The first two songs are based on a small new article Ren read where a 14yo boy stabbed a prostitute and got shot later that night by an officer. This article was tucked away on the 7th page of the newspaper and police commented: "It's such a shame". Ren took that as tragedies like this occurring so often that we become numb to it that we just say that "it's a shame" and go on about our day. Violet's Tale is completely made it up and it was made a couple years later to add another layer to the story and bring it full circle.
If you wanted to almost copy and paste what I wrote on another reaction channel you could have completed my statement of what Ren felt he was adding to the initial story. By telling Violet's tragedy. He wasn't just commenting on the circle of violence telling the story of a cursed family but going deeper. With Violet being Jenny & Screeches mother, how is it that Jenny & Screech came about to be so much like their parents who they never new. Violet dies in child birth and the twins are separated at birth, yet Jenny is quit, passive, timid and voiceless like her mother. Screech on the other hand mirrors a father Stevie whom he never met, loud, obnoxious short fused and prone to acts of violence and rage. Is it just nature, traits passed down from their parents gene's, or do we blame it on nurture, growing up in a broken system breaking the innocent children that are in it? Food for thought.
@@robmarar Thank you for this. This is my first time hearing this Ren song. I didn't get the connection of Violet to the story, and then at the end, I thought I did get from it that she was their mom. But I guess I had a hard time being sure if that was true, because I guess I had the impression that Jenny was older than 14. I'll have to listen to it again. (Which I'm sure I will, because so far I end up listening to each Ren song several times after I discover them)
Ren is a modern day BARD. He embodies his characters, weaves complex stories with meaningful content, and conveys it all so well. He writes, produces, directs everything himself, and hides incredible amounts of details and Easter eggs. He's very clever... With such a background busking in the streets he knows how to work a crowds emotions, and it transfers very well into his art. He has revived the art of being a Minstrel....
Yeah, and you get Chinchilla too which is massive bonus and an artist in an of her own. She's the Boss! Aileen, you're gonna love her stuff too, like Little Girl Gone.
The ending always makes me cry when you realise Violet gave birth to both Jenny and Screech, that they were twins, and that the cycle of violence spanned at least 3 generations, ending with Screech killing the twin sister he had never met. Apparently Jenny is a prostitute in the song. If you listen close to the lyrics it spoke about her walking that street in the dark thousands of times before, in high healed shoes. When Screech starts shouting at her she freezes up (just like their mother Violet did in the last tale). It’s such a gut wrenching, haunting, tale of artistic genius. If you consider him more of an artist than a singer please react to the live version of CHALK OUTLINES with Chinchilla. A hauntingly beautiful live duet.
I was wondering if she understood the twist and the meaning of generational cycle of trauma and abuse. She never mentions the twins? I don’t think she got it cuz, again, she didn’t mention it but also she was talking about Jenny fighting back. No, she didn’t. The way she froze was explicitly explained. In detail. Jenny freezing, her mother being silent… connected. Intentional. Violets tale is shocking enough, hard enough to hear, that some people just miss the ending completely and never see the brilliance of how they are intertwined.
Man, I love REN’s storytelling and how he portrayed the characters with his voice, mannerisms, and how he plays the guitar. Thank you Aileen for this incredible video
@@StanHowse Really just the way the song sneaks up on people but I guess emotions were inevitable too, just like it was inevitable for some troll in the comments to track down anyone trying to say something purely positive and try to spin it into awkwardness or an insult because they’re insecure
Hi Aileen I loved your reaction, it was full of empathy and compassion for the victims of the story. I may have missed it but SPOILER ALERT‼️ did you realise that Jenny and Screech were twins and Violet was their Mother. After Violet died they would have been fostered separately without ever knowing each other. It’s this poignant twist, the fact Screech murdered his own twin sister that really gets you, well it got me for sure. Ren is a phenomena, my daughter was in school with him and he always stood out as someone who had immense talent. By the way the reason 14yr old Jenny was walking “the street she had a thousand times before” was because she was a prostitute.
Welcome to the Reniverse my friend. The rabbit hole is deep and full of fun offshoots (discover even more new music through his collabs- Chinchilla, Sam Tompkins, Ren's former band The Big Push, etc) Ren has an incredible catalogue to explore. It seems like no two songs are alike. There is something for everyone. Like bluesy rock? Check. Rap? Check. Eclectic hip hop? Check. Indie rock? Check. Reggae? Check. Ballads? Check. And the list goes on. Social commentaries disguised as catchy tunes? CHECK. Hi Ren is a crucial step in your journey so sit back and enjoy what will quite possibly be the most impactful 9 minutes of music that you've ever heard. Cheers and I truly hope that you enjoy your journey. 🖖
@@justinatest9456 yeah. I saw hi Ren a few minutes later. It has had me in tears for 3 days. Painfully beautiful. Beautifully painful Hi Ren made me believe that there are more of us than we know about. Someone gets me. I understand you because it's me. I just love that someone said it in a way that caught me. This is Johnny Cash's "hurt" level emotion. Thanks Aileen. Thanks folks. I'm slowly sliding into that Ren rabbit hole.
