SINGLE REVIEW: Chenzo V – Midnight
Chenzo V’s ‘Midnight’ feels like stepping into the moment when the noise finally stops — not because everything is fixed, but because you’ve stopped fighting yourself. It’s an introspective, industrial-leaning alt-rock track built around tension, release, and the strange clarity that arrives when an old habit, or an old version of yourself, finally burns out.
The song is driven by a distorted, rumbling synth bassline that drags you straight into its emotional weight. Paired with sharp, metallic electronic drums, the rhythm moves with a slow, deliberate drag, echoing the heaviness of trying to break a cycle that’s been clinging on for too long. Chenzo’s raspy, world-worn vocals only deepen that feeling — fragile at points, forceful at others, always sounding like they’re coming from someone right on the edge of a shift.
What stands out most is the structure: ‘Midnight’ doesn’t build in the typical verse–chorus explosion. Instead, it circles itself, repeating phrases and motifs until they finally crack. The production is sparse but intentionally so — moments of near-silence punctured by crushing low-end bursts, creating a sense of emotional gravity rather than drama. It’s music shaped around internal change, not external chaos.
Lyrically, the track sits in that blurry space between a goodbye and a rebirth. The “farewell” at the song’s core isn’t aimed at another person, but at the parts of yourself that no longer fit — the versions you stayed loyal to long after they stopped serving you. There’s darkness here, but not defeat; the mood leans toward transformation, the kind that only happens in solitude.
Visually and sonically, the atmosphere feels almost symbolic. The recurring crow imagery hints at endings, but also at the strange freedom that follows them. The whole piece plays like a midnight crossroads: quiet, unsettling, and absolutely necessary.
Rather than delivering a polished alt-rock anthem, Chenzo V leans into something cinematic, raw, and internal, creating a track that feels less like a song and more like an emotional shift set to industrial pulse. ‘Midnight’ is a compelling step forward — bold in its restraint, powerful in its honesty, and the kind of release that lingers long after the final beat dissolves.
