Darren Hayes has shared the music video for his latest track, Feels Like It’s Over.
Lifted from the star’s 2022 comeback album ‘Homosexual’, the ballad is one of a handful of tender moments on the largely upbeat LP.
Having recently wrapped his ‘Do You Remember?’ tour, following dates in Australia, the UK and North America, the former Savage Garden star has released the poignant clip, noting that: “Never in my entire career has art ever imitated life more than this year.”
“I’m grateful to film maker Andrew Huebscher for his passion for Feels Like It’s Over which resulted in me shooting this video just days before I left for the ‘Do You Remember?’ tour,” he shares. “I’m forever indebted to Andrew for his outstanding direction and cinematography and to my wonderful scene parter, Casey James – who laughed with me and patiently held me while I cried for three days straight as we made this short film.
“This is the end of an era in so many ways. I poured my soul into this album, this tour and into people I met along the way and yes, I got my heart broken in the end.
“Was it worth it? I don’t know. But it’s all real. I don’t know how to be any other way.”
Watch the Feels Like It’s Over video below.
Last year, Darren appeared on the cover of RETROPOP and opened up about returning to music after a decade away, admitting his experience of being a pop star is much more enjoyable now.
“My experience of being a pop star in the ‘90s was, ‘You’re fine as long as you’re not gay.’ You had all these boybands and teen heartthrobs but god forbid if you’re gay,” he explained. “It was incredibly suffocating and for me, as someone who was literally buried by a major label the minute I came out, it was incredibly stifling.”
The hitmaker added: “There was a huge pressure back then to ‘out’ people and the misconception about me is that I was in the closet, but nothing could have been further from the truth. I was out, I tried to be so much more out because I thought, if I just came out, it would solve all my problems.
“It took me a long time to have self-love and get rid of the toxic shame in the internalised homophobia that a lot of gay men have to go through to come out on the other side and love themselves. I was very depressed and had suicidal thoughts during that period and, had social media been around that time, I don’t know if I’d be here. It was a really tough time for me. I did as well as I could, I’m proud of the fact that I lived an authentic life and throughout my music, even during the Savage Garden days, I was really desperately trying and asking for help in my songs.”
Now, however, things are different, and it’s a relief for the superstar to return to the stage in 2022 and feel liberated to present his authentic self.
“It’s much more vibrant and liberating to be an artist today… I never fell out of love with music, I think it was the industry actually,” he believes, adding, “I’m sure a 23-year-old will listen to my story and be surprised there was a time when you couldn’t be gay.”
READ MORE: Darren Hayes: ‘The ‘90s was stifling – it’s much more liberating to be an artist today!’