@@eldoc2020 Glad you were able to find something so meaningful, like so many others have. I was genuinely pumped when you said you were new to Ren. If you're looking for something from Ren that's more light-hearted his band The Big Push's cover of Bongo Bong is a favourite. As well his recent interview with Justin Hawkins is very good; you'll find Ren to be as genuine and humble a guy as you'd hope him to be.
@@justinatest9456 I saw a couple of other tracks. Sabbath cover was fun. The others were light hearted n peppy. He's got a wide range and a cool style. The way the crowds grow around him speaks to the strength of his tracks. I'll be mentioning "hi Ren" to my therapists to let them know how I personally see my daily struggle. They seem to have the paper version but not the personal version. Hopefully this will humanize us, the sick, instead of just seeing us as an explanation in a book. ✌️😁
Ren is amazing. I have become such a massive fan since I found Hi Ren in December of last year I cannot get enough. I was so excited to see you cover this one. It hits me in the heart on that last line every time and still takes my breath away. Well done girl!
Several months ago, I discovered Hi Ren and The Tale of Jenny & Screech. Then I started a marathon of watching YT reactions to these 2 videos. That is how I found you. Ren is a bard. His songs tell tales, epically. In my 67 years, I have never seen any performer who could rival William Shakespear's legend. Ren, if he continues on this trajectory, could.
I found it as enthralling in this three part tragedy, to observe the cycle of abuse and similarity between mother and daughter, father and sons behaviours as it was to first notice the shadows on the floor in Hi Ren. The attention to detail and meaning stacked on top of meaning is staggering to see in this fast paced world of mass-produced meh! The line "Turning to the doctor, Violet broke her silence" 💔 How many hearts broke with her silence?
Crazy to realize that Jenny and screech are twins and they were violet's kids and they all ended up with the same fate. That was mind-blowing how he connected all that together
Beautiful reaction. Spot on too. I love seeing people’s reaction to both “Hi Ren” & This trilogy, especially from those that understand the deeper meaning and aren’t afraid to be vulnerable. Ren is a genius. Truly. His ability to do everything and at a high level is astonishing. He can sing sing and rap rap. His catalogue is honestly the most diverse of anyone I know. So many ranges and styles. Just when you think you’ve heard everything, you haven’t. He’s 1 of 1. And the fact that he does all of his own beats, mixes and produces everything himself, writes all his own music and plays several instruments while being able to sing and storytelling….like I said, 1 of 1. Thank you for your reactions!
Dammit, I didn’t think I could possibly cry again to this video and then here went and I’m crying again with you. That was a really great reaction 🖤 it’s amazing what happens when someone gets it, like Ren does! This kid is a treasure
This man is borderline a genus of his own style. Its like a drama play that sings and performs that expresses society and some deep issue of himself and a story.
@AileenSenpai nice genuine reaction but it felt like you've missed the link tying all 3 stories together- Violet was the mother to two twins. A girl named Jenny and a boy named Screech. Who lied next to each other, side by side, twice in this performance- firstly in 2005 when they were born to Violet, and secondly in 2019 on the streets of London after their demise. I do agree that Ren is beyond of what we see as a "music star" - he's a bard, Shakespearian writer, musician and performer (I believe he directs his videos too). Incredible talent..
Such a heart-felt and compassionate reaction Aileen. This trilogy is a real rollercoaster. From the sublime guitar to the heart wrenching tragedy of the tales themselves. Ren's ability to grab you by the emotions immediately and take you on a journey is second to none. You might want to watch Ren with his band The Big Push next for something lighter. I shot the Sheriff/Road to Zion/Hip Hop is great, but then so are Ren's collaborations with Chinchilla ( Chalk Outlines and How to be Me), or Sam Tompkins (Blind Eyed- MC Session, Earned it/Man's World/Falling), or Eden Nash (Humble, Ocean). So much fantastic music.
Aileen, thank you for this reaction, you captured so much, of course, with Ren, there is so much to unwrap. From memory, you did Sick Boi as well as Hi Rn, all emotional roller-coaster rides. Since like many of us you're down the Ren Rabbit hole, there is so much deep lyrical songs in that hole, with great collabs. However, I would highly recommend some of his lighter stuff: His busking videos are amazing, especially the I shot the sheriff mash up. These are from his time with The Big Push, where you'll find uber uplifting covers (Bongo Bong, An Englishman in New York etc).
