Across seven tracks in his new EP, #Blue, Kanii tackles heavy issues like substance abuse, longing or heartbreak, and he does so jumping from club-oriented electronics to soulful R&B. Just a few days after releasing the record and before he turns twenty years old at the end of the week, we sit down with the American singer to discuss his genre-defying sound, the experiences that shape his song-writing process, fashion, fame, and what hue represents best hist latest EP.
Hey Kanii, congratulations on your latest project! Now that it’s finally out, how do you feel?
Thank you. Honestly, it feels like I just took a deep breath after holding it for months. This project meant a lot to me, and now that it’s out, I feel lighter — but also even more focused on what’s next. I’m proud of how it came out.
Blue as a colour has a wide range, which can go from cobalt to pale, to Klein and midnight. Which one do you think fits best the EP?
Midnight blue probably fits best. It’s deep, a little mysterious, emotional, but still calm. That colour feels like the in-between space the EP lives in. It’s not loud, but it lingers.
Blue can symbolise serenity, inspiration, harmony, wisdom. What does it mean to you personally? And how do you relate the colour’s symbolism with your music?
To me, blue feels like reflection. It’s peaceful but it can also be sad. That duality –beauty and melancholy– is how I hear my music. It’s not just about how it sounds, it’s about the feeling it leaves behind.
The EP is very versatile: the sounds go from club-oriented to alt-pop to R&B. How was the work in the studio?
I’m super intentional about sound. Even though the songs bounce between genres, the emotion and tone tie them together. Every producer I worked with brought something different, but we always made sure the feeling stayed true. It was about building a world, not just a track list.
At just nineteen, you touch upon heavy themes of longing, substance abuse, escaping reality, or heartbreak. Do you always draw inspiration from personal experience or do fiction and imagination also play an important role in the song-writing process?
It’s a mix. A lot of it is real — stuff I’ve been through or felt. But I also pull from what I observe around me. Sometimes I exaggerate things or imagine a version of reality that hits harder emotionally. It’s storytelling, but it’s rooted in truth.
Will we ever listen to an optimist, happy song by Kanii?
Maybe. I think there’s beauty in joy too, I just haven’t found a way to express it that feels like me yet. When I do, it’ll be real. Not forced.
There’s only one collab on the EP, with Frex. How did that come about, and how do you think her sounds complements yours?
Frex has this softness to her voice that brings warmth to anything. I had the idea for rainonme and knew I didn’t want it to just be my perspective. She came in and it clicked instantly.
There was an immersive experience to present the record live in Los Angeles last Friday. Could you tell us more about that? What was it about, and why did you think this was the optimal way to introduce the audience to #Blue?
That night wasn’t just about playing songs; it was about placing people in the world of #Blue. From the visuals to the atmosphere, it was all meant to make people feel what I felt making the project. I wanted it to be personal, even in a crowd. It was the best way to open that door.
Your rise to stardom has happened pretty quickly; in a little over two years, you’ve been able to amass a cult following, almost three million monthly listeners on Spotify alone, and made it to the Billboard100 list. How are you managing all that? What keeps you grounded?
I try not to get caught up in numbers. I’m grateful for the love, but I’m always thinking about what’s next creatively. My people keep me grounded: real conversations, checking in, staying connected to why I even started making music in the first place.
I see fashion is important to you. At least, you have a sort of signature look: oversized and ripped clothes, the tied-around head scarf, plaid shirts… How do you see it as another creative outlet to express yourself?
Fashion is like nonverbal music. The same way I build a song from a mood, I dress based on energy. The oversized, the layering, the wear-and-tear — it’s how I feel: a little undone but intentional.
The day you released #Blue, you said to your fans on IG: “hope y’all really feel the evolution and see how serious i am about where i’m taking this.” Where would that be?
I’m building a world, something way bigger than just ‘he makes good songs.’ I want people to feel something when they think of Kanii. The evolution is about stepping into that fully. Sonically, visually, emotionally — I’m aiming for timeless.