Kaien Cruz Returns with Heartfelt New Single 'Black Ice'

South Africa-born, LA-based recording artist Kaien Cruz (they / them) - whose refreshing blend of Pop, R&B, and Afrobeats has earned them support from PAPER, ESSENCE, EDITION, LADYGUNN, OKAYAFRICA, and more - returns today for their first release of the year with the heartfelt new single "Black Ice" available to stream now on all digital platforms via The Orchard.

Written by Kai with Tre Wright (Ty Dolla $ign, YG, Guapdad 4000) who co-produced it alongside Cam Griffin (Summer Walker, Kiana Lede, Rico Nasty), "Black Ice" sets the tone for what's further to come from the multi-faceted artist's forthcoming project due out later this year.

On the release of their new single, Kaien shares, "'Black Ice' is an acoustic heartfelt, honest song about navigating tumultuous romantic relationships - all of the highs and lows, unavoidable truths, toxic behaviors and even self-discovery. I love how honest and raw the lyrics are and I wanted this to feel like unfiltered thoughts."

Kaien Cruz (they / them) is a Los Angeles-based Pop, R&B, Afrofusion independent artist hailing from Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. The 25-year-old singer-songwriter's debut single "Love Me In The Dark" was nominated for Song of the Year at the South African Music Awards, which led to Kaien's first major performance in front of a crowd of 90,000 people opening for Justin Bieber's Purpose Tour.

Inspired, Cruz released two EP's independently and made their way to LA in 2022 for their first U.S. tour including appearances at SXSW and Governor's Ball. Garnering support from tastemakers like PAPER, ESSENCE, EDITION Modern Luxury, OkayAfrica, METAL Magazine, Ladygunn, and more along the way, Cruz champions an equal playing field and hopes to uplift artists through the rising innovative technology in the Web3 space.

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PHOTO CREDIT: MICHAEL ORTIZ