Interview: “7 minutes” with Keoni Usi on Intertwining Memories & Emotions into His Debut Album
- Aliyah Hinckley
- Jul 19
- 9 min read
Updated: Sep 8
Imagine seeing or hearing the sounds from your most meaningful memories flash before you. There’s a theory that in the final seven minutes of life, after dying, your brain replays the most pivotal moments you've ever experienced. For indie R&B singer-songwriter Keoni Usi, that idea became the heartbeat of his eight-track debut album 7 MIN.—with the last track “7 minutes” combining all of the themes and sonics.
Usi began releasing music in 2024. A Filipino-Hawaiian artist, he wasn’t always a singer—his brother, Kekoa Usi, was the one who encouraged him to pursue music. Usi has a laid-back personality, creating music he enjoys while following what feels right creatively. His songs carry emotion not just in the lyrics but in the carefully chosen instrumentals and beats that bring each track to life. With every listen, you can feel what he’s expressing, making his music easy to connect with on a personal level.
Still early in both life and his music career, Usi admits he’s not sure what would replay in his own final seven minutes. But he knew which memories—and emotions—felt right to share with the world in this first project. “To be honest, I’ve been experiencing some pretty good things,” Usi said. “I'm slightly delusional, so the way I look at it sometimes is that yesterday doesn't matter, tomorrow doesn't exist, so I can't really pinpoint a moment that sticks to me.” He’s more about being in the present.
He’s at the start of his music career, performing live for the first time to new audiences and celebrating the release of his debut album. Scrolling through TikTok, you might catch him singing people to sleep—in a good way—with his soothing songs and covers. It’s all part of his effort to share his music and connect with new fans, like many artists do today. But every step he takes—every show, every late-night recording session, and every laugh shared with people he loves—is adding to a collection of small, meaningful moments that might one day make the cut. “Every experience I’ve had with friends, family, and my dog are all pretty damn cool,” he said.
With 7 MIN. out in the world for some time now, Mido had the chance to ask Usi some questions about his debut album.
As each song ends, you’re carried into a new memory, each with its own mood, emotion, or story. From “LOVING U” to “D.A.T.T,” 7 MIN. plays like a flipbook of Usi’s internal scrapbook of chapters, moving through moments of love, heartbreak, loss, growth, and reflection, all coming together in the final track, “7 minutes.” Whether these moments were lived or observed, they all hold personal weight. When Usi was building this album, deciding which moments in life were “seven-minute worthy,” well, “it was all just a perspective thing," Usi said. "I just chose events that I thought, in my opinion, were pivotal. I was always kinda watching everything from an outside perspective, and I may have acted like an airhead, but I take note and remember everything.” Beneath the surface is someone deeply observant, curating the details of life.
The album opens with “LOVING U,” a sweet love confession: “I’ve been so in love, in love, in love, I forget this world with you,” Usi sings softly over the acoustic guitar, which carries the first 20 seconds before transitioning into electric guitar and dreamy, bright chimes hitting each beat throughout the track. “Cause you, cause you, cause you made me forget the world, forget about this world.” It’s the kind of love that pulls you in completely, where the rest of the world slips away.
Each track fades like a memory, ending in silence before turning the page to the next chapter. One lyric that stood out to him from the album is “Blind leading blind” from the track “stevie wonder.” This phrase and song capture how people often mimic behaviors they’ve observed and then display them in their own lives. For example, one lyric addresses growing up without witnessing affection between parents, which can lead to the suppression of feelings. The song explores the pain of these unexpressed emotions, as well as the deep longing not only to be truly seen and heard but also to find genuine connection. The third track on the album, “convenience,” captures the painful feeling of believing you’re a burden.
The R&B singer is just beginning his music career, and like the main character in The Truman Show, there’s a sense of navigating life under a spotlight. In the film, Truman is unaware that his world is controlled and watched, yet he still searches for happiness within it. In Usi’s song “TRUMAN SHOW,” he sings, “he doesn’t know better, he only knows what he sees.” While this could reflect his past or something he’s witnessed, it can be interpreted now as he grows in his music journey and remains grounded in his authentic self. As he puts it, “It's exactly what the words say in the song. No one knows what they haven’t seen. Every person is navigating life for the first time, so understanding that, it allows life to be more of a journey of trial and error rather than a chase after comparison.” It’s a reminder that, even when we’re tempted to compare ourselves to others, we’re all on different paths, moving at our own pace.
As Usi continues to grow in his music career, he was asked whether he ever feels like he’s living in his own version of The Truman Show—and how he stays grounded while striving for happiness, especially for those who might struggle with it. He answered, “I personally don't think it's that hard to stay grounded. I think it actually takes more energy to be full of yourself. I think knowing that I didn't grow up wanting to be an artist allows me to look at it from a perspective knowing this is a blessing. I've always just wanted to talk to people and make them feel heard. To stay grounded and happy, man, you just got to be around people you love and pursue things you love and the rest will follow.”
