SINGER REACTS to “Hi Ren" by REN

Woooooow. What a song. What an artist.
I hope you enjoy my first solo music video reaction! I'd love to do more!
Original video: • Ren - Hi Ren (Official...

[@lynzistringer]

Hey friends! Thank you to everyone who’s been offering advice and tips on how to make these reaction videos better! After thinking a lot about ways I can truly do the artists I’m reacting to justice, I just published a poll in my community tab to see which option you all might prefer! Please check it out! I’d link it here, but honestly don’t know how. KZbin confuses me, I am kinda clueless with technology sometimes. Thank you for all your input!

[@brockjansen1617]

Others have mentioned that pausing and rewinding when you want to say something will help you keep the 'flow' of the music going in your head so as not to miss transitions or details. Another challenge is balancing the sound levels on the music versus your voice. I've heard that's difficult, but the truly great reactions are those where the volume level is equal for both, and loud enough that I don't have to crank my volume to hear it. Keep going!

[@the_wexie]

Just a comliment: I find you so interesting looking and stunning, and anyone who can use the word "juxtaposition" casually in a sentence, gets my attention. 🙂

[@lynzistringer]

@@the_wexie thank you so much for this comment!! 😭 you’re so sweet, thank you.

[@dave.james007]

Welcome to the rabbit hole ,much respect 😊

[@nycmate]

I LOVE the way your musical literacy allows you so much joy from this masterwork.

[@michaelphipps8647]

Ren is 🔥

[@Bleeglesplotch]

I think the reaction was great! My only suggestion would be to pause when you have something to add and then rewind a few seconds so you don't miss anything. But this was far from a bad reaction!

[@seanriley199]

Fwiw I concur

[@bigbubbajay8119]

I disagree. I'm sure you've heard the song in your own time. I came for the reaction not the video. I'm sorry that you were underwhelmed and I hope you aren't offended by my input. Peace bro.

[@Bleeglesplotch]

@@bigbubbajay8119 of course I've heard the song. That's why I wouldn't want someone to miss any of it. Hence the suggestion to pause and rewind. And why would I be upset about your opinion? You can disagree all you like, won't change my opinion. The pausing and rewinding isn't for my benefit, it's for the reactors.

[@JensRandolff]

Great reaction. Ren just released a video of an older live stage performance of “Hi Ren;” it is worth checking out. I wrote this introduction to Ren when I first discovered him earlier this year, as there wasn't a Wikipedia entry for people to look him up prior to March 2023. I have posted this info to every "Hi Ren" reaction I have come across since, and I hope it will be of some use to the uninitiated. "Hi Ren" is the song that put Ren on everyone's radar since December; it went viral and has garnered over 15 million views since its debut, but he has been creating great music for more than ten years. Many of Ren's songs resonate with people because he addresses struggles that many others face every day. Ren's music videos are frequently recorded live, often in a single take, although not necessarily the first take, and from various camera angles. In the case of "Hi Ren," it took four takes, all live in the room, to get the footage he wanted. Someone commented that Samuel Perry-Falvey who filmed "Hi Ren," talks about the production of the video in the comments of Jonathan Hiller's (Filmmaker Reacts) reaction to the song. According to him, this video footage is not a one-take per se, but the audio was recorded live in a single take. Ren's release, "Sick Boi," is almost another chapter to "Hi Ren" and appears to have been filmed in the same room. Ren is an independent artist/singer/songwriter/busker/producer from Brighton, UK. He plays multiple instruments (acoustic, electric, and bass guitar, piano, melodica, drums), has impressive vocals, produces all his own beats, is an excellent storyteller, and is quite the philosopher and poet. He is considered by many a modern-day bard; he calls his music "bardcore." Ren's earliest recordings on KZbin are from his time in a band called "Trick The Fox," consisting of Ren and his buddies Charlie and Tommy. Unfortunately, the band performed only briefly due to Ren's onset of health issues. They are very talented. A fun clip to watch is "The Mash Up." Ren's trilogy "The Tale of Jenny/Screech/Violet" has been likened to a Shakespearean tragedy and is a prime example of his genius; it is a master's class in storytelling and also showcases his guitar skills. The three acts are haunting, and the conclusion will catch you off guard. The trilogy needs to be watched in the order given, as this is the flow of the storyline and is best watched as a whole rather than piecemeal. Ren's collaborations with Chinchilla ("Chalk Outlines," "How to Be Me," "Sexual Healing," "One Dance/Drunk in Love") are beautiful and showcase his singing voice. His live music videos are especially impressive. Ren's personal reflections are threaded through many of his songs; "Insomnia," "Depression," "Diazepam," "Penitence," "Dear God," "Heretic," "Dominos," his "Freckled Angels" album, in particular his song "Fire," just to name a few, all deserve a listen. His song "Money Game" (Part I & II) is another recommendation, although it is less of a personal song than it is an indictment of greed and the resulting injustices in this world. Ren is about to shoot "Money Game Part III." Ren's Hip Hop/Rap style songs are all worth checking out if you enjoy this genre; they are pretty amazing. Check out "The Hunger," "Genesis," "What You Want," "Losing It (FISHER rap retake)," "Right Here, Right Now (Fatboy Slim one shot retake)," "Life is Funny," "Love Music (Parts 1, 2, and 3)," "Crucify Your Culture," "Power," "Hold On," "Bittersweet symphony (The Verve retake)," his recent release "The Illest Of Our Time," and his latest song "Animal Flow," both the full production and the live acoustic version. Ren's performances with Sam Tompkins ("Blind Eyed," "Earned It /Mans World / Falling," "Walking on the Moon/No Diggity," "Feeling Good/Trouble So High/Masterblaster (Jammin')," "Latch," "Wild Thoughts/Crazy in love (Live Session)," "Same Old Situation (Live, feat. Ren)," "Improvising Around Stevie Wonder," "Live in the Streets of Brighton, UK," "What Went Wrong" Part I&II) are definitely a must. Also, his collaborations with Eden Nash ("Humble," "Ocean"), Bibi ("Crutch," "Ahiahiaoha"), Molly McKinna ("Penitence"), Orlean ("Jessica"), his former bandmate Romain Axisa ("French Song"), are all great. Last but not least, Ren's busking sessions with Liv Sangster are awesome. I recently discovered that Ren also recorded a cover of "Can't Help Falling In Love (Elvis Cover)," which is simply beautiful. "The Big Push" (Ren Gill, Gorran Kendall, Romain Axisa, and Glen Chambers) busking sessions, concerts, and live recordings all are amazing and well worth checking out. All but the drummer sing lead vocals at times. Ren, Gorran, and Romain all play multiple instruments. Ren plays acoustic, electric, and bass guitar, piano, and drums. Gorran plays acoustic, electric, bass guitar, and harmonica. Romain plays acoustic, electric, bass guitar, ukulele, and piano. They are each incredibly gifted artists, and their solo work is completely different from each other. Well worth checking out. Their covers of "I Shot the Sheriff/Road to Zion/Hip Hop," "Wade in the Water/Nina Simone/Trouble so Hard," "Watch Out," "War Pigs," "Roadhouse Blues," "My Generation," "Paint It Black," "An Englishman in New York," "Bongo Bong" are excellent. On "These Boots Are Made For Walking'/Satisfaction/Everybody," "Praise You" (Fatboy Slim Cover), and "What Kind Of Woman Is This," all three take a turn singing. The songs "Oh My Woman," "Swan Song," "Sweet Little Lady," "It's Alright," "Dignity," and so many others are equally impressive. The band, at least for the time being, performed their last official busking session and gave their last concert in September of last year (2022) due to the fact that Ren was leaving for Canada to undergo specialized medical care and surgeries for his multiple health issues. In anticipation of his stay in Canada, Ren prepared some music ahead of time to be released over the next six months that he expects to be gone. He released "Sick Boi" and "Bittersweet Symphony (The Verve retake)," which is another masterful work. Ren released his song, "Illest Of Our Time," on his birthday, March 29. His recent release, "Animal Flow," is out now in two versions, a full-production music video and a live, one-take acoustic version. Ren's release, "Su!cIde," recently premiered, and it was hard to watch to the point that I was not able to watch or listen to it again. I was not even able to watch a single reaction to it. It is a sad, haunting, gut-wrenching tribute to Ren's friend Joe who took his own life. Ren’s follow-up to “Su!cIde,” "To Joe," is also sad and emotional, but strangely enough, it has had a healing effect on me and has given me a sense of closure. Even the lyrics that "gutted" me in "Su!cIde" impacted me differently this time around.

[@lynzistringer]

Thank you so much for sending me this!! I love learning more about artists I like and info about their discographies!! I’d love to react ti more - any suggestions on which song I should react to by him first??

[@08shunter]

🥰

[@JensRandolff]

@@lynzistringer There isn't a bad Ren song out there, so it all depends what you are interested in. For storytelling, watch Ren's trilogy "The Tale of Jenny & Screech (Full)" as a whole rather than piecemeal. I tried to list his discography by genre or by artist collaboration, so just pick songs out of each group. You will get flooded with suggestions pretty soon.

[@BenSmith-gz4qo]

Nice to see somebody using their own words not just copying and pasting, very well written 👏💯

[@JensRandolff]

@@BenSmith-gz4qo Thank you kindly.

[@troytucker3467]

Thank you so much mate,! Much love.

[@JensRandolff]

Here is some additional information on Ren's story that I gathered from old newspaper interviews, articles, and Ren's public livestreams and posts. None of the information was gathered from sources that Ren did not personally approve for release to the public. Ren Erin Gill is a British musician/independent artist/producer; born in Wales on March 29, 1990. Ren pursued a career in music from an early age. In 2009, while studying music performance at Bath Spa University, Ren began to experience health issues and was struggling to attend his lectures, which eventually caused him to discontinue his studies and return home. In addition, Ren was signed by Sony Records in 2010 and was working on an album when his health deteriorated to the point that he was unable to go on; consequently, his contract with Sony was dissolved. Ren would later relocate to Brighton. Ren's illness often kept him in bed for up to 23 hours daily. Ren was initially misdiagnosed with depression, bipolar disorder, and chronic fatigue syndrome, which led him to experience psychosis and develop PTSD. It would take seven years before a doctor in Belgium finally correctly diagnosed Ren with autoimmunity, Lyme disease, and resulting damage to the brain, organs, joints, and PTSD. Ren eventually underwent stem cell therapy in the United States, which improved his health, but it has not been a cure. Ren is currently in Calgary, Canada, for more treatments, including surgeries, and will have to be there for at least six months (Summer of 2023) undergoing IV and other interventions five days a week. Ren recently underwent wisdom tooth removal and cavitation surgery. In addition, his Canadian doctor discovered that Ren also developed a condition called Mast Cell Activation Disorder (MCAD), which has affected the myelin sheath in his brain, his thyroid, and adrenals as well as his bones/joints. Now, Ren is receiving additional treatments for this previously undiagnosed condition. Let's keep supporting Ren as he undergoes his treatments. Check out and subscribe to his channel; if you are a content creator, ask your audience to subscribe to Ren. Ren's YT channel has less than 1 million subscribers, while his videos have garnered millions and millions of views. Listen to some of his earlier work, like and comment on his performances, and let's lift Ren's spirits. If you are a believer, pray for him. Ren is an artist with something to say to the world, and his work is important in these troubling times. Someone has finally created a Wikipedia page for Ren, so there is additional information available.

[@davidperkins6752]

hey Jens, good to see ya brother! hope you and yours are doing ok, much love to you all man.

[@08shunter]

🥰

[@JensRandolff]

@@davidperkins6752 Hey, David. I am doing better than I deserve. I hope you and yours are well, also. See you down the Ren rabbit hole, brother. God bless.

[@peterveste6976]

thank you for reacting and supporting my favourite artist ever more Ren please ❤❤❤

[@willasacco9898]

I really enjoyed your reaction. I have seen 60/70 reactions, easily, and am still learning from each.. You summarized this unique work of art, concisely and, I think, accurately. I have warned other reactors that Ren is highly addictive. Welcome to the Renegade army and a new subscriber.

[@shaylstringer1]

What can I say, this is typical REN! Alway amazing! He’s so talented!

[@boydhall1587]

Ren is one of those artist who appears and is clearly special, his catalogue of music including the collaborations with other artists like Chinchilla and The Big Push are gobsmacking Ly amazing.

[@SimonStringerZC]

Great reaction!!

[@raisnaix]

You will not find an artist like Ren. He can rap better than you can believe (Animal Flow, The Hunger), he does amazing alternative punk (Crucify Your Culture), Regge (The Big Push I Shot the Sheriff/Road To Zion/Hip Hop), He does more Bardcore like this (The Tale of Jenny and Screech (Full) ), and some truly amazing and deep heart-string kind of music (Ren Ft. Chinchilla Chalk Outlines), or just some jazzy lounge (Ren ft. Eden Oceans). He does it all and he does it better. Once-in-a-generation artist.

[@lynzistringer]

I can’t wait to check all of these out!! Thank you for these recommendations!

[@Av3rageD4D]

Don’t forget Rock (Fire) is a great song!

[@silentwhisp4r670]

Ren is amazing and your reaction is amazing! Thanks for letting us go on the Ren journey with you!

[@kylefrandsen2665]

I try to warn all reactors new to Ren not to react to "Violet's Tale" as a single video. It's actually the 3rd video in a trilogy. All 3 videos of the trilogy are put together as "The Tale of Jenny & Screech (Full)" with "Violet's Tale" included but not listed in the title. If you want to see more of his guitar skills and the style that's become known as "Bard core", "The Tale of Jenny & Screech (Full)" is a modern Shakespearian tragedy and Ren, a modern bard. The trilogy is also live-recording/continuous shots, so pay attention to the acoustics, cinematography and acting as well as the brilliance of the lyrics and music. It seems that Ren can do just about anything. He has some great rap/hip-hop songs where he's also doing the beats and music, but he plays drums, guitar, bass, piano and I don't even know what else. For more of his singing, check out his duets with Chinchilla or Sam Tompkins or his work with the band "The Big Push".

[@lynzistringer]

Ooooh!! Okay, I’ll make sure to watch the trilogy! How exciting, I never hear of artists releasing songs as trilogies. Ren is so intriguing!!!

[@krotchlickmeugh627]

​@lynzistringer you have no idea. Welcome to the RENaissance. He was in a band called the big push as well. The big push I shot the sheriff/ road to zion/ hip hop. Is a great introduction. Same busking session right after that song they did war pigs. I like the big push bongo bong as well as englishman in new york. Him and sam tompkins always do great stuff.

[@RockPowerUSA]

​@@lynzistringerokay, You don't know this yet, but LOSING IT is your new future favorite rap song. Literally it has BEAST mode. Do not deny yourself your favorite future rap song introduction....or us your jawdroping experience to it too. Just like your awesome reaction here with HI REN. A song in its own category of masterpiece.

[@lynzistringer]

Ooooh!! I’m so incredibly excited 😂 Finding Ren and my somewhat recent discovery of reaction videos is giving me life right now. I can’t wait to check out his band!! Thank you all for these recommendations. I really appreciate it 😅❤❤❤

[@nathanjacobus3577]

That was a great first reaction! Hope you continue this journey and experience the true artistry Ren puts into everything he makes. ☺️

[@daviddeath6029]

Love watching your. 😊

[@ftwmiller]

it's live

[@pirateship74]

You're really good at this! Stay strong and carry on.

[@jukeboxdave6026]

Great reaction welcome to ren an amazing artist and a fantastic person 👍 a few for your list marcelito pomoy - the prayer - live on the wish bus - nightwish - ghost love score - live in wakem 2013 - jinjer - pisces - live session and ren ren ren all have fantastic fans and will get you some new subs many thanks love and respect from the UK 👍👍👍👍👍👍🌟😀😀 amazing channel 👍

[@kevbruce9191]

His latest song "For Joe" is really beautiful. It's a brilliant tribute to his lost friend and the musical talent is insane, along with his super lyrical genius ❤️

[@boxicuk1620]

❤️👌

[@Scenicflya]

Hi Lynzi, Great reaction, glad you've joined the Ren train, it's a grouse ride! He has so many different colourful choons and some awesome collabs and band choonz. Just a little tip. The volume levels for song were too low, had to max out to hear it, your levels were perfect, most videos are in opposite too high, can't hear talking clearly. messes with the neighbours at 3am 🤣🤣 Other than that I have subscribed and look forward to more of your content. cheerz mobz and have grouse day, Jase Richmond, Melbourne, Australia

[@kevinmundis1281]

Great reaction video. So much better than the first Ren reaction you did with your brother(I believe).

