On KAIEN, Los Angeles-based So\uth African singer-songwriter Kaien Cruz unveils their refreshing brand of Afrocentric R&B. Hip-hop flows, pop melodies, and tropical instrumentation all find a home across 12 tracks as Cruz soulfully wades through the crests and troughs of Black queer life. Wrapping heartfelt lyricism into its acoustic soundbed, opener “Black Ice” explores the duplexity of romance with the lines “Call it love, is it really though?/The highs ’n’ lows seem to turn you on,” before the percussive “Shows N Hoes” captures the ensuing tumult. There’s a dreamlike quality to KAIEN, as emotive songwriting references the cosmic and transcendent over ethereal sonic landscapes. Co-written by Kenyan Ugandan artist Xenia Manasseh, the Afro-Latin “I Lay” exudes a breeziness derived from forming pure connections and shares its island feel with the sultry “Grip.” The otherworldly bounce of “Seasons” accompanies a navigation of change, while “Explore” offers escape through a sensual affair occurring “On another planet.”