Featured in Audiomack’s Ten African Artists You Should Know About in 2023 list, Kaien Cruz hails from Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. The 26-year-old singer-songwriter’s debut single, “Love Me In The Dark”, was nominated for Song of the Year at the South African Music Awards, which led to their first major performance for a crowd of 90,000 opening for Justin Bieber on his Purpose Tour. The now Los Angeles-based indie recording artist shares the self-titled debut album, KAIEN, available to stream now on all platforms via The Orchard.
Known for their mesmerizing tapestry of experimental sonics, genre-bending compositions, and soulful fusions, Kaien’s long-awaited LP possesses the ability to transcend listeners into another dimension. Featuring production from the likes of Dan Farber (Lizzo, Tkay Maidza, Dragonette), Os Young (Xenia Manasseh, Ray Vaughn), and Sonic Major (Chxrry22, Dreamville, Don Toliver), Kaien’s signature songwriting shines through on each of the record’s 12 tracks, intertwined with their ethereal and entrancing vocals as heard on new focus single “Tell No One” as well as previous releases “Black Ice” and “I Lay.” The latter of which received an invigorating remix featuring Xenia Manasseh landing Cruz on flagship Spotify R&B playlists including R&B Weekly, Fresh Finds, Tantalizers, and more.
Speaking on the inspiration behind their full-length debut album, Kaien Cruz shares, “KAIEN is a culmination of the diverse range of ebbs and flows I’ve experienced throughout my life thus far – love, heartbreak, bliss, misery, and everything that lies in the space between. I’ve been composing this body of work for years now, and it feels so surreal that I finally get to share it with the world. Genre-bending, smooth vocals, and honest lyrics are my way of creating something for everyone to connect to.”
Listen to Kaien Cruz’s long-awaited debut album KAIEN out now here.
Source/images provided courtesy of The Orchard
About Author
