Kenton has today released his new video as well as an acoustic rendition for the track titled ‘Without You’, from his latest album ‘Sweetmouth’ via Mostly Human Music. The strength of this song lies in how confidently it lets emotion lead without ever slipping into excess. From the first moments, there’s a sense of intention — not just in the melody, but in the space between notes, where restraint becomes part of the message. The production feels lived-in rather than polished for effect, giving the track a human pulse that draws the listener closer instead of pushing them back with spectacle. Vocally, there’s a quiet conviction at work, delivering lines in a way that suggests reflection rather than performance, as if the song exists because it needed to be written, not because it needed to be heard.
What elevates the track is its understanding of emotional pacing. Rather than rushing toward a climactic release, it allows itself to unfold naturally, letting repetition and subtle shifts do the heavy lifting. The song speaks in emotional gradients — longing, recognition, resignation — without spelling everything out. This is where it aligns with the kind of storytelling that resonates long after the last note fades. It trusts the listener to bring their own experience into the frame, turning what could be a personal moment into something quietly universal.
By the time the song concludes, it leaves behind a lingering stillness — the kind that invites replay not out of habit, but out of curiosity. There’s an honesty here that feels earned, not engineered, and that’s increasingly rare. This track doesn’t chase relevance or radio expectations; it simply exists on its own terms, confident that sincerity will do the work. In that way, it feels less like a single designed for consumption and more like a chapter pulled from a larger emotional narrative — one that rewards patience and invites reflection rather than demanding attention.
The acoustic version of ‘Without You’ reveals a different emotional architecture than the original, peeling back the alt-pop polish to expose the song’s bones in a way that makes the lyrics feel even more immediate and fragile. Where the original marries thoughtful production with a contemporary pop sheen — its layered instrumentation creating a dynamic push and pull that subtly bolsters the emotional narrative — the acoustic arrangement strips most of that away, leaving a skeletal canvas where each vocal inflection hangs in the air with more vulnerability. This is the version that makes you acutely aware of the song’s lyrical heartbeat, letting the quiet imperfections and the warmth of unembellished sound become part of the message itself.
In contrast to the original’s broader sonic landscape, the acoustic take invites introspection in a more intimate setting. The removal of rhythmic and textural complexity doesn’t diminish the song; it reframes it, turning what once felt like a gentle pop lament into something that feels like a direct conversation with the listener. The space around the vocals feels larger — not emptier, but more resonant — and that breathing room allows the underlying sentiment to settle into your bones with a clarity the original only hinted at. In that light, the two versions don’t compete so much as complement each other: one brings the emotional content into relief through production, the other through vulnerability and closeness.
About ‘Without You’
In his latest release, Kenton creates both a sonic and visual foundation to re-navigate ‘Without You’, a track with deep emotional ties for the singer, which appears on his latest album, ‘Sweetmouth’. The singer’s father, who was a lifelong music teacher, had a stroke in 2020, rendering him unable to play music the way he used to. During a Thanksgiving trip to Taiwan to visit his family, the multidisciplinary artist watched his father struggle, as he simultaneously unraveled his own conflicts with the man who raised him. As a young adult, Kenton felt shame, sorrow, and anger over the lost years he had with his parents due to their inability to accept him as a queer man. But in time, he’s come to forgive his father, as he sees his parents as flawed humans trying to do their best. “One of the most universal emotions we humans experience is grief. Whether it’s a partner, a parent, or a pet, our grief is a reflection of the love we share,” Kenton shared. “I wrote this song for my father, who, as his health declines, seems more and more like a child to me. All the misgivings and misunderstandings–they don’t matter in these last moments, fading fast like sand through my fingers. All I really want to remember is the love.” The song was co-written by Kenton, Wrabel, and Eric Cannata of Young the Giant.
Directed by Matthew Law, the music video stars Kenton, who gazes longingly at the camera while cast in a black-and-white vignette. He mournfully sings, “Dad, you look like a stranger / What’s a father to a son like me.” Grant Chang, portraying Kenton’s father, appears smoking a cigarette and facing away from a troubled Kenton as he reminisces about how his father used to engage with the world. Though his father remains “present,” he never turns to face Kenton, reflecting a relationship that cannot be fully reconciled, but has been forgiven. As the video ends, Kenton imagines his father with him on a beach, and he lets go of their past struggles. Through tears, he takes a final Polaroid photo of his father and accepts the moment he currently lives in. For the song’s acoustic version, Kenton enlists mixer and producer Nick Dorian. Stripping back the song’s foundation, Kenton’s raw pain and acceptance of his father take a more resonant depth, as Brandon Bae’s guitar guides him to a place of peace.
Both the acoustic rendition and official music video for “Without You” further reflect the anguish of losing someone who is still physically present but already fading.
About Kenton
The son of Taiwanese immigrants, Kenton grew up in sunny Irvine, California, a place where he struggled to find his footing as an Asian American. In some of his earliest memories, the now Los Angeles-based artist watched his father teach music in their home, eventually cultivating a fervency for songcraft. As he grew out of his childhood home and became a full-fledged adult, his parents moved back to Taiwan, leaving the actor and singer-songwriter in the States to grapple with his queer identity and how it juxtaposed his traditional upbringing.
‘Sweetmouth’, the multidisciplinary artist’s full-length debut, takes its inspiration from a 2022 visit Kenton took to Taiwan to see his parents for Thanksgiving, marking their first time seeing one another in nearly six years. Kenton describes Sweetmouth as his way of “processing the shame, guilt, grief and anger (he’s) harbored over the years, of honoring the heritage of (his) ancestors, and of learning the art of forgiveness so that (he), as an adult, can choose love.” The album navigates tension surrounding religion, queer identity and self-love, all while paying tribute to familial love.
The album takes its title from Kenton’s childhood nickname, sweetmouth (甜嘴), a Chinese phrase for an adorable and obedient child. It was given to him by his mother for his sweet words that alleviated her pains. “I was really good at placating her and saying what she needed to hear,” he says. “Simple things like, ‘We love you, Mom,’ or ‘Nobody appreciates all the work you do.’ And it’s really hard. I never really processed what that did to me, or how that impacted me emotionally, taking on that caretaker role.”
Kenton says that while part of his impetus for making the record was finding a way to forgive his parents for not accepting him as he is, he also wanted to honor them with his music. His father had a stroke prior to his 2022 visit, and complications rendered his father unable to play music like he used to.
Kenton has previously established himself as a sought-after pop-singer, collaborating with projects such as Postmodern Jukebox and Scary Pockets and supporting pop artists including Benson Boone, Billie Eilish, Kesha, Demi Lovato, Portugal. The Man, Cynthia Erivo and Jennifer Hudson, among others. He toured for several years with Katy Perry, while part of her Las Vegas residency.
As an actor, Kenton has appeared in over a dozen national commercials, and several TV shows: Superstore (NBC), Platonic (Apple), Night Court (NBC), The Rookie (ABC), Perfect Harmony (NBC), and Room 104 (HBO). He recently voiced the character Mogui in Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld (Netflix), and was a featured singer in the animated movies Wish (Disney) and Wish Dragon (Netflix).
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