2023 will mark five years since Henry Lau went independent after his contract completion with Korean super-label SM Entertainment, and his latest music shows him still pushing toward his goal of boundary-less music.
Henry’s new single “Real Love Still Exists” brings the singer-songwriter and Malaysian breakout superstar Yuna together for a languishing R&B-pop duet perfect for both their tender voices. Canada-raised Lau opens the track with sparse acoustic guitar backing a melancholy melody reminiscent of the No. 1 Beatles classic “Something.” Yuna hops in halfway through the song as the second verse incorporates heavier percussion beats accompanying the songbird’s sweetly somber delivery. The two harmonize on the chorus together, dreamily duetting and pleading: “Give me just a chance/ One chance/ Take you to the other side/ Where ignorance is bliss/ Where real love still exists.”
For the accompanying music video, Henry headed to the City of Light for the lovelorn song’s visual. The star plays guitar on the Paris streets amid couples kissing, one getting down on one knee for a proposal, as Henry flashbacks to his own relationship. By the end of the visual, the sun has set on Paris, and Henry finds himself face-to-face with his lost love again.
“Real Love Still Exists” is the second new track from Henry in 2023 after January’s funky, folky pop single “Moonlight,” marking the former Super Junior member’s first new collection of singles since his Journey album in late 2020. Both releases come through Lau’s Monster Entertainment Group, which he told Billboard in 2019 was envisioned for him to “make my own brand, to have my own color” and make label-less music in any language he feels. The multilingual star has recently been active with music, television, acting, and his YouTube channel featuring viral violin and vocal covers of Hot 100 hits like Miley Cyrus‘ “Flowers,” SZA‘s “Kill Bill” and more.
Check out if “Real Love Still Exists” with Henry below: