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Mark Clennon (born August 13, 1990)[1][non-primary source needed][2] is a Jamaican Canadian singer, musician, writer, producer, and actor.[3][4][5] Born in Kingston, Clennon released several projects as a musician before attracting acclaim for his debut acting performance in the feature film I Don't Know Who You Are, which premiered in the Discovery program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.[6] The music video for Clennon's song "Kingston" became the first music video shot in Jamaica to feature an on-screen romance between two men.[7]
Mark Clennon | |
|---|---|
.png) Clennon at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival | |
| Born | Mark Clennon August 13, 1990 |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, musician, writer, producer, actor |
| Years active | 2013–present |
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Clennon was born in Kingston, Jamaica, where he began taking piano lessons and writing songs in his youth.[2] At the age of 15, he was relocated to Florida with his family, before moving to Toronto to pursue his music career when he turned 21.[3]
Music
Clennon began to release music on SoundCloud in the early 2010s, but upon signing a record deal with Montreal-based record label Moonshine, he deleted all of his music off the internet to "start from scratch".[8] In an interview with The Gleaner, Clennon said that he began to take his music career seriously in 2013.[8]
Clennon's first EP, When the Smoke Clears, which consists of four songs,[9] was released on August 19, 2016.[10]
His first official single was "Blood", which attracted acclaim from international music blogs.[11][12] A music video was released on January 18, 2017.[13] His second single, "Don't Die", was released later that year and was called "powerful" by Complex writer Katie Kelly,[10] and a "sombre pop masterpiece" by Entertainment Weekly's Joey Nolfi.[14] Another single, "Find You", was released with an accompanying music video on February 27, 2017, through Paper.[15]
Around this time, Clennon left Moonshine and signed with another Canadian record label, Bonsound.[16] He subsequently released his second EP, Passion, produced by Grammy Award-winning duo Rainer + Grimm, in 2019.[17]
His third EP, Foreign, was released in 2021 and featured the singles "Part of Your World", "Not Perfect", and "Don't Start a Fire".[18][19]
In 2022, during Pride Month, Clennon released a single titled "Kingston" with an accompanying music video that featured a romantic storyline between Clennon and male model Jean-Julien Hazoumi.[20] The music video, filmed in Kingston, became the first music video shot in Jamaica to feature an on-screen romance between two men.[4][7][21]
Film
Outside of music, Clennon played Benjamin in Canadian director M. H. Murray's 2020 short film Ghost,[5] which screened at the 30th Inside Out Film and Video Festival,[22] the 5th Paris Independent Film Festival,[23] the 34th Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival,[5] and the 47th Seattle International Film Festival.[24] Clennon's song "Not Perfect" is featured in the film.[25]
I Don't Know Who You Are
Clennon reprised the role of Benjamin in Murray's feature film I Don't Know Who You Are, which premiered in the Discovery program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.[6] Clennon also served as a story editor and a producer on the film. This marked Clennon's debut acting performance in a feature-length film.[26] Clennon was named as one of the festival's "Rising Stars",[27] and his performance in the film received acclaim from critics.[28][29][30] The Daily Beast dubbed his performance as one of the best of that year's TIFF.[31] The film was picked up for theatrical distribution in 2024.[32]
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Clennon's music has been described by critics as both pop and R&B,[11][12] with dancehall and soul influences.[17][33]
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