Keekai, a proudly queer Filipinx songwriter whose fearless expression lads him among the most exciting up-and-comers within the scene, blends electronica, powerhouse R&B and sprinklings of Manila’s disco scene and Japanese city-pop. The artist’s waves of emotion are key to the sonic tapestry, speaking on in-betweenness and unspoken woes.
A long-awaited return to releasing, Keekai unveils the single ‘Thunder’, collapsing into something between a void and an odyssey, the artist brings a slew of starry synths and warming pads. Vocals enter with an angelic presence, dropping with a down-to-earth stylisation but echoing far into the distance.
The percussion cuts through the mix, empowering a fighting spirit alongside the rising tide of fuzz from the synths. The transitions from peaks and troughs are effortless, each section of the song transporting listeners beyond the physical realm. Growing and growing, the power is infused with the audience, and the wistfulness settles in intensity.
With his EP on the horizon, Keekai shares a comment on what fans can expect from the project, “This EP coexists with trauma and love. It is fabulous, broken, funny, triumphant. All the in-betweens. At once, lost in the understanding of love, but now finding power in its grand capacity to love. To be able to exist in these two modes and to find power in them is what makes this new iteration of my music so alluring and true. It is intentional in its practice of self-love and the romance of others. It is a voice that giggles, swoons, begs, cries, and yearns. A voice that wants love and is surrounded by it.”
