Inspired by a Matrix trailer, Hunter Heflin’s new single “CGI” is about wanting to continue living in a fantasy world together with someone rather than face the reality of unrequited feelings.
Listen to / Pre-Save ‘ CGI ’ here: https://go.sono.to/cgi
While watching a trailer for The Matrix Resurrections, Hunter Heflin had an idea. “What if you planted a whole relationship in the world of make-believe, and like Neo, made the protagonist self-aware enough to realize it?” This thought was the inception of his new single, “CGI”. He and his co-writer, Ryan Story, began with the pre-chorus, which drew on imagery from the trailer where Neo steps out of a mirror. From there, they invented the rest of the story around a character that is willing to be “played” because he prefers to exist in a fantasy world with someone rather than exist in a reality without them.
With the Metaverse and virtual reality becoming more integrated into our everyday lives, the single is a relevant and unique take on relationships, escapism, and the idea that “ignorance is bliss.”
Hunter Heflin commented: “Conceptually, “CGI” was a challenging record to finish. We struggled for a few weeks with how to draw relevant parallels between The Matrix and a relationship, but ultimately we circled back to the idea of the red and blue pills. The character faces a choice: take the blue pill and continue to live in ignorance, or take the red pill and accept the reality that she doesn’t have feelings for him. In the end, you never find out which pill he choses. I love leaving room for the listener to make their own interpretations.
Artist Bio
Until 2018, Hunter Heflin planned to get a nine to five – he loved producing neck-snapping beats in his bedroom but was too hesitant to envision a future in music beyond college. He was on track to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania when mid-way through his junior year, Heflin lost one of his best friends to suicide. The following year brought a horrific deja-vu as another close friend passed away one floor below him. For Heflin, these tragedies cemented the idea that life can be fleeting, and post-graduation, he flung himself into music production to live out his dream.
In the three years that followed, what started as a bedroom hobby morphed into a budding music career, gaining the attention of superstars such as JESSIA, Marc E. Bassy, Stevie Mackey, and legendary hip-hop producer BricksDaMane. With an unrelenting work ethic and willingness to fail, Heflin eventually found a sonic lane where irresistible, flawless hooks floated over pounding 808s and swirling, modern synth pads, leaving listeners shaking their heads and smirking in disbelief.
In early 2021, the countless hours of YouTube tutorials and singing until he was hoarse paid off when he was invited to host a remix contest with SKIO Music for his track “Love Me Right”. The contest yielded over 350 remixes from producers all over the globe. Since then, Heflin’s production chops and knack for compelling, melodic storytelling have propelled him to nearly 1 million cross-platform streams and releases on Trap Town Records, Frequency Music, and more.
On his upcoming EP, “It’s Good To See You, Too”, Heflin processes feelings of cavernous grief, loneliness, and boundless, pure love, displaying wisdom beyond his years. The versatile, self-reflective work is a double-sided coin – listeners will come to understand Heflin and unlock new parts of themselves as they identify parts of their personalities in his stories.
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