Skaiwater seems to have been “#miles” ahead of his competition for a while now — proving once again that no sound is off limits.
Mixing a slew of genres throughout his budding discography, the UK-based wonder’s new single “boys don’t cry” is an amalgamation of the new wave’s core influences — bounded together by the rudderless confines of rage, hyperpop and rock. It’s a whole new vibe from the RAVE emcee, who prides himself on his self-production and left-of-center ear that has guided him to underground stardom.
Accumulating over 1 Million monthly listeners on Spotify, the teenage singer-rapper flexes his vocal chops more so than his lyrical capability on “boys don’t cry” — making a “deal with a demon” and lamenting that he feels more emotions “when I get high.”
More introspective than meets the eyes, SKAI’s sultry, high-pitched cadences are backed by thumping drum-and-bass patterns with booming 808s behind it — crooning lines about “being in too deep / And I get too attached.” Brought together by a love-torn hook, “Yeah, it’s something about you,” Skaiwater’s genreless haze seemingly walks all over “boys don’t cry.”
“it’s 5am
Baby don’t be scared
You chose your path
So stay right there
This shit’s not gonna last
Because I’m in too deep
And I get too attached
So don’t look at me”
skaiwater — “boys don’t cry”
When asked about his upcoming EP Rave — formerly known as Tongue — and the goals he has for its long-awaited release, he doesn’t feel like he needs to set tangible benchmarks because of its limitations. “I feel like if I don’t set goals, I will achieve bigger things that I was intending on,” he said. “I just try and go. I trust the people around me. So as long as we go, we’re good.”
Along with his foray as an artist, he’s worked alongside Lil Nas X — who he met in a Lil Uzi Vert group chat — Midwxst and Riovaz, who all have aided him on his journey to acclaim. Feeling as though he’ll achieve the same heights as Drake one day, he’s still laying the framework for his eventual superstardom.
For now, he’s fighting the pain and holding in his tears on “boys don’t cry” — wowing new and old listeners alike with a blitzing array of sounds.
Listen to “boys don’t cry” below!
