EXCLUSIVE: A Walk Inside Kiana V's Mind That's Full Of Creativity And The Courage To Be Vulnerable
The singer-songwriter talks about the creative process behind her newest single, "Dazed," and what being a musician is like for her
Stepping into Kiana Valenciano's world is an interesting journey.
You'll find yourself in a place that's equal parts black and white, where you feel the push and pull of confidence and vulnerability and sense the invisible strength of music. She's an interesting artist, but more so as a person; though she's "showbiz royalty," being the daughter of one of the country's most accomplished musical acts and all, she much prefers to grow into her own and be appreciated independently of the influences of others.
This dream to establish herself as an artist with her own identity and path has been a great motivator for her to create new pieces of work. With a handful of singles filling up her portfolio since 2016, she's gotten better and better; time has gifted her with life experiences that have translated to more stories to tell, self-reflection has made her songwriting more authentic, plus, current circumstances have fueled her creative juices and pushed her to go to places in her mind previously left unexplored.
With the release of her newest single, "Dazed," that speaks of all these and more, Kiana Valenciano guests on Kumu's FYE Channel for an exclusive Metro Chats interview, to talk more about her latest milestone. She also shared with us how the pandemic has played a role in her development as an artist, the unheard truth of music's healing power in her life, plus all the wonderful things she put into creating "Dazed."
Below are the highlights of Kiana Valenciano's exclusive Metro Chats interview on Kumu's FYE channel:
Kiana V on Metro Chats
Kiana V on Metro Chats
All about her newest song "Dazed"
Kiana has been releasing original music since 2016, but it's only with her recent work from 2019 onwards that she's found a groove that works for her, and her growing fanbase. The whole process of experimenting with sounds and words, and the trippy combo of the two, is part of being a young artist and she's loved every second of it. This year, she treats us to her newest single "Dazed," a song that reflects "a period when there was a lot of uncertainty," she says, adding, "I needed to reintroduce myself to people and myself... It's a song about that internal struggle when you're trying to do better and be better, or see yourself under a better light. You're fighting all the negative self-talk." It was a tough song to complete, what with Kiana starting off the first half on a plane trip, the second half a year later under quarantine, and the chorus when she was finally back in the studio some time after.
Movement interpretation
"I wanted to tell the story and express myself further," Kiana shares as she explains why she decided to attach more content to the release of "Dazed." It's not just a song, but a whole show that includes movement and visuals. "It was a good way to expand my awareness and really learn more about myself, my body, my way of thinking and all of these things," she describes. Kiana collaborated with Nude Floor, a dance studio that pretty much teaches you to be comfortable in your own body to allow yourself to bring out what's inside through the power of movement (not just dance, per se!).
Mental health
In case you missed it, Kiana actually lives in both Manila and LA. She shuffles back and forth depending on where her projects take her, and her experiences in both cities have helped shape her opinions on today's most relevant matters. We asked her about mental health and how the US and the Philippines handle the topic, especially because of how important it's become during the pandemic. She says, "The fight for mental health is a little more aggressive... Here, I think, mental health is incorporated into everything, into work, they have mental health breaks, they just have this way of fighting for everyone's mental health. Eventually, I think the Philippines will catch up with that." Slow as the progress has been in the country, Kiana believes Filipinos are on the right track just by being more open to talking about it.
Pandemic difficulties
She definitely wasn't immune to the troubles that the pandemic brought, but the silver lining to all of that is that she had a lot of time for self-reflection. Time to be with yourself (and be comfortable being alone with yourself) is something she believes some people take for granted. Speaking for herself, Kiana gets candid about her own mental health challenges with diagnosed depression and anxiety. "Because I got stuck in the States last year, I ran out of my medication and my days were very on and off. That was my main challenge in 2020 - trying to keep myself in check, not have my emotions run my life... It was definitely very hard," she describes. Her support system has been the absolute best resource for her to cope with these times, and it includes her family, her boyfriend and his family, too.
Music as therapy
When you talk "therapy" for mental health concerns, it doesn't always mean having to sit in a clinic with a therapist to discuss problems. It can mean finding any safe and healthy medium to allow emotions and thoughts to flow freely without judgement (not even from yourself), and for Kiana, she found this respite in music. "The writing process, the creative process, it stimulates my brain and my mind and it brings me so much joy to be collaborating with so many artists," she tells us. She's definitely convinced that the creative process behind finalizing a song is where she feels her best. For her newest material, she recorded most of it in LA with the help of a friend who has an amazing home studio setup. She admits to doing everything "DIY" for now, but that personal touch brings so much personality and truthfulness to her songs. "These are songs that come from my experiences, my past. These are based on my story. To share that with the world is both exciting and nerve-wracking because you never know how the world is going to take that... That puts you in a very, very vulnerable spot, of course," she shares.
Current music faves
Jazz will never not be on Kiana's playlists, first and foremost. Classics are every day music fare for her, but that's topped off by Frank Ocean, The Zombies Hope Tala, Moses Sumney, and a bunch of other soul artists. It's impossible to pin down what kind of music influences her the most (and therefore what kind of musician she is, exactly), but she's definitely in love with people who aren't afraid to get emotional and create sounds that feel more like whole atmospheres that envelope you when you hit play rather than just catchy tunes.
Treating fans out
Kiana is one of the few artists out there who have gone out of their way to cultivate a personal connection with their fans. For Kiana, this means treating them to super exclusive interactions with Kiana - including being part of a group chat with Kiana in it where they can have a safe space to connect with friends for support. Kiana says that she appreciates when people reach out to her because of the misconception that ordinary folks can't reach out to celebrities, and it truly makes a difference when she gets the chance to have a conversation with her biggest supporters. She's having a listening party with some of her fans for "Dazed," too!
Watch the movement and lyric videos for "Dazed" below:
Listen to her other material on all music streaming platforms and get updated on Kiana's latest projects on her social media and website, kianavee.com.
Photos from @kianavee
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