S Alex Ink I have known each other for a long time. True, not in the way you may be thinking now.
First by his tik-toks, then by his videos, and after I moved to Barcelona, also thanks to random crossings in local gay establishments. It's funny how sometimes people whom you have only seen on the Internet for a long time suddenly find themselves at the next table or dancing next to you on the dance floor of a gay club.
It was from him that I once saw a teaser of a video of a Bulgarian artist Mateo on the song "Khalkata". If it weren't for Alex, most likely, I would have just scrolled through the publication further. But curiosity won: I opened YouTube, turned on the video... And for some time now, this song has been playing almost on repeat.
To be honest, at first I was hooked not by the meaning, but by Mateo itself. I think many of you will understand what I mean. Charisma, body, voice – all this works flawlessly. And only then you begin to listen to the lyrics and realize that the song is much deeper than it seemed in the first minutes.
But the more I learned about "Hulkat", the more I realized that behind the beautiful melody there is a story that is not at all entertaining.
Who is Mateo?
Mateo is the stage name of Bulgarian singer-songwriter Mitko Petrov. Even before the release of "Khalkat", he released his debut album "Razlichniyat" ("The Other"), in which he already touched on the themes of finding oneself, accepting one's own identity and the right to live honestly. In interviews, the performer has repeatedly said that music for him is a way to tell real stories, and not just release another pop hit.
And that is why "Khalkata" turned out to be so convincing.
The title of the song translates as "Ring". But it's not so much about decoration as it is about a symbol of marriage, promises and... lies.
According to Mateo himself, the inspiration for the song was the stories of men who create families with women, have children, but continue to secretly date men. The performer does not accuse them of orientation. He talks about the pain that a double life brings, when absolutely everyone ends up unhappy.
It was after that that I looked at the video with completely different eyes.
Appearance in it Alex Ink seems far from accidental. One of the most recognizable actors in today's gay industry turns out to be part of a story about men who are afraid to admit their own nature. It turned out to be a very strong artistic contrast.
And, probably, that's why the video catches even more than the song itself.
The most interesting thing is that just the day before I decided to write this article, we discussed a similar topic in the same chat among bloggers.
The conversation turned to gays who marry women, have children, and then cheat on their wives with men for years.
Honestly?
I have never understood such a model of life. Because it is based on constant lies...
Because while a man is trying to meet the expectations of society, he breaks the lives of several people at once.
For himself.
To my wife.
Children.
Even to the man himself, with whom she is secretly dating.
As a result, absolutely everyone turns out to be unhappy.
And no talk about "traditional values" works here.
Because it is impossible to build a strong family on deception. It is impossible to be happy by playing someone else's role every day. And it is impossible to hide one's own nature indefinitely. Sooner or later, it will still remind of itself.
Perhaps that's why "Halkata" hooked me so much.
This is not a song about infidelity.
Not a song about sex.
And not even a song about gays.
For me, this is a song about honesty.
About the courage to finally stop living the way others demand it. And start living the way you feel.
Yes, not everyone will be able to recognize themselves in this story. But I am sure that many will recognize someone from their acquaintances in her.
And if, after three and a half minutes of music, a person thinks for a second about how much pain a life of lying brings, then Mateo wrote this song for a reason.
"My manifesto is true. Just the way it is.
A truth that many do not want to admit.
And the lies in which thousands of men and women live.
Perhaps this story is for those who need to remind themselves that the most important relationship is the relationship with yourself. Only then can you be truly happy. And only then can you make the person next to you even happier.
Because truth is freedom, and it always comes out. The ring is alive." – translation of a quote by Mitko Petrov (Mateo).
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