[@SimonStringerZC]

lol… thanks

[@kevinmundis1281]

@@SimonStringerZC - Haha. I’m sorry man, not because of you, just the audio felt off. It was like your reactions and head bobbing didn’t match the video we were watching. I’m sorry, wasn’t try to be mean.

[@SimonStringerZC]

No it’s fine… I actually agree with you lol

[@jamesdoherty6558]

great by ren

[@andrewshedron425]

Great ear. Not too many people catch the fact he is actually doing this live.

[@tonysarrio8940]

Sure they do.

[@deanBORO]

He’s 🎤 up, ya doughnut lol

[@andrewshedron425]

Sure they do? Most people don't even understand what the difference is between "live" and a "one take" . But there are always experts that have to be confrontational. What percentage of reactors have mentioned it? Probably gave you enough to keep you busy for a while. Lmao

[@DenTweed]

@@andrewshedron425 Tbf i've seen a lot reactors mentioning he is miced up (event the type of mic) and his guitar plugged in. Mostly people who're making/performing music themselves, but not exclusively. So it's not that surprising a vocal coach would catch this

[@andrewshedron425]

@@DenTweed very true. But I was a recording artist and understand why most of the pros think he is lip sinking very good and don't catch the mic or don't believe it because it's not a normal process. So it's usually harder for a recording artist to catch it accept these things because they know how hard of a challenge that really is and there are very few artists that attempt it. Mainly because they are too scared to put out something that has flaws in it. This is what makes Ren even greater than most realize. Thanks for the conversation on this. Refreshing

[@belindamelville2270]

Ren❤❤❤

[@EarthyBlendPOV]

Enjoyed this!

[@larryc3860]

for those who still don't know Ren's medical history, which is the source of his message ----- at 17 he contracted Lyme disease and an autoimmune deficiency, was MISdiagnosed as "mentally ill", given psychotropic meds that fed his psychoses and wrecked his physical health ------- my thoughts: Ren is still in treatment ( maybe for the rest of his life ) & has a GoFundMe account to help pay staggering medical bills -- the Pig is a butcher, Ren's opinion of many doctors and therapists....the discordant vocals and guitar symbolize his internal chaos, as do the blinking lights....."Truth in a blender, Deceitful Pretender".......

[@lisadavenport2390]

I love Ren and Yes I too have lyme and feel the same way about the medical field even tho I used to be an X-ray tech in a hospital so I have felt sooooooo betrayed by my past co workers. I trusted Drs and as soon as they didn’t know what I had they turned it on me. So I totally relate with Ren. I have had lyme for nearly 30 yrs and am now totally bedridden and wonder if I have much time left as I’m 60 yrs old. It’s a shame. I lost half my life

[@larryc3860]

@@lisadavenport2390 it's so easy for those of us who have been spared the trauma, pain and associated psychological impact of such a condition to say "I'm so sorry" and "we hope you get better".......truth is, I cannot imagine how Ren, you and others manage to deal with it all......but, please accept my sincere praise for your strength and understanding

[@billspivey6919]

Turn up our volume as a listener

[@RockPowerUSA]

Great reaction. Be sure you get "Losing it" found. It's searching to be your favorite, one day. Fyi, your voice in mic come across great. You're just fine ...And I haven't checked any of your other songs, and no one else says mention this, but it's early, the sound coming from your system is about half volume for Hi Ren typically that I find. Or maybe it's your volume that's higher. Oh you have no idea how those things work. I just thought I would be helpful if you didn't know. I'm going to watch a couple of your other videos now to see if there's any similarity.

[@lynzistringer]

Thank you so much for this tip!!! I’m extremely new to editing/mixing reaction videos, so I’ll definitely make sure to work on this issue!

[@lynzistringer]

Oh!! Before you go through my other videos, just wanted to let you know this is the first video I’ve done like this. The other reaction videos I’ve done with my brother are a little different format - he keeps the mic off while the song plays, so I don’t know if it’ll be as easy to compare the sound quality to this one. I’m posting another reaction on Monday and I’ll really work on the sound!

