Tennyson King says that when he was growing up, he tried to hide his identity to assimilate. But now, the Hong Kong-born and Mississauga-raised musician takes pride in his Chinese heritage. Moreover, he ably displays this in his new composition, “Most of My Days”.
“The song is about finding the courage to speak our truths, not being afraid of judgment from others for what we believe in,” King declared upon the release of the official music video. “It was inspired by feeling powerless in the face of social injustices—while also rediscovering the love for culture and heritage.”
“Most of My Days” is introspective and soulful. It’s almost as if King is channelling Chris Martin as he opens with “I’m tired of being a fake” and then repeats how he needs to make a change.
In the music video directed Cesar Barbosa, King appears alongside three people in masks as he sings the catchy chorus: “I’ve been running / I’ve been hiding / In plain sight / A ghost in the night / I’ve been running / I’ve been hiding / From the words I won’t say / For most of my day…”
It’s a testament to King’s own desire to make a change, even as it speaks to the struggles of many in their search to live authentically.
Watch Tennyson King’s video (above) for “Most of My Days”.
Traditional Chinese dancers add a cultural twist
But then, King presents a surprising bridge with traditional Chinese instrumentation. That sets the stage in the video for a traditional Chinese dance performance.
This lengthy section features close-ups of three members of Kaleidoscope Chinese Performing Arts—Sarah Wei, Mei Lin, and Juan Lan—with King singing in the background.
Near the end of the video, he’s accompanied by musicians Vicki Lovelee, Tricia Zhang, and Stormy Foreman, who all wear masks. The overall effect can only be described as hypnotic, thanks in part to Emmet Koudis’s cinematography and Sylvia Wong’s costume and wardrobe work.
It goes without saying that “Most of My Days” makes you pause and look inside yourself. King plans to include this gem on his upcoming album 百城 (100 Cities).
This month, King was a nominee for Performing Artist of the Year at the Ontario Folk Music Awards. In the past, the indie folk-rock nomad performed three times at the Glastonbury Festival in England. In addition, King has toured China and Australia several times and played in Southeast Asian countries and Taiwan.
Discover more of Tennyson King’s music by visiting his website. This video was made possible with funding from the Mississauga Arts Council. Learn more about the communities that make up Canada on the Toronto Spark website. The Toronto Spark is on Bluesky @torontospark.bsky.social.
