Persian/New Zealand rapper Chaii is here to soundtrack your work week. Whether you’re after an edgy soundscape to carry you through, or a menacing dance-on-your-desk vibe, ‘Lightswitch’ has you covered.

Lifted off of Chaii’s debut EP of the same name, and featuring a hint of Farsi to highlight her Persian heritage, ‘Lightswitch’ bends genres and minds as it calls out fake culture.

Produced by Frank Keys and mixed by Grammy-winner Jaycen Joshua (Rosalía, A$AP Rocky, Nicki Minaj) Chaii says ‘Lightswitch’ “is about the raw realness in everything, being true to yourself and how obvious it is when people are fake.”

chaii press shot 2020
Chaii

Chaii self-directed and produced the clip for ‘Lightswitch’, enlisting her friends Brooke Tyson (stylist), Abe Mora (DOP) and Frank Keys (behind the scenes) to film it ‘guerrilla style’ across California.

“I am part of the new generation of Iranian immigrants who are creating music outside of Iran. Coming from New Zealand, where there’s a very small Persian community that you barely see or hear from, it was a revelation to experience the perfect blend of Western and Persian influences when I first visited LA to see family,” Chaii said.

“[…] To film the videos for ‘Lightswitch’, ‘Nobody Know’ and ‘Middle Ground’ in California, the home of the largest Persian music community outside of Iran, felt like the perfect place with the right mood for this project.”

Check out Chaii’s music video for ‘Lightswitch’:

YouTube VideoPlay

Chaii may be a newcomer, but she’s already aligned with some of the biggest brands in the world, including Fendi, UFC and Netflix, for Charlize Theron’s new film The Old Guard, which features her track ‘Nobody Know’ in a fight scene.

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Spotify is also drinking Chaii in heavy doses. In June, the streaming giant announced her as the first-ever New Zealand Spotify RADAR artist. Past artists to be given the honour are Lauv, King Princess, Jorja Smith, G-Eazy and Trippie Redd.

Check out Chaii’s debut EP Lightswitch:

LIGHTSWITCH TRACKLIST

1. Lightswitch
2. Nobody Know
3. Middle Ground
4. South
5. Digebasse feat. B Wise
6. Trouble

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