Rei Releases New Album ‘Moisturise & Decolonise’
From kaupapa driven rap songs like Toitū and Still Here, to pop focused tropical songs like Seasons and Hine Manea, Rei’s Moisturise & Decolonise is a 15 track music album ready for Aotearoa summer as well as Rei’s expanding global listeners.
This duality of this album is important for Rei, as it speaks to those who are on their language and culture reclamation journey, figuring out how to decolonise in a way that doesn’t completely drain their energy.
This new album is a reminder to look after yourself, meditate, re-generate and exfoliate during this tough but important journey.
After 3 years in the making, hundreds of thousands of streams, multiple viral singles and a world tour, this album marks the next chapter in Rei’s music, as he accelerates his style to fuse more sounds of te ao Māori into his production. Featuring collabs with indigenous artists from Hawai’i, Canada, Australia and back home in Aotearoa, Moisturise & Decolonise has a global indigenous focus with worldwide reach.
“After traveling all around the world with my music, I see how much other cultures love our haka and Māori culture. Every time we haka, the phones come out, the wairua is shared, and people just love it. This was an eye-opening moment for me. I figured out I’ve got to LEAD with the culture, not just have tucked away in the background.” Rei.
The album’s latest single Haka Through the Pain, landed on Spotify’s New Music Friday’s, Local Hype, is driving hundreds of thousands of views across social media and charting at #10 and #12 on the Aotearoa Hot Charts. Haka Through the Pain also follows up on Rei’s 2024 hit Toitū, which trended on TikTok and also hit #17 on the NZ Spotify Viral chart, as well as becoming a local hīkoi anthem.
Moisturise & Decolonise release follows a full year of global travel and collaborations with performances in Japan (Osaka Expo), Canada (Writing Camps, IIMS, Imaginative), and Aotearoa, as well as showcases at SXSW Sydney (Awesome Black) and WOMEX Manchester in 2024.
You can experience Rei’s vibrant live show this summer, as the Moisturise & Decolonise Tour announces the dates and support acts soon!
Recorded Mixed and Mastered at Kog Studio Aotearoa.
