Real and fake, side by side — ARTMS' 'Born Stunner'

In three lines

• ARTMS pre-released 'Born Stunner' on July 24.
• It's the title track, out ahead of the second mini album 'Hyper-Ego' (August 7).
• The music video was released in two versions: 'real' and 'fake'.

A song that breaks expectations on purpose

'Born Stunner' steps deliberately outside the colour ARTMS has built up so far. A heavy bass drop, abrupt tempo changes, a hard rap section, a hook that sticks. The song never settles in one place; it keeps changing shape.

Usually a familiar structure is what gives you your footing — a verse, then a chorus, then a second verse and a bridge. This song shakes that footing on purpose. 'It doesn't go the way you expect' is the whole attitude here. A first listen leaves you unsure where it's headed; on the second, that becomes the appeal.

Real and fake, two music videos

What makes the song more interesting is the video. ARTMS made two of them with DIGIPEDI, their longtime collaborators. One is the 'fake' version, one is the 'real' version.

The key is that they made both and never quite say which is which. When a copy looks as convincing as the original, the song turns around and asks what real even means. The title 'Born Stunner' and the fake/real device lock together, nudging at the question of what innate presence actually is.

DIGIPEDI have long been good at this kind of device. Rather than making the frame pretty, they leave a question behind. Same here.

A pre-release pointing at August 7

Date	What
July 24	'Born Stunner' pre-release
August 7	Second mini album 'Hyper-Ego' out

The song is a pre-release from the second mini album 'Hyper-Ego'. The full record arrives on August 7, which makes 'Born Stunner' a flare sent up to show where the album is heading.

The album title reads differently once you set it beside this song. An ego turned all the way up, an innate presence, and a music video that stands the real next to the fake. All three are facing the same direction.

Discovery note

Watch both music videos back to back. Don't work too hard at guessing which one is real — enjoy the ambiguity itself. The song's restless structure sits oddly well with it.

Try it once on earphones and once on speakers, too. Where the bass lands changes completely.

Just give it a listen, trust me.