Coming soon after their electrifying cover of ‘The Sun Always Shines on TV’, KEiiNO are coming in hot with another new release, this time a euphoric original song: ‘RITMA’.
‘RITMA’ is available to stream and download here.
‘RITMA’ is the North Sámi word for ‘Rhythm’, and arrives as the band have been busy touring the UK to sold out venues around the country. North Sámi is the native language of Fred, one third of the group.
‘RITMA’ begins with a piano-led melodic hook, which came to Tom Hugo in a dream while he was staying in the Norwegian mountains with his bandmates. It’s not the first time the band’s lead composer has dreamed a song.
“On this occasion the melody in my dream was so strong that I managed to wake myself up in the middle of the night and start working on a demo” he explains. “When Alexandra woke to the sound of it, she immediately knew it had potential. Rhythm can shoot you into a dreamy, euphoric state of mind, and this song is an ode to the power of rhythm and dance.”
The song was finished during sessions in London, with production taking place in Berlin. The trio mix their cultural and musical background into ‘RITMA’, showcasing a North Sami yoik (an ancient Sámi vocal tradition and form of communication) and rap with a blend of euphoric pop vocals and dance-inspired beats.
Tom, Alexandra and Fred have been a pop powerhouse since their TV debut on Norway’s Melodi Grand Prix and later in Eurovision in 2019, where they were awarded 12 points from the UK audience. 26 songs and 150 million streams later they recently returned to London for two shows – the first one being a headline show at iconic LGBTQ venue HEAVEN, the latter at Here at Outernet for the London Eurovision Party. They’ve spend early May touring the country, including shows at the Eurovision village in Liverpool this week.
‘RITMA’ is available to stream and download here. Find out more about KEiiNO and their music online on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Thanks for featuring KEiiNO – they are very underrated and extremely talented, down to earth and deserve to be known a lot wider.
May I correct two things in this article, please? ‘Ritma’ is not Norwegian. It’s Sámi, North Sámi, to be precise, the language of Fred. The song is sung in Sámi and English. Secondly, the ‘chant’ you mention is called ‘joik’ (pronounced ‘yoik’) and it’s an ancient Sámi vocal tradition, a form of communication, although it’s often simplified as a ‘musical’ style. 🙂
Thank you for your comments! I’ll make the necessary changes!