NYC-based Japanese producer and musician rei brown releases his second single, “Thinking Bout You” featuring fellow rising Japan-born musician Joji, where they yearn to be closer to their loved ones. Along with the single, rei brown announces the release of his forthcoming full-length album, ‘Xeno’, due out July 8.
Continuing on the science-fiction themes of the previous single “Could I Be Somebody” and a soundtrack for long-distance love, “Thinking Bout You” dives deeper into the cinematic, dreamscape world he has begun to build. rei brown explains: “I wrote my part mostly in the context of a long-distance relationship. There are hints in it that suggest it takes place in a different more sci-fi reality.” The spacious, otherworldly track hopes to keep the two together as they confront their issues and the distance between them asking, “We’re ascending barely hanging on / What’s this planet that we’ve landed on? ”
The chorus sets the scene for the track, depicting the pain of remaining in a long-distance relationship. Rei reassures his partner that even though he has to leave, they remain on his mind, singing, “Barely made my flight / We were up all night / Now I’m thinking ‘bout you / When you look to the sky / In the middle of the night / knows I’m thinking about you.” Longtime friends and collaborators, rei and Joji connect on the track to do what they each do best – invite listeners into a safe, loving place where they can freely be themselves and find themselves in a world where they may not always feel accepted.
The latest single marks the second collaboration for the pair, after rei joined Joji on his 2019BALLADS1 Tour and later made an appearance on the singer’s 2020 album ‘Nectar’, with a feature on “Normal People”. The album has been praised as “a work of art and euphoria” by Ones To Watch and called Joji’s “best to date” by The Needle Drop. With assists from acknowledged icons and new trailblazers alike, including Diplo, Lil Yachty, BENEE, and Yves Tumor and over 5 billion streams to date, Joji is one of music’s most exciting up-and-comers.
“Thinking Bout You” follows rei’s previous ethereal single, “Could I Be Somebody” alongside its mysterious, sci-fi-themed video set in a surreal dreamscape. The synth-ballad delicately explores young love and queer identity, laying the foundation for what’s to come from rei. Since its release, the track has garnered support from top radio stations across Southeast Asia like 987 (Singapore), Fly FM (Malaysia), 99.5 Play FM (Philippines), Trax FM (Indonesia), as well as placements on Spotify’s New Music Friday playlists across 8 markets.
‘Xeno’, the upcoming alt-pop, highly-anticipated LP from rei brown, is an honest, nuanced exploration of identity and queerness, filled with hints of sci-fi and cinematic nostalgia sprinkled over 15 tracks. It is in this deliberately crafted world that rei is able to better understand who he is and who he may become, bringing a fast-growing legion of listeners along with him. rei shares that the inspiration for the album’s title comes from his experience of feeling othered and speaks to the xenophobia experienced throughout his life.
It reclaims otherness as something to be proud of, something to be loved and celebrated, rather than something to be ashamed of. Explaining the origins of the title, rei shares, “I think the word Xeno is essential, it’s why I named the album Xeno. It’s how I’ve related to the world for most of my life — as other, a foreigner, a stranger. Songs talk about being metaphorically and literally being an alien.” Rei encourages listeners to bring their own meaning and perspective to Xeno. “I think people can make Xeno mean whatever they want it to mean to them, but that it is an experience that a lot of people can relate to in one way or another.”
After growing up in Kobe, Japan, rei found himself relocating to Boston in 2011 to study songwriting at Berklee College of Music. After graduating and moving to New York City, he released a slew of music on Soundcloud and later, his debut EP ‘raybaboon’ which led to several successful singles and EPs that earned over 100 million collective streams. From there, rei made his touring debut on the ‘Majestic Casual: World Tour’ through North America in 2018, and the following year, joined Japanese-Australian artist Joji’s ‘BALLADS1 Tour’.
2020 brought four more successful singles including “Islands” premiered by Zane Lowe, and his “Honest” music video which premiered on NYLON, and joined Joji on his 2020 album, ‘Nectar’, featured on “Normal People”. Today, with a renewed sense of self, rei brings his most honest and refined sound with him into 2022, keeping much more in store for the months ahead.
rei brown has a wide fanbase across Asia, with Asian markets making the majority of his Top 15 Streaming Markets globally including Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore.