Queen of Hearts
Press Release
Press Photos by Seth Celdran
Austin, TX — On December 12th, Karima Santi released Queen of Hearts, the second single from her upcoming EP titled Royale.
Santi’s music masterfully intertwines soft rock, quiet storm r&b, and triphop soundscapes; blending modern influences from Faye Webster to Clairo; and vintage influences ranging from Portishead to Sade.
Queen of Hearts pulls listeners into a romantic world of intrigue, ethereal soundscapes, and cinematic imagery. The single follows up House of Cards which premiered on Sun Radio and The Austin Chronicle.
Nigerien-American singer-songwriter Karima Santi—a grantee of Austin’s Live Music Fund—self-produced and recorded Queen of Hearts in Austin using 100% local talent.
The song began taking shape after Santi hired Texas State-trained jazz guitarist Ibra Martinez (guitar, synths, programming, additional production) for a gig; resulting in the two striking up a creative partnership and recording an entire EP in Santi’s home studio.
The song features other local talent including Austin Sisler (mixing engineer, Texas State alum), Taylor Turner (bass, UT Butler alum), and Max Lorenzen (mastering).
The single blends together triphop, soft rock, and indie pop while diving into Santi’s world of romance and intrigue, and marks her evolution as both songwriter and producer.
Building on the success of her 2024 EP Queen of Regret which has racked up thousands of streams and garnered radio play on KUTX, KZSM, and KROX—Santi is slated to release her next EP Royale in early 2026.
