Kaanin’s “Eternal” – a lush world of introspection

With a smooth collection of neo-soul chords on the keyboard, Kaanin effortlessly glides the listener into his song “Eternal.” Then, at the drop of a robust beat and some ascending notes on the keys, he drops into a cool, confident rap verse. The lyrics begin with “blunt ash on my fingertips,” and the lush instrumentals match the words, as the keyboard chords take on a new tone alongside the low, R&B beat. The layers come together to create a feeling of floating in space, feeling faded, and being deep inside your mind, which Kaanin repeats throughout the song.

As the song progresses the instrumental track begins to take on a new life of its own, with varying syncopation and rhythms feeling like waves, pulses of sound that are smooth, unexpected, and satisfying. The lyrics being to change too, telling the story of a man seducing a woman. Then, another voice tasks over the vocals, Kiana Mariah, and she begins to reiterate Kaanin’s words, singing of liking the thought of coming home to his lips. What begins as a solo track about being faded turns into a sort-of contemporary duet about love.

A rapper out of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, Kaanin has been around in the underground hip-hop scene since February of 2019. He only began releasing his music, three songs at the time, at the insistence of his friends. The positive feedback was instant, and the encouragement gave him the confidence to keep creating. That encouragement spurred the production of his debut project “Neverland 2”, an EP from 2021 that’s a mashup of experimental styles and genres. From soulful R&B to hardcore, hitting hip-hop, he incorporates it all.

Since the release of that mixtape, he’s also released two singles, which he feels were a return to his best position as “a lyrically and melodically dominant artist operating in a lane of his own.” As he grows further into his confidence, his storytelling abilities become more vivid and open, and his natural introspection shines through. Delivering lyrics that are humble and real detailing the struggles of his upbringing paired with the lush beats he’s known for crafting in the studio make for bold and balanced tracks. Listen to “Eternal” and the rest of his new album Sapovnela below.