“dads old accord” serves as a nostalgic interlude on the album, with its stripped-down, piano-driven arrangement highlighting the song’s emotional vulnerability. The minimal production allows space for reflection, underscoring the quiet, inevitable shifts that come with time. “Now I drive by that old driveway,” Usi sings, capturing the bittersweet ache of growing up and drifting away from what once felt familiar. The song grapples with change and loss, yet finds comfort in what remains—like his father’s old car, no longer running, but still deeply symbolic. “But at least I have my dad’s old ride” becomes a powerful reminder of the past, a tangible thread of connection when everything else changes and feels distant.
Shifting the tone from “dads old accord” to the upbeat, faster-tempoed “pretty penny,” the song captures romance and a playful yet sincere attempt at commitment. Despite all the outside opinions and uncertainty, the heart of it is simple: just the two of them choosing each other.
In “D.A.T.T,” the track opens with a mellow guitar that continues to play steadily underneath as the song builds. The heartbreak of young love echoes through the lyrics and the subtle sonic dissonance. The lyrics “He’s drunk all the time when you’re around. He doesn’t drink but he’s drunk all the time,” repeat as layered electric guitar chords, reverb, and distorted sonics gradually intensify, capturing the dizzy, intoxicating feeling of being wrapped up in someone’s love. The song seems to trace the emotional high and eventual unraveling of love, slowly building toward chaos. That tension finally breaks at 2:28, when the music briefly drops into silence, then explodes into a climactic burst of crashing cymbals, pounding drums, and distorted guitar, closing the song with raw intensity.
“7 minutes” ties together everything from the previous seven songs—the highs and lows are reflected in the shifting tempo, moving from upbeat moments to slower, more somber sections. With lyrics, it feels like a reflective closing of all the chapters, embracing the journey, and going on.
The album—and music in general—has a way of stirring emotion and bringing memories back to life. When asked what memory he’d love to relive, Usi shared, “I think a lot of the good memories I have stimulate the same emotion for me, so honestly, shit if I can live the same life again the exact same way I would love that.”
Recently in Los Angeles, he opened for his friend RINI on the Somewhere In Time tour at The Regent on June 4. Later that month, he performed at NEXTWORLD Collective’s show on June 29 at The Paramount, joining a full lineup of Filipino artists. In between the larger performances, he did what he often does: played intimate, laid-back backyard and house shows with friends. No matter the setting, he’s always joined by his bandmates, helping bring everything together onstage.
Many of Usi’s live performances carry an intimate, personal, and chill vibe. So if he could create the perfect setting for his music to be performed live, what would that look like?
“An ideal scene for me is a dark room, my friends and I sitting in a circle while the crowd all sit around us. A couple of old lamps light up the room, everything is simple and feels like a home living room. Nothing but a space where everyone can feel something for an hour or two and not worry about anyone's feelings but their own and allow that to fill the room. That's my dream: setting a room where I can feel the meaning of what I am trying to do.”
You never know how people will respond to your art. Releasing music into the world is an act of vulnerability—putting your stories out there for anyone to hear, in the hope that someone might connect with them, feel less alone, or simply vibe with the sound. In a past interview, Usi shared that he once wished he could’ve added more to a song after seeing how deeply people connected with it.
So what has that experience taught him about trusting both his audience and himself during the creative process? “It's more of a journey, I trust my intuition and what I love to do,” the R&B singer said. “The complicated part was I was never disappointed in the result ever. The blessing in music and doing what you love is seeing the progression and knowing what you like and don't like. The first project I made was my journal entry with the very little resources and experience I had at the time. So I only wish I could do more because I’ve learned more.”
Music wasn’t the only thing Usi released with this project—he also dropped custom merch, including a line of beanies featuring the 7 MIN. logo. And he’s not slowing down anytime soon; he’s already back in the studio working on his next album. “Most of my music so far has been personal journal entries. I'm still in my first year of pursuing music, so it'll definitely get better with the more time I have in it.”
Usi taught himself three instruments and only officially began his journey as an artist about nine months ago. Since then, his growth has been steady and honest—and Mido is ready to hear what’s next. “I would say I am a fairly stubborn person, but I am caring, and I do get obsessive over things I enjoy,” Usi said. “I think being aware of the type of person I am has allowed me to be realistic with what I want from music and what I have to offer it the more I learn. It's also led me to the beautiful group of people I spend most of my time with and we all want to just serve music in the way we think is best. Everything in this journey is surprising but deserved. I don't think anything I have experienced or accomplished came from thin air. I just want to make cool music, meet some dope people around the world, and hopefully help some people get to where they really want to be in life.”
What was your favorite song off the 7 MIN. album? Are you ready for his next project? Let us know by leaving a comment below or by reaching out to us on Instagram or X.
Artist Facts
Name/Stage Name: Keoni Usi
Nationality: Filipino and Hawaiian
Zodiac Sign: Pisces
Fave Foods: Anything plain
Fave Drinks: Anything pineapple
Fave Movies: Black Panther, Get Out, The Visit, (“too many to choose from”-Keoni)
Day or Night?: Both
First Concert You Attended: Bruno Mars 24k Magic in Vegas
Song you’re most proud of: All of them
Edited by Martina Yee