Rei Returns With ‘Native Worldwide’
Multi-award-winning songwriter and artist Rei (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Pākehā) returns with Native Worldwide, the first single from his upcoming Native Links collaborative album. Bringing together Indigenous artists from Aotearoa, Canada and Australia, the track features Cree artist Talon and Wiradjuri/Gadigal artist Akala Newman. Uplifting, bold and unapologetically Indigenous, Native Worldwide celebrates the strength found in shared histories, cultures and connections, while reflecting on the collective colonial experiences of native peoples across the world.
The idea for Native Worldwide was born during a writing session between Rei and Talon in Vancouver, after the pair had repeatedly crossed paths at Indigenous events around the globe. Inspired by those experiences and the growing sense of connection between Indigenous communities internationally, the song quickly took shape.
The collaboration was completed with the addition of Akala Newman, whom Rei had recently worked alongside in Australia. After performing at her EP release party in Sydney, Rei knew she would bring something special to the track.
With more than 15 million Spotify streams, a #1 on Spotify’s US Viral 50 hit with Good Mood, and a growing catalogue of bilingual waiata that bridge te ao Māori and contemporary music, Rei continues to create work that connects cultures while pushing Indigenous storytelling into new sonic spaces.
