Today, D.C. alt-pop provocateur Kanii is back to announce his forthcoming EP #BLUE due July 18th via Warner Records. The announcement comes alongside a new single “less than,” which opens with a distorted robotic vocal allowing Kanii’s encapsulating silky vocals to cut into the beat, morphing into a house-inspired pop anthem.
The forthcoming EP carves out new sonic territory for Kanii, but whether is exploring R&B, house-infused pop, club beats, or something closer to pop punk – the songs are urgent, restless, and undeniably catchy. Atop driving percussion and vibrant chords, he unleashes the emotional poetry that’s become his trademark. “I want that versatility,” he says. “I want to be able to make pop songs, rap songs, rock songs, and have them all be hits.”
About Kanii
No one makes heartbreak sound as sweet as Kanii. The 19-year-old from D.C. has earned around 3 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone by turning his romantic ups and downs into uniquely catchy songs — a mix of shadowy R&B and electronic beats that invites us to dance away the pain. His writing’s always been personal, but its relatability lies in his sticky melodies and ability to craft hooks for both the stadium and the drive home. In 2025, Kanii is parlaying that gift into new music that moves from his signature sound into electro-infused pop, darkwave dreamscapes, and something closer to punk. The change might be momentarily jarring for fans who got hooked on 2023’s Gold-certified, jersey club-inflected “I Know”; beloved past projects like exiit and it was nice knowing you; or his collabs with the likes of Trippie Redd, wolfacejoeyy, Riovaz, and Nimstarr. But for Kanii — who aims to be as boundless as the icons he grew up admiring — it’s the next step toward his definition of success. The palette may have shifted but the strokes are familiar: bittersweet longing, a need to move, undeniable catchiness. His latest songs also illustrate how much Kanii’s grown. As he works through powerful themes — love, loss, things we do to protect ourselves, those who get hurt along the way — he’s more sure of what he wants to say and the best way to say it. “I’m there with my fans,” he says. “I’m helping them fight their battles by letting them know I’ve been there, too.”
