skaiwater’s 2024 album #gigi was nothing short of a breakthrough for the UK-born phenom—and they’re nowhere near finished turning heads.
Their latest offering, #mia (aka Manic in America), is another example of skaiwater’s limitless potential and personality—able to control chaos from any genre they please. From iridescent Jersey club and hard rock to blitzing hyperpop and underground rage rap, the 24-year-old Nottingham native knows no bounds (and follows no rules) when it comes to their craft.
A testament to their progressive ingenuity, album highlights like the anthemic lead single “pop,” frantic “feral” and baby-voiced “maria” see skai slide and sing effortlessly within #mia’s ever-changing vibe. The 8-track tape feels erratic yet concise, embodying the intersection of accessible pop and new wave rage (much like #gigi and #rave).
However, they take it a step further at just eight tracks long. #mia packs a punch, acting as a prologue to skai’s ongoing mainstream ascent—becoming more innovative, edgy and stylistically unpredictable than ever. Whether it’s their uncanny ear for production or sweet tooth for sugary melodies that got you hooked, this is the skaiwater experience: one song is never like the other. Listen for their love-torn croons on “You don’t feel the same” or manic distortion on “ur song” and “feral,” this balance of sounds creates pure bliss amidst battle.
Its title track “manicinamerica” personifies the album fully: a raw, poetic offering that whips between the throes of obsession and self-destruction. The album not only pushes boundaries, it’s bold and rebellious, as skaiwater navigates love, transience and newfound fame through blurred snapshots of reality. The life they live moves too fast at times—and #mia is the adrenaline rush.
Interestingly, skaiwater dropped the deluxe before the actual project. pinkPrint contains five extra songs that creatively sample Rihanna’s “You Da One” (“hell”), Mk.gee‘s “Candy” (candy, magic”) and Drake and Nicki Minaj’s “Moment 4 Life” (“we didn’t get the memo”). skai was thinking in 4D here, but these tracks most likely won’t be on DSPs (forget clearance, they’re for the fans!)
Nevertheless, #mia stands potently on its own, further proving skaiwater is at their best when given no path to follow. Innovators blaze their own trail, and skai has always been “#miles” ahead of their peers. On #mia, they’ve solidified themselves as one of the best producer-rappers of the next generation.
Read why skaiwater is one of our 25 Artists To Watch in 2025 here.
Listen to ‘#mia’ below!