KIANA is an amazing singer and songwriter from Toronto, whose R&B proposal takes the road less traveled. Her feathery vocal delivery, coupled with a musicalization that borders on the experimental, uses its otherworldly and progressive textures to mesmerize you, while the more familiar aspects of the genre encapsulate nostalgia and a deep reverence for its long and rich history.
KIANA’s newest song is called “Chaos” and it marks a before and after moment in her life, a moment when she realized that sometimes self-criticism needs to be laid down to pick oneself back up. The process of learning this lesson was painful -as most valuable lessons can often be- but out of this pain arises a certain beauty and maturity that makes it all worth it.
For a song titled as such, “Chaos” is a remarkably organized and deliberate piece, where no single note is wasted or misplaced, this contradiction runs even deeper, when the minimalist ambient track slowly blooms into a kaleidoscopic cloud that reconciles a trippy psychedelic space journey with all the sensual velvet-ness of classic R&B/Soul harmonies, largely facilitated by some truly beautiful work on the electronic organ and the synths.
The track is basically a two-parter piece that walks us through the mind of Kiana. At first the music is as floaty and nebulous as can be, inviting us to dive deep into the warm waters of Kiana’s angelic vocals and her enigmatic soundscape.The lyrics in this part (Side A) are more emotionally charged, reflecting on feelings of frustration and dissatisfaction with a relationship, where as the second part (Side B) steps back a little bit into other of Kiana’s personal experiences.
This song itself is largely about breaking up and learning about oneself in the process through introspection and even self-criticism. This is where the “Chaos” comes from, because in the emotional turmoil that springs from such a situation it may be difficult to make heads or tails of your own feelings. KIANA herself explains it as such,“The way I view it, during moments of conflict or when you get your heart broken, you become defensive in order to protect yourself, and your emotions are extremely heightened. This represents Side A. And after time passes, the way you once felt begins to change and you bring it back to yourself. You acknowledge what you’re willing to accept, the type of lover you are, and that you’re not always to blame for damage caused. This represents Side B.”
With over half a million world-wide streams and airtime in local Toronto radio station such as Flow 93.5 FM and Vibe 105.5 FM, KIANA is steadily growing an audience for her warm and entrancing sound. This particular song I found had a very impactful and unique sound that’s definitely worthy of continued exploration. I think “Chaos” can be a great building block moving forward for her from now on, as I think it’s got a very clear identity on top of all the mesmerizing qualities I mentioned before. Let’s hope it’s not long until we get to see some more from this very promising talent.
Story: Samuel Aponte Photos: Courtesy of the artist
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