Iranian-born, Toronto based R&B singer, KIANA, released the song, “wait on me” with artist Lou Celestino on October 28th.
On “Wait on Me”, KIANA uses her strong vocals to tell the story of a woman telling her lover not to wait for her because she has moved on from their relationship and Lou compliments her vocals telling her that he’s not ready to give up.
“This song is about letting go of someone you’re no good for and not ready for, and if you were to stick around – you know you’d end up breaking their heart, and that’s something you don’t want to be responsible for, ” KIANA says. It takes a lot of maturity to be able to walk away for the sake of someone else.”
Remixd Magazine had the opportunity to discuss “wait on me” with KIANA. Stay tuned to find out more about who she is as an artist and what other projects she has in store.
What city are you from/ Where are you based now?
Born in Iran, lived in the Netherlands until I was 6, and moved to Toronto where I currently reside.
How did you get your artist name?
Artist name: KIANA, real name: Kiana Jami (I don’t disclose this), artist name is reflection of my real name. I didn’t like my name very much growing up and wanted something that was considered more the “norm”, but I’ve grown to love my name and I can’t picture myself being named anything else. It suits me perfectly.
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?
Melancholic, emotional, uncomfortably comforting, a confrontation of thoughts we push away.
What’s one reason you are passionate about music and what inspires you?
There’s so much beauty in writing music and expressing your stories in a way that people can drive to, relax to, or cry to. Music is healing and it’s comforting. It’s practically medicine. There are so many artists that have been that for me, and I feel as though im fulfilling my purpose by being the same for others.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
Amy Winehouse has always been my greatest musical influence. My music isn’t the traditional R&B that sounds soft and sultry. It’s raspy and dark and complimented by a deep voice. Amy embraced this so perfectly and made me fall in love with my voice for the same reason.
Tell us the name of the project you are currently promoting? What inspired this project?
“wait on me” is a single featuring Montreal artist Lou Celestino. I recorded this in LA in a session with producers Eightsarewild & JRCHO, along with artist and writer Sainvil. This was my first time meeting Sainvil and I realized how insane his pen game is. He helped build this song and develop a strong melody that would get stuck with you.
What is this project about in your own words?
This song is about letting go of someone you’re no good for and not ready for, and if you were to stick around – you know you’d end up breaking their heart, and that’s something you don’t want to be responsible for. It takes a lot of maturity to be able to walk away for the sake of someone else.
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects we should be on the lookout for?
2023 I’m redefining my sound and what I want to represent in the music world. The music, the image and the story will change. You can expect new music featuring insanely talented artists and producers from different places i’ve been traveling to, and a lot of new content and collaborations.
To close off the year I’ll be playing Breaking Sound in LA on Dec 11th at Adults Only which will be my first performance outside of Canada!
What message do you hope fans take away from your music and from this project?
Fall in love with yourself.
With more love comes more understanding, acceptance and growth. I’ve made my best music and become my happiest once I fell in love with myself. Take full ownership and pride in every bit of you and embrace it to the fullest. & secondly, pain is temporary but breeds growth. Sometimes you have to sit through the uncomfortable feelings and heartbreaks because there is nothing else you can do. You have to trust that those uncomfortable emotions are only temporary but will teach you so many lessons about yourself.
Follow KIANA below:
@soundbykiana on all social media! All my links to new music, videos & upcoming shows are in my linktree: https://linktr.ee/soundbykiana