It is fictional but based on a news story Ren heard about a 14 year old boy killing someone.This was so shocking to him that he wrote Jenny's tale. Followed a short while later by Screech's tale and a year later by Violet's tale. The inspiration was factual, the rest was Ren imagining how Jenny's tale came to pass.
As far as I know, this is a fictional story on a subject that sadly is very real and, as you said, happens every day. Ren is a master story teller and is so incredibly talented in every aspect. I'd hope that this story brings light to this dark topic and, just maybe, may save a life.
Jenny’s Tale and Screech’s Tale are based on a true story he read in the newspaper. He came up with Violet’s Tale to give the story a deeper connection and bring it full circle.
Great reaction. If you need a pick-me-up, check out some of Ren's other fun, or arguably less-intense stuff - 'Losing It', 'Humble' and 'Ocean' are some of my faves. Then you've got The Big Push busking stuff which you can't go wrong with either...
Welcome to the absolute genius that is Ren, there is no artist like him past or present but he is making music relevant and interesting again, he is a talent we havent seen in years, master story teller, artist, musician, rapper, i absolutely love him!, i think you would absolutely love his song Genesis or anything in his catalogue
I tell everyone about @Renmakesmusic because his music is a feeling, an emotion, a mind-blowing experience. Everyone needs to experience this these days. It connects you to empathy. I can't get enough. 💝 Ren is a spreader of gifts of humanity.
Ren is truly an artist in every sense of the word. He's so multi-talented with almost every instrument and he creates music in almost every genre. His personal story is almost as sad as some of the things he writes about, but the good news is that he's finally started to get better and get his illnesses under control. He also said a few days ago that he is currently writing another "trilogy" in this type of format, but they won't be connected to this story.
In one way Ren seems ultra-new and modern with his rap styling yet in another way he taps into a long tradition of British street-artists that goes back centuries to the jesters in Shakespeare and beyond. I used to see artists like Ran back in the day, performing at fairgrounds that were far too raw and racous for mainstream media, so I was struck by their performances as it was not something I'd ever seen on TV. Ren has that street-art vibe in his veins.
The intros of all three parts and the way he strums them kinda have that medieval ballad vibe. So he is definitely tapping into that old bard/minstrel/troubadour type of music with this piece.
One of the things I am enjoying most about getting older is finding appreciation for this sort of stuff - stuff that kid me wouldnt have paid any attention to.
Great reaction Aileen. Keep digging down the rabbit hole!! You won't regret it. Ren's written , (but not yet recorded), a 4th tale. It's completely separate to this trilogy but it will be in the same storytelling style. It's about a male character too.
To me this is almost as you stated history repeating itself! The vicious cycles we get stuck into and even pass down to our future generations! So yes you're absolutely right Ren is shining light on this families tragic story of history repeating itself Jenny is just like her mom freezes up in fear silent like a statue when in trouble! Which ultimately is both their demise! Screech takes after his father who is abusive and short tempered! Which leads to screetchs demise and we assume the father is living his life behind bars for killing Violet! But the dad kills their mom which separates the twin brother and sister at birth to never know each other and grow up in foster care most likely! So breaking the cycle may have stopped it from trickling down to the kids! Well ones things for sure they broke the cycle because there are no family members left to pass it down too! Tragic!
I really love watching your reactions. Your facial expressions reveal how empathic you are, and it’s beautiful to share these musical experiences with someone who feels the same way. Thank you!
Thank you for a great reaction, it hits us all that way. Not everything by Ren is so challenging and you owe yourself a react to one of his lighter and more fun tunes. I'm glad you experienced this and I hope you choose to look at more ren, you will not believe the genres he covers and hes exceptional in all of them! He can spit rap bars, melt your heart with a voice of beauty, have you dancing like your a kid again - he takes you all places. But Ren has dealt with the darkness like no one else, and this can also show through in his work, so there are so many inciteful and difficult pieces too. Keep doing what you do!
Oh Aileen, I love your reactions so very much as they are so raw and unfiltered, and you feel so much and so deeply, just like Ren himself. As other people have suggested, this rabbit hole is so deep but worth every second. Definitely check out ‘Chalk Outlines’ and ‘How to be me’ with Chinchilla. Personal favourites of mine are also ‘Crutch’ and ‘Penitence’ as they’re so deep, almost painful to listen to, but without doubt, whatever you chose to listen to it will blow your mind. Bardcore at its very finest!
Chalk Outlines with Chinchilla will calm you down , but the message is so powerful as always with Ren. His Band The Big Band are awesome as well. Lovely moving reaction.
