RINI has broken a few hearts in his time, least of all ours. R&B doesn’t get much smoother than the Melbourne-raised Filipino’s masterwork; heavily influenced by the R&B renaissance in the US during the 10s, RINI delivers sultry slow jams, delving through love-struck emotional resonance and relatable tales of romance.
The singer-songwriter has achieved stratospheric success over the past few years, amassing millions of streams, selling out massive shows, and collaborating with the likes of EARTHGANG and Wale. Now based in Los Angeles, RINI is very much ingrained in the flourishing R&B scene in the States, continuously impressing with his vivid songwriting, soulful delivery and kaleidoscopic soundscapes.
His newest single, “My Luv”, epitomises the seamless appeal of the artist. Boasting a memorable back-and-forth hook with the stunning Bibi Bourelly, the track once again sees RINI in his hopeless romantic bag, confessing his love to the song’s subject via dreamy melodies and thoughtful songwriting. With every new track, we can’t help but fall a little more in love with the intoxicating sounds of RINI!
Wonderland had the absolute pleasure of catching up with the singer, discussing his new single, collaborations, and finding purpose in music in the process.
Listen to RINI’s gorgeous new single!
Check out the full interview below
Hey RINI! How are you?
Hey Wonderland! I’m doing amazing right now. I’m currently touring Europe and just super excited about everything that’s happening!
Where are we speaking to you from?
I just got to London this morning. I flew in from Los Angeles with the crew. It’s been a chill day today, we’ve just been catching a vibe here.
What’s something that made you laugh today?
I think just the thought of being back in London under different circumstances made me laugh a bit. Last time I was here back in 2021, I didn’t really have a choice because I was trying to sort my visa out in the midst of COVID, so it was quite a stressful time. Now I’m back and I’m actually doing shows, it’s amazing!
What are some artists in your current rotation?
Currently, I’ve been listening to a lot of different stuff but I’ve really been on my Khruangbin, Tame Impala and a lot of real old school soul 70s funk rock music.
Did you always know that music was your path in life? Was there an ‘aha!’ moment?
No, music wasn’t always a thing I thought I’d be doing full time. It started as a hobby, I just loved playing guitar when I was younger and then it turned into me doing song covers on youtube and eventually started writing my own music. The ‘aha!’ moment came to me when I first did my show in Melbourne. I didn’t expect anything of it but it ended up selling out and witnessing people connect to my music in such a deep way was really what made it click. Hearing them sing the words gave me chills and that confirmation that yeah this is what I love to do.
You’re Filipino, but raised in Melbourne. Do you feel like your mixed heritage has an influence on your sound?
Yes I definitely draw a lot of inspiration from my heritage. Filipino’s love to listen to ballads and R&B music, anything that has that emotional touch to it. That’s probably why my music sounds the way it sounds.
Your latest album Constellations features a couple of collaborations; so does your latest single “My Luv”. How does your approach differ working solo compared to collaborating?
When I make music on my own, I’m really able to take my time with my words and the way I want to express how I feel. There’s never a need to rush or get something done in one session. I love the freedom in it. However, working/collaborating with other creatives help me see a whole another perspective and also be able to try new things that I haven’t tried. Collaboration is very important as well as being able to make music yourself. Especially with the right people making the music with you, it can really elevate the sound!
Could you talk us through the creative process behind “My Luv”?
So “My Luv” was a song that I worked on with Bibi Bourelly and Sam Wish. Before the whole COVID thing shut everything down, we managed to make this song together. It was one of the sessions we had in LA, I was playing the guitar on loop while Bibi came up with this idea of sampling her vocals just like how they’d do them in old school hip hop/R&B songs. She came up with that hook and layered it with such beautiful melodies and Sam Wish just added all the sauce with his production and played around with her vocals. We finished writing the verses when COVID calmed down and now here we are.
We hear you’re about to embark on a European tour. What’s your favourite thing about playing live?
Yes! I’m so excited to play for my fans here in Europe! I think my favourite thing about playing live is the moment that I get to share with everyone in the crowd. They make it a whole experience for me as well every time I play live. I just love the energy and the love that the music was able to bring together.
Do European crowds differ at all to Australian crowds?
I’m not quite sure hahaha, this is going to be my very first time performing here and seeing how the crowd reacts but I’m so excited and it’s all gonna be fun!
Do you have any hopes for the year ahead?
Yes, I can’t wait to see what this year has in store first of all. I already know it’s gonna be so much fun and also a lot of hard work but I can’t complain, I’m blessed to have fans that continuously support my music and continue to show up for me so I would love to do the same for them and give them music they’ll be able to connect with and shows that they will always remember. But yeah right now I’m just working on how I can grow with my music and also love the process.
Lastly, do you have any advice for young musicians just starting out?
My only advice is to make what you love to make, as long as you’re happy and you enjoy it, nothing else really matters. But also don’t just create for the sake of creating, keep learning and always pursue to be a better version of yourself everyday and also enjoy the process.