Rinesa Qeriqi, the Prishtina-born singer, songwriter and artist known as Rinesancë, has died at 25.

Her death was announced on the morning of Friday, October 23. She had been living in Toronto, where she was being treated for a brain tumor diagnosed in 2025.

Qeriqi grew up in Prishtina and moved to Canada, where she studied Art and Design at George Brown College while working part-time and building her music career.

She first drew attention online with hip-hop and R&B covers and an original freestyle on YouTube, which together passed half a million views in under three months. Her album “Yours Truly” was praised for its raw, personal writing about love, home and the nostalgia of life abroad.

Before her music took off, she modeled for campaigns and appeared in music videos, including one by Alban Skënderaj. She was later featured in DAZED MENA, in a piece on artists finding their voice as immigrants.

In April 2025, she underwent two surgeries at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, followed by radiation therapy, and put her studies and music on hold. A fundraiser for her treatment drew support from fans across the diaspora. This summer, scans showed the tumor had grown, and she began chemotherapy.

Funeral details have not yet been announced.