I’m with you ren is special and there is soooooo much more gold you have yet to discover and I’m looking forward to falling further down the rabbit hole with you ❤
Ren is the 🐐! Such pure talent and his songs feels so much more like something new. Never heard anything like it! His other singing songs like how to be me or chalk outlines are also beautiful.
You explained it 101% these stories are happening every day, he is truly a gifted Artist, He's a story teller, rapper, Pop any kind of music he just hits it out of the park, He's a one of kind Musician, he never disappoints he's truly amazing!!! Real Genuine, artists thy don't come like him thy come signed to a label & controlled on what thy can do!!! Ren is amazingly talented ...
For me one of the clever parts is how he makes you part of the story by looking directly at the camera when he puts you in the place of the person in question. IE when Screech robs Jenny and he puts you in her place.
This was my first listen to this song - I chose YOUR channel for it cos I knew you'd let it play through uninterrupted, and you'd have a genuine reaction (and follow-up analysis/review). 🙂
Your reaction was exactly what I hoped it will be. And it was awesome. You did not spell out if you realised that Violet was Jenny and Screech's mother, I hope you just thought it was so obvious that you don't need to mention it, because this plot twist hits one like a ton of bricks and a punch in a stomach. Waiting for more Ren and hoping you will finally get to Chinchilla. You can of course start with the two Ren - Chinny duets, "Chalk outlines" and "How to be me" (live!), they are amazing. But I would also so much like to see you react to her solo music, like "Fingers (live for Hunger TV)" and the last banger of a single "Little girl gone".
When you ssid two first part were masterpiece my thoghts "ok, wait for it, you don't have an idea what are going into:)" And obviously your insights are as usual on point
Very interesting how he does it all with just his voice and an acoustic guitar. He even incorporates little bits of dramatic dialogue (presumably cos it wasn't working as well within a musical structure?) and scenarios (i.e. knocking on his guitar like knocking on a door), which is not unusual but he is definitely making it "a thing" of his own.
Ren tells the stories and the filming of the stories are all done so well i found myself looking for the bodies laying on the ground. The saddest thing about this is the fact each of these things are happening in every country at this very moment and the cycle continues
Aileen, your "tag"... name font is FOOKIN AWESOME! Props to you or whoever designed it! Great Resting Heart Rate too, somebody has been keeping up with her cardio... almost guaranteed you get into the high 80's with this song! LOLOL After Jenny "I'm ready"... after Screech "I THINK I'm ready"... maybe you think you are, I've seen it many times and I know I'm NOT ready! Heart rate hit 90, good job Ren! Choked up after this song is a normal empathetic response... a moment? Need a nap after this one! Goddamn, did you really just use "eminently" in a sentence, I was on the fence... but fully subbing now... I love me a vocab nerd, woman after my own heart!!! Sorry about the "chopiness" of this comment, I just kept editing it as you took the ride.
REN is the epitome of a modern day Bard he is a world class storyteller who needs to be respected he’s a modern day poet and he has battled his demons and he is probably still fighting them he is an absolutely amazing artist, clever original and so soulful, but I digress … have an amazing day and always remember where there’s darkness there is always light x
You can watch a live 360 video of this story recorded in the streets of Brighton with his public > so nice and amazing with the children around singing the lyrics !
I agree he is so genuine and I absolutely love his music. He definitely paints a picture for you to see! You don't even need a video just watching him is enough!
I think the whole point of voilets tale was to shine light on the fact that we're all born at 0, completely innocent, but its how we grow up and the environment that shapes us and leads us down different paths, its not really a choice for screech to have grown up on the streets or Jenny to have (seemingly) gotten the luckier end of the deal and grown up with support, or even for Violet to have ended up with Stevie who ended up killing her, they're/we're all victims of circumstance. That's at least how I read the message here.
I would love to see you appreciate more of his work, he has a very varied range within his art. Every song is so very different - its not all so hard hitting in the soul, he does do music with a fun theme too, as well as many more themes and genres. With the summer coming here in the uk, I'll be listening to Ocean featuring Eden Nash - such a vibe
If you want to see him truly sing like an angel watch "Chalk Outlines" by Ren & Chinchilla LIVE (he uses a hallways for natural reverb) it's about self deletion, depression, addiction and over prescription or "How to Be Me" by Ren & Chinchilla LIVE, it's about a friend of Ren who self deleted himself on a bridge like the one where they sing.
I'm 7 months late to this reaction but so glad I saw it. Ren is genius storyteller. I'm so glad to see someone appreciate and understand it. I made the mistake of starting Michelle Show(sp?) reaction of Hi Ren and his absolute unschooled ignorance made me sick. Thank God for people like you.🖤