[@RockPowerUSA]

@@lynzistringer So you need to correct this. Lol. Before losing it because that will be something people notice but didn't want to mention. I thought you'd like to know. It is noticeable, btw. I don't know what it is though. Lol

[@patrickrojas8514]

Loved your reaction

[@bikky608]

volume your listening to ren can only just hear him

[@marknich1577]

❤

[@VincentOReilly-ts4jl]

A Beauty Observes Beauty ;Beautifully

[@thallissonsousa394]

I just arrive here... Keep going!

[@davidens8204]

for some reason I could hear him when he was singing but not much when he was speaking.. great reaction though

[@neoscencez]

Subbed - Yay to find you!

[@DukeOfTwist]

Please do a reaction to 'Kasey Chambers - Lose Yourself (Eminem Cover) LIVE @ Civic Theatre, Newcastle AU', I know you'll love it. Two clues; a #1 AUSSIE Country Singer & a BANJO

[@PoliticallyPink]

can't hear the song, but can hear you.

[@Vmcf1968]

good stuff

[@edferrell3054]

This was live and in 1 take

[@matthewclark1785]

You are a good reactor

[@lynzistringer]

Thank you very much for saying so!!! ❤️❤️❤️

[@williamparrish9954]

you should do Jenny & Screech full video

[@tonosama516]

Love your energy! It’s easy to get lost in Ren’s instrumentals and vocals. Please be sure to give as much focus on the lyrics. They are very dense and quick. When you make comments, you briefly disconnect from the performance as you look to the camera. Maybe you can comment while still focused on what is happening in the video. Keep going! If you do the full Tale of Jenny and Screech (and Violet), I’ll be back. Have a blessed day! ❤️ ✌️

[@eddieward5502]

Sorry but you need to catch every moment and word, try pausing to talk and skipping back 5-10 seconds when you press play

[@hiSPACEmango]

If I may suggest a similar type of artist in Twenty One Pilots. Or an artist who's completely different in Harry Mack.

[@X-Stream24]

Um who is your brother, and whats his channel. Good reaction BTW

[@lynzistringer]

My brother does reactions as well - different format though. You can find his reactions over at the account called SimonStringerZC. Thank you for watching!!!

[@SimonStringerZC]

Hi

[@REACTSBYBRIGHT2]

Nice reaction, would you be down for a collaboration?

[@lynzistringer]

Hey!! I'm down!!

[@REACTSBYBRIGHT2]

@@lynzistringer cool, what's your instagram?

[@evanrossman2804]

stop saying "um" you'll find the rest falls in place. i promise.

[@MylesApart-fu3bp]

Well that was the most distracting reaction I've ever watched. Apologies ❤

[@annomsusenodirgantoro]

Metallica reaction video

[@tonysarrio8940]

Hard to hear the song . Your voice is to loud as you talk through most of the song. I really Liked your reaction though, but you may want to pause. Some of the best parts of the song were kind of lost.

[@frankiek2269]

Too many tattoos. Way to conform!!!

[@lynzistringer]

lol

[@vintagerecordambassadeur4098]

Not enough

[@jaylyons4785]

Immediately turn the off button, are you pretending to blind react?

[@lynzistringer]

Nope, this was my first time watching this one.

[@lynzistringer]

Asking because I'm genuinely curious, not in a defensive way, what about my reaction seemed like I was pretending? I want to work on making the best videos I can, and I want to be conscious of the way I come off on camera. I will reiterate, though, this was indeed my first time hearing this song. I have heard other songs by the artist, though.

[@jaylyons4785]

Oh my, if I’m mistaken please forgive me and I will watch again and reevaluate. But if I remember it was like you knew when to pause and comment on the previous verse with instant knowledge of what it was about. I’ve watched so many people react and I’d say over 90% of blind reactors don’t catch half of what is going on in first listen. It was like you knew the song already

[@lynzistringer]

@@jaylyons4785ahhh, okay, interesting. What I’m hearing from quite a few people is actually that I didn’t pay enough attention to the lyrics, particularly in the first one. I will take this into consideration for the next time I do a reaction. However, I can definitely assure you, this was a blind react. I’m kind of weird in the way I talk sometimes, and some people can take it as disingenuous or what have you. I just want to listen to great songs and give my thoughts is all. I don’t want to offend or annoy anyone.