dijon’s “cry baby” video is a different kind of tearjerker

As R&B thrives at the end of the decade, the genre is also mutating and evolving. The boundaries of what can be classified as R&B have been pushed and blurred by collagist hip-hop sensibilities, an embrace of guitar-driven and electronic music, and the genre’s undeniable pop appeal.

The music of Dijon Duenas, better known by the mononym Dijon, exists in this milieu of hybridization and experimentation. Striking out as a solo act after performing and recording as one half of “alt” R&B duo Abhi // Dijon, he’s making his presence felt with a sound that’s off-kilter, emotive and catchy.

In the stop-motion video for his new song “CRYBABY,” director Jack Karaszewski makes the figurative literal by interspersing still performance shots of Dijon with images of in utero fetuses, baby birds, infants, and small children shedding tears. On the track Dijon pleads with his lover for their acceptance and understanding: “U KNOW I CAN BE A CRY BABY IM CRYIN OUT TO U AND STUFF.” If his passionate delivery and the song’s lyrics don’t pull you in, watching the close-up shots of his expressive face and piercing stare will and he sings from the heart while looking into your soul.