Reiki Ruawai has returned with his second single of 2024, “In Time”, and it’s one not to be missed.
The soulful Raglan-based R&B artist pays homage to the classic sounds of Motown on his latest song, which blends together Reiki’s striking vocals with memorable lyrics about falling in love with your best friend.
“In Time” was co-written and produced alongside Joel Jones overlooking Takapuna Beach on Auckland’s North Shore, and the picturesque setting hugely influenced Reiki. “It was such a bliss place to write,” he shares.
As for working with Joel, Reiki wrote on social media today: “What a session it was… Always a blessing when that fulla is behind the drivers seat.”
“In Time” and its predecessor “All I Need” also find the rising star honing his songwriting skills. “I think they show off more of my own variety in writing and music-making, which I’m stoked on,” Reiki says.
You can watch the accompanying music video for “In Time” below, in which Reiki invites viewers to “come along for a lil walkabout in the village and in my home.”
For his previous 2024 single “All I Need”, Reiki featured in our Best New Zealand Music of the Week countdown in March. “[‘All I Need’] rolls with a breezy groove and layered synths, peppered with tribal sounds like a Pūtāra (conch shell) sample,” we wrote. “Created at APRA New Zealand’s SongHubs with Jordan Rakei, it’s got that textured production style of the London artist.”
Before his two most recent singles, Reiki got listeners in his homeland and beyond noticing him through a string of soulful singles, including 2023’s “PAPATUĀNUKU” and “Working Title”.
Last month, Reiki headed down to Real Groovy Records in Auckland to highlight the music and artists that means a lot to him, including the one and only Bob Marley (watch below).
Reiki Ruawai’s “In Time” is out now.
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