Featured in Audiomack’s 10 African Artists You Should Know About in 2023 list, Kaien Cruz(they/them) is a Los Angeles-based queer artist and creative hailing from Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. The 26-year-old singer-songwriter’s debut single, "Love Me In The Dark", was nominated for Song of the Year at the South African Music Awards, which led to their first major performance for a crowd of 90,000 opening for Justin Bieber on his Purpose Tour. Inspired, Kaien issued two EP’s independently and made their way to LA in 2022 for their first U.S. tour including appearances at SXSW and Governor’s Ballgarnering support from tastemakers like PAPER, ESSENCE, EDITION Modern Luxury, OkayAfrica, METAL Magazine, and Ladygunn.
With their natural, effortless approach to style and beauty, Kaien makes their presence heard, seen, and felt all at the same time. Currently signed to modeling agency Community New York (alongside other signees like Col3trane, Kidd Kenn, Gashi, Aaron Rose Philip), Kai has an authentic holistic approach to life, as they do with music, by connecting with mother earth and through meditation. Merging culture, music, tech, and art on their own terms, their a champion for a more uplifted, inclusive generation of souls who feel different paving the way for minority artists and creatives all over the world. As the first generation of their lineage to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, Kaien is familiar with cultural fusion as a mixed race South African.
