Rei Brown Shares Earnest Confessional "White Honda"

NYC-based Japanese producer and musician rei brown releases his vulnerable third single today, "White Honda" featuring Filipino-American artist Lecx Stacy. The third single comes ahead of the highly-anticipated forthcoming debut full-length album from the up-and-comer, 'Xeno', due out July 8, 2022.

"White Honda" featuring Lecx Stacy brings the duo to a place where they can be most themselves as they struggle to confess feelings to a crush. Early in the track, rei brown gets to the heart of the song professing, "Just wanna let you know I’m trying / That I’ve been struggling to find it in me / To tell you that you got me flying / You set a different kind of fire in me." It aptly captures the butterflies and nervousness that comes with revealing true feelings to a new love. 

The track unmistakably expands the cinematic world rei has already begun to build with his latest releases. Lecx Stacey, who takes part in the otherworldly creation shares: "This song feels special. It was a special experience creating a world with rei while being in opposite coasts of the country and only have spoken to each other virtually." rei still loves the track each time he hears it, and thoroughly enjoyed making it. rei brown notes, "I had such an amazing time making this song with Lecx. I love and respect everything he makes and we were able to inject so much of ourselves into the song. I love how we were able to tell this really delicate story about vulnerability through an insanely hard song. I still hear the ending of it and uncontrollably bop my head every time." 

"White Honda" follows the previously released astral long distance love song "Thinking Bout You", with a feature from longtime friend and collaborator, Joji. The sci-fi-inspired track sees the pair do what they each do best – invite listeners into a safe, loving place where they can freely be themselves and find themselves in a world where they may not always feel accepted. 

"Thinking Bout You" follows rei's previous ethereal single, "Could I Be Somebody" alongside its mysterious, sci-fi-themed video set in a surreal dreamscape. The synth-ballad delicately explores young love and queer identity, laying the foundation for what's to come from rei. Since its release, the track has garnered support from top radio stations across Southeast Asia like 987 (Singapore), Fly FM (Malaysia), 99.5 Play FM (Philippines), Trax FM (Indonesia), as well as placements on Spotify's New Music Friday playlists across 8 markets.

'Xeno', the upcoming alt-pop, highly-anticipated LP from rei brown, is an honest, nuanced exploration of identity and queerness, filled with hints of sci-fi and cinematic nostalgia sprinkled over 15 tracks. It is in this deliberately crafted world that rei is able to better understand who he is and who he may become, bringing a fast-growing legion of listeners along with him. rei shares that the inspiration for the album's title comes from his experience of feeling othered and speaks to the xenophobia experienced throughout his life.

It reclaims otherness as something to be proud of, something to be loved and celebrated, rather than something to be ashamed of. Explaining the origins of the title, rei shares, "I think the word Xeno is essential, it’s why I named the album Xeno. It’s how I’ve related to the world for most of my life — as other, a foreigner, a stranger. Songs talk about being metaphorically and literally being an alien." Rei encourages listeners to bring their own meaning and perspective to Xeno. "I think people can make Xeno mean whatever they want it to mean to them, but that it is an experience that a lot of people can relate to in one way or another."
 
After growing up in Kobe, Japan, rei found himself relocating to Boston in 2011 to study songwriting at Berklee College of Music. After graduating and moving to New York City, he released a slew of music on Soundcloud and later, his debut EP 'raybaboon' which led to several successful singles and EPs that earned over 100 million collective streams. From there, rei made his touring debut on the 'Majestic Casual: World Tour' through North America in 2018, and the following year, joined Japanese-Australian artist Joji's 'BALLADS1 Tour'.

2020 brought four more successful singles including "Islands" premiered by Zane Lowe, and his "Honest" music video which premiered on NYLON, and joined Joji on his 2020 album, 'Nectar', featured on "Normal People". Today, with a renewed sense of self, rei brings his most honest and refined sound with him into 2022, keeping much more in store for the months ahead. 

rei brown has a wide fanbase across Asia, with Asian markets making the majority of his Top 15 Streaming Markets globally including Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore.