There’s merit in mystery when it comes to being an artist. Take, for example, Kanoa. Kanoa is a Maui-raised talent who we first met via his Zzz EP earlier this year. The project offered 6, massively impressive songs, bounded by raw, unfiltered acoustics and intimate songwriting – all of which introduced us to a mysterious new artist named Kanoa, and one who chose to speak with the music first, leaving space for curiosity before he started answering any questions.
Today, in perhaps his first step toward unmasking parts of the face behind the music, Kanoa is here to premiere his brand new single entitled “Mistakes.” Not only is it a worthy follow-up to the string of impressive songs he’s released thus far, but it’s also Kanoa’s first release with full production. In fitting fashion, it had to be the one that we premiered on our pages, and it had to be the one where the story begins to unfold.
Speaking to the budding talent on the phone the other day, Kanoa described the Sparknotes of his life story: from Maui, came to LA a few years back to get his rap career going, struggled with addiction during that time, returned to Maui to reassess, and now, is back in LA making his best material yet. The general outline he gave adds context to the liveliness of “Mistakes,” and zeroes in on the lyrics and the story they tell. “Mistakes” is deeply personal when you listen closer, and it’s a major step toward building out Kanoa’s world, padded by infectious melodies and an uptempo drum beat.
If Zzz was the foundation for Kanoa’s art to exist, then “Mistakes” is the first floor of the house. It’s a step toward introduction for one of the more promising new acts to arrive recently, and it’s a fantastic release to get acclimated with Maui’s own.
Stream “Mistakes” below and follow Kanoa on Instagram here!