like the scene where he appears to be trying to work out a science experiment, that he is unsure which path to take when it comes to romance. Becton remains vulnerable when expressing his feelings about love and he does it in a stunning way throughout the entirety of the video. Perhaps many people his age identify with this very struggle.
