Emerging from Hamilton, Ontario, KIARAA is carving her place in the music world with a genre-blurring sound that fuses pop, rock, dance, and disco. Her music reflects life’s highs and lows with raw, unapologetic emotion, designed to make listeners feel deeply and move boldly.
What sets KIARAA apart is her decision to launch her music career at 32, defying societal norms and proving that it’s never too late to chase your dreams. “The world may tell us there’s a timeline for dreams, but I refuse to believe that,” she boldly states. The journey hasn’t been easy. As a self-taught vocalist and pianist, KIARAA overcame self-doubt and embraced the challenges of teaching herself, growing through persistence and resilience.
Her career took flight last summer. On June 28th, KIARAA released, “Swim In Our Ocean,” followed by “Feel With Me.” The latter invites listeners into a realm of vulnerability, love, and connection. Recently, she unveiled a remix of the track by Robert Parker, which adds an 80s-inspired dreamscape, taking the song to new creative heights.
Over the past year, KIARAA has also focused on live performances, an experience she describes as transformative. “Those moments on stage have taught me so much about connection, energy, and the power of vulnerability,” she shares. Looking ahead, 2025 promises to be an exciting year, with plans for new collaborations, grittier music, and visuals that push her storytelling to new levels.
In this exclusive interview with InMusic, KIARAA dives into her creative process, the inspiration behind her music, and her empowering message to women worldwide: live boldly, embrace imperfection, and claim your worth unapologetically.
What’s your musical genre?
If I had to label it, I’d say it’s a mix of pop, rock, dance and disco, but really, my music is just me. It’s emotional, bold, and unapologetic, like life itself. It doesn’t fit neatly into one box because I don’t. Some days it’s vibrant and electric, other days it’s raw and stripped down. My genre is whatever makes you feel something, whatever makes you want to move, cry, or scream along. It’s messy, it’s real, and it’s alive.
How would you describe your music?
My music is like stepping into a moment where everything you’ve ever felt hits you all at once. It’s the sound of love, heartbreak, hope, and resilience, wrapped in melodies that make you want to dance through the chaos. It’s the kind of music that tells you it’s okay to feel deeply, to fall apart, and to put yourself back together again. It’s bold, colourful, and messy, just like the journey we’re all on.
Your journey into music began at 32. What motivated you to take that leap?
At 32, I decided to rewrite my story. I wanted to show myself and every woman watching that it’s never too late to reach for something extraordinary. The world may tell us there’s a timeline for dreams, but I refuse to believe that. I learned music not just to sing or play, but to prove to myself that the impossible is only impossible until you take the first step. Yes, you’ll fall, yes, you’ll fail, but failure while chasing your dreams is a badge of honour.
I want every person, especially women, to feel the fire of why not me? I want them to understand that the beauty of life is in trying, in daring, in giving yourself the permission to fail spectacularly if it means you’re living authentically. Taking that leap wasn’t just about making music, it was about stepping into my power and inviting others to step into theirs. Dreams don’t come wrapped in guarantees, but they come with the promise that if you chase them, you’ll find yourself. That’s what motivated me, and it’s what keeps me going.
As a self-taught vocalist and pianist, what were the biggest challenges you faced in developing your craft?
Oh, there were many! The self-doubt was deafening at times. Every mistake felt huge, every misstep a reason to quit. Teaching myself meant pushing through frustration, showing up every day even when I felt like I wasn’t enough. But the beauty was in the persistence, in watching myself transform, in taking tiny steps that eventually became leaps. The biggest challenge was trusting myself to keep going.
Can you walk us through your creative process when crafting new music? Where do you draw inspiration from?
It starts with a feeling, like a spark in the dark. Sometimes it’s a lyric that floats into my mind, other times it’s a melody that I can’t shake. I let the emotion take over and follow wherever it leads, messy and raw. Love is my greatest muse, its beauty, heartbreak, and complexity. I dive deep into those spaces, unafraid to sit in the dark corners, because that’s where the real magic lives. It’s all about bringing those emotions to life through sound.
Can you tell us about your new single “Feel With Me”?
“Feel With Me” is a song that demands you to feel, to dive into the vulnerability of love, passion, and connection. It’s both raw and cinematic, an anthem for letting go and fully experiencing what it means to give your heart to someone. It’s unapologetically emotional and brimming with energy.
What inspired you to create “Feel With Me,” and how does the remix by Robert Parker expand on your original vision for the track?
The song came from a moment of vulnerability, from wanting someone to truly feel with me, to connect on a level deeper than words. Robert Parker’s remix adds this cinematic 80s nostalgia that takes the track into a dreamscape. It feels expansive, like it’s living in a neon-lit city at night, breathing life into the song in a whole new way. It’s bold and daring, yet still holds onto the heart of the original.
Robert Parker described your voice and melody as naturally fitting into his musical style. What was it like working with him?
Working with Robert Parker was like stepping into another world. His ability to take a song and wrap it in these vivid, electric layers is incredible. He made the process so seamless and collaborative, and it felt like magic to hear my voice blend so naturally into his style. It was inspiring to work with someone who could elevate my vision while still keeping its essence intact.
You performed sold-out shows within a year of entering the music scene. How have these live performances shaped your growth as an artist?
Performing live is where everything comes alive. It’s raw, unfiltered, and electric. Those moments on stage have taught me so much about connection, energy, and the power of vulnerability. The audience gives you this incredible feedback loop, and it pushes you to dig deeper, to give more of yourself every time. It’s where I’ve learned to embrace my flaws and own my space, no matter what.
Can you give us any hints or teasers about what you’re currently working on?
I’m diving into new music that feels sexier, grittier, and more fearless. There are collaborations brewing that push me out of my comfort zone, and visuals that will take my storytelling to new heights. Let’s just say 2025 is going to be bold, colourful, and unexpected. Stay tuned, because this is only the beginning.
What is a message you would like to give through your music and why?
The message is this: You are limitless. You are braver than your fears, stronger than your doubts, and more powerful than you’ve ever dared to imagine. Life isn’t waiting for you to be perfect, it’s waiting for you to take the leap, messy and raw and unapologetically you. I want women to feel the fire in their chest, to look at the dreams they’ve buried and say, Why not me? My music is a love letter to every woman who has ever doubted her worth. It’s a rallying cry to rise, to live boldly, and to own every inch of who you are. You are enough. You always have been.
Is there anything else you’d like people to know?
I want women to know that we don’t have to ask for permission to live fully and fiercely. The path will never be easy, but it will always be worth it. This journey, every fall, every heartbreak, every moment of doubt, has taught me that the impossible is just a word. You can stumble, you can fail, but those moments are where your power is born. I’ve built my dreams on the foundation of failure and fear, and I want every woman to know that she can, too. So to every woman out there: step into the unknown, colour outside the lines, and claim the life that is waiting for you. You are not too late, not too small, not too much, you are exactly who you need to be to change your world. Let’s live with hearts wide open, dreams burning bright, and an unshakable belief that we are capable of anything.
Listen to Kiaraa’s new single “Feel With Me” on our Spotify playlist:
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