Get lost in a sea of stirring strings and airy vocals for the moving new release from Beharie, Don’t Wanna Know.

Photo: Isak Jenssen

Norwegian musician Beharie brings his delightful blend of indie-soul into his touching new track, Don’t Wanna Know, which sees him tenderly exploring topics that are personal and important, including masculinity, sensuality, frustration, and identity. Delicately treading the water with dainty backing vocals and ardent guitars, the atmosphere hangs gingerly while being charged with unspoken tension, leaving listeners yearning for more.

The track is accompanied by an equally poignant video, directed by Martin Bremnes, and it follows the story of a young man, Erik, who loses his best friend. Explaining this further, Martin asks:

Where does vulnerability find its place in masculinity among young boys? How tough is it really to cry in front of your friend? Where exactly is the difference between masculinity and femininity? In this film, these are the questions we wanted to ask of the audience.

He further elaborates:

I wanted to make this film to portray a phase in life that can often be extremely confusing, anxious, and filled with overwhelming emotions, while at the same time challenging the concept of masculinity and exploring if there is room for vulnerability within it. The main character goes through a phase of wanting to be masculine, at the same time he is feeling overwhelmed by confusing feelings related to his best friend. “Am I not tough enough for him? Do I need to train more?”

Personally, I am frustrated to have grown up with the feeling that I have to meet certain requirements to be “masculine” and that vulnerability has never had a place in the definition of the term. I want to explore these aspects of myself, and see if I can take back a part of me that I have been hiding since I was young.

I have no intention of starting a debate, but have a burning desire to create a beautiful piece of film that will make you reconsider your perception of masculinity and to show that vulnerability has a central role in it.