Chong Nee “Thin Line”

Chong Nee has previously shown up with videos for his work with AKA Brown and Dei Hamo, but “Thin Line” was his first solo video. The song, an R&B ode to a straying lover, is underpinned by a quirky keyboard loop that starts to outstay its welcome after about a minute.

The video starts by establishing Chong Nee in a somewhat unsympathetic light. He’s spying on his girlfriend, watching her laughing with another man at a basketball game. There’s another scene where the girlfriend is attempting to relax in a candlelit bath, except Chong Nee is also in the bathroom, emoting “I don’t want to live my life this waay-ay-eee-eeee.” Dude, she’s not going to cheat on you when she’s alone in the bath.

Or is there a supernatural explanation for all this? Of course there is: Chong Nee is a ghost. The M. Night Shyamalan-style shock twist comes near the end when a club patron walks through Chong Nee. And even beyond the grave, he’s still spying on his girlfriend at the club.

I guess this is the frustration for Ghost Chong Nee: he probably doesn’t feel that his relationship has ended, so when he sees his girlfriend with other guys, it feels like she’s cheating on him. Meanwhile the girlfriend has had to deal with the death of her boyfriend, and might just be getting back into the social scene. She doesn’t need to be haunted by the jealous ghost of her ex. Where’s Bruce Willis when you need him?

Best bit: the pink and green bathroom decor.

Director: Chris Chetland
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision

Next… the inevitable emo phase.