Khazali is thrilled to share “Dance On The Rain,” the third single to be released from his upcoming EP, The Rush, out March 11, 2022 via Kitsuné Musique. 

The deeply groovy, down-tempo track is accompanied by a moody music video featuring the artist as he strolls along and serenades the viewer. “Dance On The Rain” follows on the heels of “Passion Controller” and “Better with the Devil.” 

Speaking on the upcoming release of The Rush, Khazali writes: “My sophomore EP, The Rush, is what happened when I took four dream journal entries and turned them into a fully fledged pop universe – complete with colour, character and story. It follows a Californian couple, (Tony and Lennie) and their rise and fall through love and life.

Whilst what you’ll hear is fresh AF, I’m proud to say that my EP took cues from the people I admire to help shape its overall sound. Expect to hear hints of the bands I grew up listening to; Metronomy, Little Dragon and The xx, as well as the pop I discovered relatively recently, like Dua Lipa , Arlo Parks, and Alfie Templeman.”

Tell us about the genesis of your project. How did you get to where you are now?

My project started in my second year of university – I experimented with using songwriting to document what was happening around me and in my dreams, and over time I found that electronic and indie pop were styles that I leaned towards the most. My music right now definitely reflects that. After I released a few songs on compilations from 2016-2020, I was discovered by my label, Kitsuné Musique, and about a year ago I released my first ever EP. 

What should a song or piece of art communicate in your opinion? 

More than anything, a song should get a mood across or aim to enhance the mood of the person listening to it – I’m often thinking about how I can make moments feel lighter and happier with my lyrics and melodies whilst writing.

Who were your top 3 artists last year?

My top artists of last year were Griff, Arlo Parks and Dua Lipa – who all have quite a very varied sound, but bring something different to pop.

What do you do when you’re feeling uninspired?

I take a very long walk, and listen to my On Repeat playlist on Spotify! 

What are your 2022 projects and goals?

In 2022, I’ll be releasing my second EP, doing my first shows with a live band and honestly, my main goal is to enjoy every moment of this exciting journey.

Favorite movie or TV show

Ooh, that’s a hard one for sure but one of my  favourite movies is The Grand Budapest Hotel. I love the symmetry, dry humour and colours in a Wes Anderson film.

Tell us about your latest release and how it came about

Dance on the Rain is my latest release, and it comes from turning some of my dreams into a story about a Californian couple. I had a dream that one of them was being cheated on, but was so in love that they didn’t want to leave. I originally wrote the lyrics to a very different instrumental. But when my friends and producers Supertaste sent over a different sounding demo, we shaped it into what you hear now. 

What is something you would want to change in the music and entertainment industry?

I think that the breadth and variety of Black artists that don’t fall into the expected categories of music should be given a bigger stage. There’s a lot of positive change happening at the moment, but as Rachel Chinouriri pointed out recently, it’s difficult to put art out as a Black artist without it automatically being called R&B or Soul – and I agree that that needs to change. 

Can you outline your creative process?

It depends, sometimes I’m in writing rooms humming out bass lines, guitar melodies and tapping out percussion rhythms – even though I can’t play any of the instruments I usually have quite a pretty strong idea. But there are other times where really talented friends of mine send a really cool instrumental idea that I build the track around, thinking of what the loveliest melody to accompany it might be. 

Who inspires your style and aesthetics?

I’m really interested in icons like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Bowie and Grace Jones as well as the laid-back street style of London and Paris.

What is the achievement or moment in your career you are the most proud of and why?

I’m really proud of the next EP that’s coming out, because I had the privilege of writing it with insanely talented people! In a way though, there isn’t one thing that I can pin point as the proudest moment – it’s also felt pretty crazy throughout, and I’m just trying to enjoy every moment and soak in the gratitude. 

What do you think an artist should sing about nowadays?

I think whatever someone sings about, it should either be important to them, make them feel good and/or move them. It’s got to feel real!

What is some piece of advice you would give to yourself right now?

I’m not sure if I can answer that right now, but I definitely know that the version of me in 5 years might have some interesting advice for me 🙂