“I dreamed that this song was to be released on President’s Day so, surprise, here it is,” says Chris McKay of the freshly debuted music video for the track “Have Mercy (God Is In Control),” released on his musical project Devine and Devine’s album The Other Side Of the Question. The album’s music has received criticism of being “too hot of a topic” in light of the current social upheaval and political climate, and at the urging of friends, McKay conceded to adding a “viewer discretion advised” warning at the beginning of this music video.
“Yes, this one’s personal. Yes, this one’s political. Yes, this one’s critical. Yes, it’s weird. Yes, it’s dark. But it’s how I was feeling and how I continue to feel,” says McKay.
The striking visuals of “Have Mercy” lead the viewer through unsettling and amorphous scenes that deliver a powerful impact right on point with the protest song’s intention. A high-powered spotlight targets the powerful who manipulate the masses for profit and personal gain. Although McKay says that he didn’t originally intend to release this album publicly, the impact and meaning it’s had for listeners makes him glad that he did.
McKay created everything in the music video aside from a public domain painting and photo of him in terrible physical pain at the hospital taken by Manda McKay. Post-surgery McKay found himself unable to play the guitar and struggling to sing, so he dabbled in using the aid of artificial intelligence to supplement the songs on this album and finish his creative mission.
“There are, certainly, glitches in the video. This is one person working alone with no budget trying to do everything themselves while also battling serious health conditions. Some glitches are intentional. Everything real is intended to be de-realized at some level, and everything unreal is intended to be firmly in the uncanny valley as that’s how everything feels to me personally at this time,” says McKay.
Limited edition vinyl variants of The Other Side Of The Question are available exclusively at chrismckay.bandcamp.com, and the album is streaming now on all major platforms under Devine and Devine.
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