After the announcement of their debut album Absolute Heartbreak, out January 27th via AWAL Recordings (Dayglow, MorMor) , khai dreams has shared their new single “rats.” The second offering from Absolute Heartbreak is a pop track with a catchy melody paired with vulnerable lyrics. Self-described as creating “unhinged bedroom pop.”

Speaking about the new single, khai says, “The song started when I was listening to ‘white summer and green bicycle, red hair with black guitar’ by The Pillows. The lyrics and melody of the intro just came to me when I was listening to that song. I wrote the rest of the song at a time when I was feeling extremely burnt out and depressed. I felt like I had no control over my life anymore. There were things I did and situations I found myself in that were very jarring and confusing to me, because I was not really present for it.”

Hailing from Eugene, Oregon, khai, half-Vietnamese American, turned to the internet to blossom and truly be themself while growing up. Sites like Gaia Online, Neopets, and Runescape gave them the space to be anyone they wanted. Music always had a similar, escapist quality for khai, too: YouTube wormholes, digital audio software like Audacity, and learning the ukelele helped create another comforting sphere where they could dream. With these roots, the now 23-year-old artist started releasing music from their bedroom in 2017 with breakout singles “I Hold You Close To Me” and “Lost In You,” followed by their collaborative EP with Atwood in 2018 Nice Colors. In 2019, khai released their EP Now and Then, which features the hit track “Sunkissed”

khai dreams
Absolute Heartbreak
AWAL Recordings

1. rats
2. not enough
3. bugs
4. may
5. flowers
6. panic attack
7. overall
8. heartbreaker
9. good advice
10. no company

Pre-order/save Absolute Heartbreak by khai HERE