Sometimes, the songs that matter most are the ones that arrive when we least expect them. For British singer-songwriter TaniA Kyllikki, “HUMAN” began with a Facebook post expressing frustration over the hostility she was seeing towards people of different races, cultures, and backgrounds. What followed was an unexpected musical idea that grew into something much bigger: a song about empathy, equality, and remembering what connects us instead of focusing on what separates us.
Created alongside her husband and musical partner, producer and multi-instrumentalist Rynellton (Garry D. Hairston), “HUMAN” brings together two seemingly different worlds. Kyllikki’s gospel-soul vocals meet energetic techno-house production, resulting in a track that encourages listeners to move while giving them something meaningful to think about. It is an ambitious combination, but one that gives the song a personality all its own.
The story behind the single makes its arrival even more remarkable. Kyllikki and Rynellton believed they had finished the final song for her upcoming album, FREE-SPIRITED, when the idea for “HUMAN” began taking shape. Inspired by the divisions playing out online, Kyllikki found herself unable to let go of the words she had written. She brought the idea to Rynellton, who initially needed a moment to take in her suggestion of pairing her soulful vocal style with a powerful electronic dance sound. Once she sang him the melody, however, the possibilities became clear.
And what a combination it turns out to be. Kyllikki’s extraordinary five-octave vocal range gives the track plenty of room to soar, moving between more intimate expressions and powerful belts, with intricate runs adding further depth. Against that, Rynellton builds hypnotic rhythms, atmospheric layers, and pulsing electronic energy. The contrast between the emotional warmth of the vocals and the driving production creates an engaging push and pull, giving “HUMAN” both dancefloor appeal and a heartfelt core.
But the song is about much more than experimenting with genres. At its centre is a question that sounds simple but carries enormous weight: what does it really mean to be human, and how do we learn to live together in harmony?
Kyllikki approaches that question by examining the labels people use to separate themselves from others. Race, culture, difference, and judgement all come into the picture, alongside the need for equality, compassion, and mutual respect. Rather than responding to hostility with another wave of anger, she and Rynellton have chosen to make music that encourages a different response. The message is not about forcing listeners to adopt a particular viewpoint, but inviting them to consider how much better life could be if empathy became a more natural starting point.
That approach gives “HUMAN” its emotional strength. The song wants you to feel the beat, but it also asks you to look beyond your immediate surroundings and consider the experiences of people whose lives may be different from your own. It is a call for connection delivered through a sound designed to get people moving, an effective way of making a serious message feel accessible without stripping it of meaning.
There is also a deeply personal story of perseverance behind this release. Kyllikki has faced severe, ongoing health challenges, including recurrent urinary tract infections over several years and life-threatening episodes of urosepsis that have led to hospital admissions and major interruptions to her career. With further weekly bladder treatments still ahead, conventional studio sessions and live performances have become difficult to manage.
Rather than stepping away from music, she has found another way to create. Kyllikki records her vocals in a homemade booth built into a corner wardrobe beside her bed, working whenever her body allows and resting when necessary. It is a practical adaptation to circumstances that would make many creative routines impossible, but it also reflects the determination that runs through her wider artistic journey.
Her partnership with Rynellton is central to that process. Kyllikki develops the vocal melodies and arrangements, often capturing early ideas in phone voice memos, while her husband builds the instrumentation around her creative direction and sometimes contributes to the songwriting. Together, they have established a way of working that allows the music to continue without relying on the resources or routines of a traditional studio environment.
That independent spirit has been part of Kyllikki’s career from the beginning. Working through their own label, Awe Inspiring Records, she has built an audience through personal songwriting, hands-on creative work, and a commitment to doing things on her own terms. Her debut album, Why Chapter One, reached the top of Amazon’s Hot 100 Pop Albums chart, while her single “Remind Me” received support from three-time Grammy Award-winning R&B artist Ne-Yo. Her music has also earned multiple top-ten radio chart placements, extensive media coverage, and millions of organic streams and video views.
Her DIY approach extends to her visuals, too. Kyllikki takes on creative direction, filming, editing, and promotional photography herself. Her music video for “I Struck Gold With You”, made in her living room using basic lighting and an inexpensive selfie stick, went on to attract more than 2.1 million views. It is a striking example of how resourcefulness and a genuine connection with listeners can carry creative work beyond the limitations of a small production setup.
With “HUMAN”, that determination takes on an even wider purpose. The single is not simply a return to music after difficult health setbacks; it is a statement about continuing to create when circumstances make the process challenging, and about using that creativity to speak to something bigger than personal experience.
The track leads into Kyllikki’s forthcoming second album, FREE-SPIRITED, now scheduled for 2027. In the meantime, “HUMAN” stands as a bold introduction to that next chapter, showing an artist willing to stretch her sound while remaining committed to the values that guide her songwriting. The single is available across major streaming and download platforms, excluding Spotify, which Kyllikki has chosen not to use as part of her stance on the treatment of independent artists.
Ultimately, “HUMAN” works because its ambition is matched by a clear emotional purpose. The techno-house energy brings movement, the soulful vocals deliver the feeling, and the message asks listeners to think beyond division. TaniA Kyllikki and Rynellton have taken an unexpected idea and turned it into a powerful reminder that music can entertain, challenge, and encourage us to treat one another with greater understanding. In a world that often seems determined to highlight our differences, that is a message worth dancing to.
TaniA Kyllikki turns a call for unity into a bold techno-house soul anthem on ‘HUMAN’
TaniA Kyllikki: Instagram
