Los Angeles-based artist KIA emerges onto the music scene with a compelling blend of alternative R&B and neo-soul. Having grown up in The Netherlands, the half Dutch and half Indonesian singer/songwriter infuses her sound with a plethora of textures and emotions to perfectly capture the story behind her lyrics.
Her latest single “Okay, Alright” is off of her upcoming EP, Retrospect, which shows KIA returning to the end of a previous relationship and reflecting on how it wasn’t good for her. As she delves into her past, she turns loss, anger, confusion and sadness into acceptance, ultimately allowing herself to be open and vulnerable in meeting new people again.
“Okay, Alright” specifically details when KIA was still in this unhealthy relationship, questioning where things went south and trying to fix what was most likely already gone in the first place. Weaving authenticity and raw emotion into everything she does, the songwriter shares, “We used real recorded rain sounds when it was pouring in LA to set a mood, as well as some video game sounds that took me back to a moment in life where I felt smaller. There are subtle sound effects on the vocals that represent my deep, introspective thoughts.”
Beyond solo projects, KIA’s music has been featured in movies on major streaming platforms including Netflix and Hulu, as well as in theaters across the U.S. and Europe. Over the last few years KIA has received both the NAMM President’s Innovation Award and the Ultimate Music Awards for Best Single-Pop of the Year and Best Female Artist of the Year. She was a top finalist at the IMSTA Songwriting Competition, the UK Songwriting Competition, won honorable mention at the International Songwriting Competition (ISC) and recently won the weekly John Lennon Songwriting Contest.
2024 is set to be an exciting year for this artist on the rise. Stay tuned for more from KIA.
You can connect with KIA on Instagram @kiaknoester, Facebook @KIAmusicofficial, TikTok @kiaknoester and Twitter @kiaknoester
