Meet the 29 -year -old Filipino singer-songwriter, whose new single ‘Heartbeat On Me’ brings us a beautiful blend of Pop and R&B, with lyrics that speak to the soul.
The LA based artist- who was born in Manila, the Philippines, has been surrounded by music from a young age. With her first single ‘Circles’ released in 2017 and her first full length album See Me in 2019, Kiana V’s unique sound has been un-surprisingly well received. Kiana V has surpassed over 20 million streams on Spotify and the music video to her track ‘Does she Know’ exceeded 1 million views on YouTube. After making the big move to LA during the pandemic, Kiana V took complete control of her own creativity, and the sound of her tracks totally transformed. In this unprecedented time of lockdowns and loneliness, the artist took the time to create a soulful and introspective sound accompanied by intimate lyrics, in her 2021 EP Dazed. Her most recent release ‘Heartbeat on Me’ explores the experience of falling in love and the all-consuming emotions that come with it. It speaks on the fear of being hurt and the dread of a possible unrequited love that we can all relate to when opening our heart to someone new.
Kiana V speaks to Voir, covering all things culture, fashion, and the creative process behind her amazing new single ‘Heartbeat On Me.’
Can you talk us through a typical day in your life?
I usually get up at around 7am and my morning routine consists of morning meditations, making myself a cup of coffee, walking my dog, and doing my vocal exercises. I then go into a quick workout to set my mood for the day before diving into work. Work can either mean meetings, editing photos, answering interviews, or recording tiny-desk style sets for online shows. If it’s an errand day, I get up earlier, but if it’s a studio day I let myself sleep in, just so I’m relaxed and well-rested. I also make sure to write or journal at least one hour a day as well as read for at least an hour in the evening, just trying to keep my soul alive.
When did you realise you wanted to pursue a career in the music industry?
I spent a summer in London after college and while I was there, I experienced writing and recording with a few new friends, all just for fun. The freedom to express myself without any pressure really sparked something in me. I had always wondered if I would find my way to music, I guess I just had to leave my comfort zone to make the decision for myself.
We love your style, and we noticed your design sketches on your Instagram highlights, have you got a background in fashion?
Thank you! Yes, actually. I studied fashion design in college and took some short courses at Central Saint Martin’s afterwards. One of my biggest dreams is to start my own label. Every once in a while, I’ll make something for myself though. I draped and sewed the dress I was wearing on the cover of my Dazed EP right before we shot it.
That’s so cool, we loved that dress! How would you describe your fashion style? Do you have any style icons?
I’d say my style changes depending on my mood. I really do love marrying feminine and masculine silhouettes though! My list of style icons includes Zoe Kravitz, Rihanna, and Bella Hadid.
Having been born and raised in the Philippines, how has the culture influenced your creative choices?
When I’ve been back to Manila for the holidays, I had to quarantine in a hotel for 5 days. From up in my hotel room, all I could really do was observe our culture from afar. I admired the drum parade that took place every day at around four pm, the outdoor dance classes leading into the evening, the vibrant colours in the form of streamers and jeeps and tricycles. It hit me then that all these seemingly ordinary, everyday occurrences are so much livelier and striking to a foreign eye. I think that aspect of the Filipino spirit, the yearning for community and celebration, and the balance between traditional and modern really drive my choices, from the accessories I wear to the music I’m drawn to.
You’ve collaborated with artists, including Jesse Barrera for your EP Dazed. What’s been the biggest take- away from working with other creatives?
There’s just so much to learn! Everyone has a different way of doing and viewing things and it’s just fascinating to witness how one person’s creative process can impact another’s.
In ‘How Do I?’ we were invited to delve deep into your mind. The lyrics, ‘I need to be mine. If I can’t love myself, how do I love you?’ spoke to us about the importance of self-love within a relationship. Can you talk us through your personal journey with self-love and acceptance?
For a long time, I didn’t know how to set boundaries and I was just this very adaptable person. It was normal for me to transform myself drastically depending on who I was around. This can sometimes be an advantage, but I did it so often that I lost my true self trying to please everyone else. When I wrote How Do I, it was during a time that I had become aware of the toxic behaviours I had been perpetuating and the struggle to remember my own identity. What I’ve come to realize is you really can’t rush self-love and acceptance. You can actively and intentionally work on it, but ultimately everyone’s timeline is different. Some days seem hopeless, and some seem limitless, but I really am falling in love with this journey of meeting and bettering myself.
Which of your songs means the most to you and why?
How Do I! When I wrote it, I just felt so honest and so vulnerable. It’s a true reflection of what I was dealing with at the time, insecurity, uncertainty and yet self-awareness and growth as well
Your new single, ‘Heartbeat on Me’ delves into the emotions that a new relationship can bring, what inspired this?
When I arrived at the studio, we really didn’t know what we were going to come up with that night. I have this habit of sending Jesse voice notes of verses that I write and so we had a couple options. I think being in the room together, Jesse, Albert Posis and I just wanted to have fun and our excitement to be working on something new manifested itself into this song.
What was your creative process for ‘Heartbeat on Me’ and has it changed over the years?
I wrote the chorus first, which isn’t something I always do. I usually start with the first verse and then see where that takes me, but my dear friend Marcus Davis gave me the advice to try building a hook or chorus first. When I was set on the chorus, I sent over a voice note to Jesse Barrera and we zoned in on it when we got in the studio. It all happened so fast really, as he and Albert started building the track, I dove into the melody and the lyrics. It’s all so new to me since in the past I’ve gone over to Jesse’s with a finished acapella song for him to interpret. I was definitely more confident in the studio this time around and spoke up about where I wanted to take the production, I guess that says a lot about how my collaborators’ energies impacted me.
And finally, what can we except to see next from Kiana V?
Every time I release something new, I feel like I’m only just getting started. So, one thing I can promise is a whole lot of music. In March I’ll be playing at SxSW in Austin and I’m so excited to be back on stage playing live music and meeting new people. For more updates you can check out my website and socials
Words by Lucy Rosenberg
Header Image: Kiana V
