Kanii, Riovaz, and Nimstarr Get Our Hearts Racing With "tell me"
Photo: Lucas Ochs-Messick
Genre-blending DC vocalist Kanii teams up with Riovaz and Nimstarr to create the supergroup The Heart Racers. Under the new moniker, the trio makes a splash with the release of their latest single, "tell me," a soaring track laced with emotional lyricism and energetic retro production.
"tell me" is instantly catchy, starting with an addictive synth hook that bleeds into a collage of beats and percussion. Kanii's gentle vocals paint the details of a complicated relationship where he is giving his all and wants to know what more he could give his potential love for her to finally be his. He croons over the intricate production, "So tell me how you feel, girl / Tell me, am I hittin' your heart? / I need somethin' real, girl / Tell me if you with it or not."
Nimstarr and Riovaz's respective verses illustrate the sentiment with the former's rich vocals and the latter's signature vibrato, adding exciting and dynamic texture to the track. The three-piece's vocals all come together perfectly on the song's final chorus, declaring that their lover can take all their hearts, but they need her to tell them "what you wanna do."
The accompanying music video is an equally compelling visual that follows the trio breaking into a bowling alley, eventually turning the closed establishment into their after-hours party. Footage of the group dancing in the bowling lanes, tearing up the office, and playing arcade games match the vibrant production of the nostalgic track, making us wish we could join in on their late-night hijinx.
The new track alongside news of their upcoming EP, The Heart Racers, releasing on February 23. This new project is also the latest sign of Kanii's all-around talent, chic vocals, and stylistic malleability, enabling him to shift seamlessly between sounds and emotions. It follows the November release of it was nice knowing u, a virtuosic EP coated in transparency, romance, and kaleidoscopic production. With his refined songwriting technique and all-around talent, the project has already picked up millions of streams, building off the success of his exiit EP, which he released last June.
Following a sold-out headlining tour in Europe, fans can see Kanii's expansive skillset in full effect when he accompanies PinkPantheress as primary support on her forthcoming US Tour. Additionally, he is scheduled to play Rolling Loud in Inglewood, CA, on March 15. From the charts to the stage, Kanii, Riovaz, and Nimstarr are in the middle of a level-up and are poised to continue.
Watch the "tell me" video below:
