Review: Heartbeat by REYNA
By Julia Tomlinson
Hailing from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mexican-American pop duo REYNA ( a modern spelling of the Spanish word reina meaning queen) have been taking the indie pop music scene by storm. The sisters, Victoriah and Hannah Gabriela Banuelos, have been making music together since their childhood, and have gone on to become a popular favorite for many alt-pop fans. Formerly known as Vic and Gab, the siblings rebranded themselves into to REYNA in late 2015. The power duo has been gaining well deserved popularity, impressively opening for many well-known artists such as Kesha, Death Cab for Cutie and CHVRCHES. REYNA has also been represented in Billboard’s recent article, “12 Musicians to Discover During LGBTQ Pride Month”.
REYNA has been climbing the charts and taking the indie pop music scene by storm, accumulating over 109,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and over 2,000,000 streams on their 2018 single, “Matinee”. REYNA’s most recent single release titled “Heartbeat” showcases the group’s bubbly soda-pop sound blended beautifully with an energetic alternative synth infused beat. The song shows the struggle between reminiscing over a summer love fading all too quickly, while balancing the desire to cling onto the memories of the sound of a lover’s heartbeat. Anyone who knows what it’s like to feel a relationship coming to an end can relate to the lines, “Every single heartbeat/ When you're not around me got me feeling empty /Every single heartbeat/ Living in my memory coming back to haunt me /I can't get over you/ I can't get over you”. The melodic tune of the “Heartbeat” is in huge contrast to the brokenhearted, emotionally driven lyrics, making it all the more bittersweet.
“Heartbeat” is but a glimpse into the potential these two talented young women have already gifted to the music world over the years. We can’t wait to see what else Victoriah and Gabriela have in store for fans and new listeners.
