When the world is in chaos, it’s hard to maintain a “glass half full” mentality. This can be said for RIIKI who found herself in a slump during 2020, but made sure to remind herself that brighter days are sure to follow. The New Zealand artist channels this optimism on her new song “Good Times.”
The upbeat song radiates an uplifting nature through colorful production and relatable lyrics. Noting the “good times up ahead were trying to show” her a way of out darkness, the anthropomorphism the artist uses to characterize the “good times” as an actual person is quite clever. There is always uncertainty when it comes to the future, but RIIKI looks past the rain, saying:
“I truly believe in the quote that is ‘after any storm, there is a rainbow.’ 2020 started on such a high for me, and then the world came crashing down. COVID hit, my boyfriend broke up with me during the most heightened time of the pandemic, many issues in society had arisen and there was so much anger in the world. At one point I had lost so much motivation and would cry nearly everyday, but I knew I wasn’t the only one going through the feels. Writing this song has and still is helping me through the shit 2020 is thrown and myself and the world, it really feels like my moving on song onto greater and better things. I am hopeful that good changes and times are coming for everyone and myself.”
Raquel Abolins-Reid is indie-pop newcomer RIIKI. Raised in New Zealand’s creative capital city and now aged 20, RIIKI is still young, but has many stories to tell. With a childhood centred around the performing arts, her vibrant persona on stage detaches her from others within her genre.
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