Kia Rose is a rising star in the music industry and her latest single “I Wanna Be Famous” is proof of her immense talent. With her unique mix of pop, R&B, and jazz, she brings a new sound to listeners straight from her own life experiences.
Her voice is captivating and her original takes are refreshingly different from other artists on the scene. It’s clear from this track that Kia Rose is here to stay as a musical powerhouse.
Since releasing her debut album ‘Phase’ last year, Kia has had over 200K streams across and loads of media coverage – so yeah, she’s killin’ it. Paul Reed Smith Guitars and Spotify have given some major love but it doesn’t stop there as iHeartRadio’s also thrown in their support for this up-and-coming musical boss! This girl’s ready to take center stage – Kia Rose is here to stay.
21-year-old Kia is definitely making her mark in the music industry right about now and we couldn’t miss the opportunity to have a little chat with her, she shares a little bit about herself and her work. Let’s see what she has to say!
WELCOME KIA! HOW ARE YOU DOING? IT’S AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU WITH US TODAY.
I’m doing great! I’m so stoked to have the opportunity to talk about my music with you guys!
TELL US AND OUR READERS A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHO IS KIA ROSE?
Well, I’m a 21-year-old singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Toronto. I go to Humber College for Jazz guitar and am a PRS Guitars artist. Both my parents play instruments and got me into piano when I was 4, guitar at 7, and writing songs by 10. I just haven’t stopped playing music since.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO GET INTO MUSIC?
I don’t think I can pinpoint a singular moment that inspired me to be a musician. I’ve just always felt that it’s who I’m meant to be. The earliest vivid memory I have is when I got my first electric guitar and tried to play along to the whole School of Rock movie cause I thought Jack Black was a rock n roll god.
It can be hard to explain to people who don’t know what they want to do even after they finish college, but I never had a backup plan. Music has been my purpose and passion since I can remember.
YOUR LATEST SINGLE IS I WANNA BE FAMOUS, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT IT?
All my recent tracks have to do with some sort of addiction. I started with the idea of addiction to validation for this one. It’s also about not wanting to lose yourself in the race to find success. It’s personal to me as a musician but also something a lot of people struggle with these days. I’m a big fan of ironic lyrics and songs that are self-aware so that’s really what “I Wanna Be Famous” is all about.
I WANNA BE FAMOUS REPRESENTS THE THIRST FOR PEOPLE’S APPROVAL. DURING YOUR MUSICAL PATH, WAS THERE ANY PARTICULAR EXPERIENCE THAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS SINGLE?
The thing about the entertainment industry is that it’s all about getting people to like you. Whether it’s people you want to work with or people that listen to your music, there’s always someone you need to impress. There have been times I’ve had to catch myself playing stuff that I didn’t want to or making songs that weren’t true to me because I wanted to be a people pleaser. I used to straighten my hair, use a filter and limit my facial expressions on my guitar-playing videos because I thought that’s what other people wanted to see. Now I’m beginning to realize that the only fulfilling, (and honestly therapeutic), way to do this is creating music that is authentic and vulnerable at its core. You can only hope that people will like what you present to the world without them asking.
WHAT WAS THE MUSICAL PROCESS BEHIND I WANNA BE FAMOUS?
I co-wrote this track with a great friend of mine who also happens to be one of the most talented producers out there, Kayla Diamond. We had just written “DrUgS + cAnDy” the day before and didn’t think we’d be able to write something better… but then came this song. Sometimes when you get in the studio with someone, it just clicks. You guys are on the same wavelength and magic happens. It only took us about an hour to write the song and another hour to track it. It was barebones and just had vocals, keys, and percussion made from my acoustic. The hardest part was coming up with the bassline. I wanted something really funky and punchy so we ended up doubling the bass to give it that snap.
I READ YOU WERE RECRUITED TO PLAY THE GUITAR IN THE TONY AWARD-WINNING SHOW “SIX”. HOW IS IT WORKING AT THE ROYAL ALEXANDRA THEATRE?
Honestly, I still can’t believe I was chosen to be a part of SIX. It’s surreal since I’ve never done musical theatre work before, (and I’m pretty sure I’m the youngest by a long shot haha). It’s overwhelming and I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity to be around such talented individuals on an iconic stage. Anywhere I can do what I love while also learning is the best gift I could ever get.
YOU STRUGGLE A LOT WITH YOUR GENDER AND RACIAL IDENTITY. COULD YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE, AND HOW HAS THAT AFFECTED YOUR LIFE AND WORK?
As someone mixed, I’ve gotten weird looks and questions when I was younger, especially being with my dad cause we aren’t the same skin color. I always felt a bit strange hanging out with just fair-skinned people or just dark-skinned people. There’s always some part of me that feels like I shouldn’t be there because I’m not totally like them.
I’m new to this gender-questioning thing as it’s really only been a year since I’ve changed my hair and clothes. I was raised Christian so I was never exposed to any of this stuff. I always knew something was different about me, but I never knew exactly what. I only knew that I shouldn’t want to wear boy clothes or make people question if I am a girl or a boy. It would be a lot easier if I knew what I was so people would stop judging me because of their preconceptions. I would be lying if I didn’t say I wish I looked normal enough to just be recognized for being a good musician without my gender playing a factor in what people think.
I’ve had a lot of experience with people judging me and questioning my identity within myself. Going through these things made me grow as a person because I’ve had to accept what I can’t control and learn that just because others don’t accept me doesn’t mean I shouldn’t accept myself. It’s not something I would wish on anyone else, but I am grateful for my experience because any experience can be turned into a song.
LOOKING AT YOUR UPCOMING RELEASES, THEY ALL HAVE SOME TYPE OF ADDICTION TIED TO THEM. IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR REASON FOR THAT?
I love to connect songs that seem starkly different until you listen closely. I have so many different interests musically and I don’t want to put myself in a box genre-wise, so I figure why not connect my songs in a different way. I chose a topic that is personal to me but also personal to a lot of people. We all have our addictions whether we choose to admit it or not. I wanted to use these songs to confess my addictions and hopefully relate to anyone struggling with the same things.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING IN THE WORKS RIGHT NOW? CAN YOU GIVE US A SNEAK PEEK?
I’m never NOT writing songs. I’ve released a lot of singles in the past 6 months and they all do have the same overarching theme. I’d say it’s about time that I drop something a little lengthier…
THANK YOU, KIA FOR SHARING WITH US! ANYTHING ELSE YOU WISH TO SAY TO YOUR FANS?
I just want to thank you again for giving me this opportunity to share my music and thoughts with you today!
I want to end by saying I hope that my music can make just 1 person’s ear perk up and brighten up their day. Whether it’s because they can relate to its message or feel inspired to create and play music themselves.
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