An artist from Seoul, South Korea, who has made his home in Los Angeles, USA, Rylai fully brings the heartbreak of someone who is trying desperately to move on with his new single, ‘Issues’.
Rylai has always instinctively known just how to put together high quality arrangements. As he describes it, “I have my own radio in my head”, as an explanation for the unique melodies that he finds bouncing around in his head. It took him until he was a teenager, however, to fully connect with music, when he started messing about on a digital piano, that had stayed untouched for years in his family home. As soon as he began, he realised just how much music would play a part in his life.
Still, he had to wait a little while. He attended a top university in South Korea, where he graduated with a degree in physics. From there however, he gravitated towards audio engineering and sound design, giving him the opportunity to merge both his scientific and artistic sides. He soon decided to pursue his dreams in LA, where he put into play his passions and inspirations, forging a style that blends the staples of R&B, pop, and indie, as well as the genre-defying sensibilities of K-Pop legend Seo Taiji and the introspective lyricism of Kendrick Lamar. Rylai commenced work alongside indie pop artist, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Skyler Cocco, and with two singles under his belt, Rylai is finding space that is entirely his own.
New single, ‘Issues’, is set against a minimalist instrumental, and sees Rylai fully inhabit the voice of someone who is so wounded and love-laden, following the breakdown of a relationship. His longing is a reflection of the turmoil experienced when you leave behind all the memories, and realise that maybe you just didn’t know your lover as well as you thought.
Rylai pleads, “If you love me, can you let go of me?” as the gentle strums of the acoustic guitar mirror his heartache. Meanwhile, harmonies soar above him, while the cold hard bass shows he’s found himself once more.
The music video for ‘Issues’ shows Rylai wandering through contrasting landscapes, industrial and natural in turn – drifting through “some of the loneliest scenes in New York”. He’s like a ghost in his own life; caught in the trap of his own mind, unable to break free. But eventually, he finds relief from his pain, and after a while he is able to dispel his trauma for good.
Watch the video for ‘Issues’ below, and find out more about Rylai and his music online on his official website, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
