For all of you fellow booktok people out there, you are absolutely sleeping on Arankai if you haven’t heard of this artist already. My body was READY to dive in and examine their latest single titled, “I Hope It Hurts” and it honestly pains me to say that we have to wait just a little bit longer for the full release.
Arankai or IAmArankai (founded and fronted by their singer, Oscar) originated from Wisconsin and has heavily grown their online presence since their founding in 2022. Oscar initially grew his online presence on Tiktok and is a former bassist / backup vocalist for Archers.
Their genre falls under the umbrella of modern alternative metal with added twists of hip hop alongside heavy djent influences to their music. The instrumentals carry an ethereal quality, adding sonic depth and atmosphere to the track’s intimate vibe. For fans of Sleep Token, Bring Me The Horizon, and Bad Omens— Arankai leans heavily into that category and is definitely more than worth the listen.
Their latest release tracks pretty solid with the sound from their last album, A Portrait Red. "I Hope It Hurts" has heavy emotional pulls tying in elements of depression, resentment, and even hatred, quite easily setting the mood for their next upcoming album titled, "The Shape of Blue".
We all get what we deserve— So may you live and learn but God, I hope it hurts.
I personally believe that’s the one thing that has always drawn me to Arankai, with the deep emotional ties and stories that they tell through each album— and every release tends to tell a different story. One of my favorite previous releases that he’s done by far is “Contortionist”, which touched on the topic of taking the upper hand in a toxic relationship.
Arankai is quickly on the rise, with followings online surpassing 500k followers and is rapidly growing. The Shape of Blue is set to release just before Halloween on October 30th, 2026. If you haven’t seen them yet, you’ll be able to catch them live on tour this fall with headliner, Catch Your Breath during their US dates alongside supporting acts TX2 and Colorblind.
