Rawiri James from New Zealand drives this current Song with a silky sound and a thematically self-aware lyrical approach. At the same time, there’s a straightforward and approachable sentiment in Mess With My Cool, with the hook serving as the key takeaway. A significantly deeper underlying storyline concerns the artist’s personal road to success in the music industry.
Addict. Advocate Author and artist. Rawiri James, that’s him!
He has worked as a musician, actor, and writer over the past few years. He had been a big drinker and drug addict in the past. He was raised listening to R&B and 1990s and 2000s soundtracks in New Zealand and London. His debut solo album, Lost Boy, is the culmination of all of this.
Rawiri James was impressed with how well things went for a first-time independent artist. He released the solemn mid-tempo ‘Bottle Down’ as the first single, followed by his own personalized theme song, ‘Trip The Alarm,’ which went on to top R&B iTunes charts worldwide, including #1 in South Africa.
Everything about this release, Mess With My Cool is of high quality, from the production to the vocal flow. The background combines a very classical hip hop/RnB approach – the kind of mildly low riff loops that made up some of the legendary hits of the 1990s and 2000s – with a bit more soul-pop, peaceful beat, and appealing mood.
There’s a fluidity to it all, and Rawiri James’ voice complements it well. That vocal line, the varying flow of the verses, and many of the lines have personality.
The rhythm is easy to enjoy, humble, and honest, and Rawiri James demonstrates an evident passion for singing and performance. He is spilling personality and love into the process at every step, resulting in singing that is effortlessly captivating, pleasingly simple, and evocative of a composer with a strong correlation to the music he makes.