| "35" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byKa Hao featuringRob Ruha | ||||
| from the album Ka Hao: One Tira, One Voice | ||||
| Released | 3 September 2021 (2021-09-03)[1] | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 3:20 | |||
| Label | InDigiNation Music | |||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| Producer | Dan Martin | |||
| Ka Hao featuringRob Ruha singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "35" onYouTube | ||||
"35" is a song by New Zealand youth choirKa Hao featuring musicianRob Ruha. "35" was the group's first single, and preceded the release of their debut albumKa Hao: One Tira, One Voice. The song, performed primarily inMāori, was a sleeper hit, first entering theNew Zealand Singles Chart inTe Wiki o te Reo Māori in September 2021 and peaking at number 12 in November. "35", alongside New Zealand bandSix60's song "Pepeha" (also released in 2021), are the best performing songs sung in Māori sinceStan Walker's "Aotearoa" (2014).
The Ka Hao youth choir formed in 2019, performing concerts for the Tairāwhiti Arts Festival, and in 2020 took part in Mōhau, an album of gospel songs sung in Māori which won the Mana Reo Award at the2020 Aotearoa Music Awards.[2] "35" was the group's debut single.[3]
The title "35" is a reference toState Highway 35, the road that connects the coastal towns ofTe Tairāwhiti, connecting the easternBay of Plenty toGisborne.[4] The song was inspired by Rob Ruha's single "Kalega". The group wanted to write an anthem similar to "Kalega", but to represent all of the communities along the east coast.[5]
The song's music video was produced by Abe Mora,[5] and was released on 3 September, coinciding with the single's release.[6] The video features the members of the choir and Rob Ruha wearing sport hoodies that show the state highway's logo,[7] while they watch videos of their own adventures on the east coast of New Zealand.[5]
The song was released to coincide withTe Wiki o te Reo Māori, and was one of the 27 songs produced for the 2021 Waiata Anthems Week, a project to promote popular music sung in Māori.[8] The song first gained popularity during the week when it was used for a popular dance onTikTok.[9] The song became internationally popular in November 2021,[10] particularly amongAfrican American and indigenous communities.[11]
The song entered theNew Zealand Singles Chart in September 2021, peaking two months later in November 2021.[12] Between September 2021 and March 2022, the song spent 25 weeks in the top 40.[12] It became the second best performing song of 2021 sung in Te Reo, behindSix60's song "Pepeha".[13] The song was certified gold in New Zealand in November 2021,[14] and platinum by January 2022.[15] Alongside "Pepeha" (which also received a platinum certification),[16] these were the first songs sung in Te Reo to receive a certification since "Kia Mau Ki Tō Ūkaipō", the Māori language version of Six60's "Don't Forget Your Roots" in 2020,[17] andStan Walker's "Aotearoa" in 2015.[18]
The song won the grand prize at the 2022APRA Awards.[19] The song was performed during the awards ceremony byStan Walker andHamo Dell.[20]
Credits adapted fromTidal.[21]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[15] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||