27 September 2024 - 0 Comments

Aotearoa’s ascending R&B/soul artist Reiki Ruawai] has today released his impeccable and greatly anticipated EP, The Message.

Listen to The Message Here

Lush blends of RnB, hip hop, soul and indie-pop are woven together, creating a laid-back aura emblematic of his West Coast Raglan roots. The Message puts on full display Reiki’s undeniable songwriting talent, showcasing him as one of Aotearoa’s most exciting new talents.

“The Message brings a blend of my most recent style, as well as a discovery of new talents,” says Reiki. “It explores the soothing melodies I’m used to doing, but then also ventures into new genres like pop. On the other end is the sing-rap style I've been testing - which has always been a goal of mine to do, but I’ve just never had the opportunity.”

Featuring an array of exceptional creatives, the EP features the talents of Grammy Award-nominated artist {Jordan Rakei and award-winning Aotearoa producer Joel Jones (Balu Brigada, Alayna). The EP’s lead single, Love No Other, was co-written with hit-songwriter and fellow Kiwi artist Muroki, in a process that was “really special”.

“I wrote Love No Other alongside one of my best friends Muroki Pearsall, and Jacob Brown,” says Reiki. “It took me back to when we first started jamming and writing together, back in the old days.”

Listen to the single Love No Other Here

The singles released in the lead up to today gained significant traction, with All I Need charting on the RadioScope Alt, NZ and Most Added Charts for multiple weeks. The track spent three weeks upon the Hot 20 NZ Singles Chart, peaking at #9. Subsequent singles In Time and Take It Slow were swept up by media, featuring in Rolling Stone AU/NZ, The Listener, Sniffers, Hype Medium and radio support from Mai FM, ZM, TAHI and more.

Reiki’s career began with Masaya - a collaborative effort between the artist, his sister Kaea Ruawai, and celebrated Aotearoa talent Muroki. With their unique blend of indie-rock, groove, soul and roots, the group’s loyal fanbase quickly grew from their beachy hometown of Raglan, across the Tasman, joining both Katchafire and L.A.B on Australian tours in 2020 and 2023.

As the artist ventured into a solo career, his early releases caught like wildfire, with sophomore single Express racking up over 5 million streams on Spotify. Reiki has just returned from a trip across the Tasman, showcasing at this year’s Big Sound in Brisbane alongside some of Australasia’s brightest new stars.

Exploring a wide breadth of genre and lyrical themes, The Message is yet another testament to the layers of Reiki’s talent as a facilitator of sound and feeling - a reflection on where the artist has come from, and an exciting vision of where his music will take him.

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