Wisconsin sister-duo REYNA have released their new single “Kill Me,” a tribute to love, loss, and heartbreak.
Although the song is thematically dark, with lines like “I keep your poison” and “it’s in my bloodstream,” Reyna stay true to their synth-pop ways. The tough emotions discussed in the song are disguised in an airy melody and piercing staccato vocals. Between the themes of toxicity, distance, and crushing sadness, the actual sound of “Kill Me” is definitively happy, turning the otherwise negative mood into a sense of catharsis.
“It’s strange how art works,” shared Hannah Gabriela Banuelos, one half of the group. “Once I shared these feelings I felt like the sadness couldn’t touch me anymore.” What gives “Kill Me” its edge is the simple, raw expression of an emotion as a way of coming to terms with it. Music is and always has been the best way of doing this.
The other half of REYNA is Victoriah Banuelos, sharing many key responsibilities with her sister. The two both contribute to vocals and keys, with Victoriah on guitar and Hannah Gabriela on bass. There is a collaboration between the two from stage one. For some, it’s difficult to imagine spending your entire career alongside a sibling, but the two are clearly a natural creative fit for one another.
“Kill Me” has harnessed art as a tool, a way of coping. What REYNA turned out with is a piece that sounds equally hopeful as is does dismal. It uses shiny harmonies and beautiful production to create a tune to show all of this and more. Although it has pop sensibilities, the pacing of “Kill Me” stays just slow enough so as to not lose the message. The vocal track is loud and clear, and there is no mistaking that the lyrics are the heart of the song.
REYNA are currently focusing on creating more music, and expect to release their first EP in the near future.