Kiana V's latest track, "Dazed" and movement visual first released over the summer followed by a 5-track EP of the same name. When we last chatted with her, Kiana talked about the meaning behind the dreamy track which was to achieve inner healing. She reflected back at a time where there was a lot of negative self talk that kept her from initially finishing the song. However, she pushed through as this was an opportunity to reintroduce herself to herself.
The BTS gives you a glimpse of the process behind the movement visual. Shot during the pandemic, we catch Kiana V with choreographer Shayna portray an internal dialogue through movement. The track not only helped her navigate through rediscovering self-love, but to tell everyone not to be so hard on ourselves. Kiana V's music goes deeper than providing the right aesthetics. She expresses a deeper vision as an artist by combining lyrics and movement that match her message.
"Dazed" is about the push and pull that one goes through internally when you try to achieve inner healing.
KIANA V
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Official Site: http://kianavee.com
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Cover Photo Credit: Kiana V Twitter
Before the release of the Dazed EP, Kiana V announced her latest single Dazed which is the title and lead track of the EP. The single came with a movement visual that gives you a different angle of Kiana as an artist. The five-track soulful EP gives listeners a chance to reflect on self-love.
2016 ushered in the Kiana we see now - a fully-formed, independent woman of color not afraid to use her voice - beginning with her debut single “Circles." Her latest track "Safe Place," was released via Tarsier Records and 88Rising and gained recognition from Grammy.com who named her an artist pushing Filipino music to the forefront.
The EP's title track Dazed is a contemplative number about being overwhelmed by your inner thoughts. "This song is a moment of quiet introspection," Kiana shares. "A personal exchange between negative and positive self talk in an attempt to find inner healing." Kiana's feather light voice dances over a luxurious yet wispy synth soundscape that slowly builds over the track's four minute run-time until it reaches a climax of crushing emotionality with Kiana proclaiming, "Set me free."
How Do I opens with a cascade of Kiana's honeyed "oo's and aah's" and the sound of rushing water that effortlessly pulls you in. "If I can't love myself, how do I love you?" Kiana entreats on the wall of sound chorus. Kiana explains, "it focuses on the need to confront things within before being able to pour anything out."
The EP's focus track Better is a song about personal salvation and for Kiana, she morphs heartbreak into a newfound confidence with the self-assured lyrics "I could do better." "It gives me a feeling of sweet, reckless abandon," Kiana reflects on the track. "It’s an awakening to newfound courage."
On Simple Kiana distills love to its essence. Over blissed out synths and silky multi-tracked vocals, she croons "We don’t hear the outside pressure / Break it down to simple pleasures." Here, Kiana's understated vocal dexterity really shines.
The EP closer Only You is a love song for oneself or for a partner, and Kiana's intentionally left that open to interpretation. It follows Kiana's journey throughout the EP from self-doubt to clarity. "It can be about the moment everything falls into place," she shares.
According to Metro Magazine, the songs on Dazed EP—from the title track to How Do I, Better, Simple, and Only You—were written as early as 2019, in journals that Kiana returned to later on. It wasn’t a linear process, Kiana explains, “I didn’t write them in one go. I wrote them at different times. And these weren’t the first choices to get done.” But in the middle of a writer’s block last year, Kiana went through those journals thinking, "Sayang naman (that's too bad). These songs are already here. I already have melodies for them. Why don’t we just see where these sessions take us?’”
Now splitting her time between Los Angeles and Manila, Kiana still holds close to her roots. Her father continues to be a source of inspiration in her career, and her go-to photographer DJ Magbanua has been a friend since grade school. Jesse Barrera, the co-producer of Kiana's "Dazed" EP, is a Filipino-American who's worked with other Filipino musicians including Jeff Bernat, AJ Rafael, and Jeremy Passion. These are the people who know and understand Kiana best, and who have seamlessly been able to tell the Dazed story. "It's a soft exploration of how self-love affects the love we are able to give to others," Kiana says of the EP.
Upon putting the project together, Kiana dug deep and got vulnerable. She rediscovers herself and learns to love herself her own way.
Cover Photo Credit: Kiana V Facebook
Kiana V announces her new 5-track EP Dazed and shares the title single. The Filipina singer/songwriter has already made a name for herself in her native Philippines and is poised to bring her R&B/Soul sound to the rest of the world. Music has always been a permeating force in Kiana's life. Her father, Gary Valenciano, is one of the Philippines' most prolific musicians with a nearly four-decade spanning career.
"The combination of the snappy production and her dreamy vocals make for a seductive jam that's both laid-back and hugely infectious."
COMPLEX UK
2016 ushered in the Kiana we see now - a fully-formed, independent woman of color not afraid to use her voice - beginning with her debut single Circles. Her latest track, Safe Place was released via Tarsier Records and 88Rising. It gained recognition from Grammy.com who named her an artist pushing Filipino music to the forefront.
Now splitting her time between Los Angeles and Manila, Kiana still holds close to her roots. Her father continues to be a source of inspiration in her career, and her go-to photographer DJ Magbanua has been a friend since grade school. Jesse Barrera, co-producer of the Dazed EP, is a Filipino-American who's worked with other Filipino musicians including: Jeff Bernat, AJ Rafael, and Jeremy Passion. These are the people who know and understand Kiana best and who have seamlessly been able to tell the "Dazed" story.
"It's a soft exploration of how self-love affects the love we are able to give to others."
KIANA ON DAZED EP
The EP's title track is a contemplative number about being overwhelmed by your inner thoughts. "This song is a moment of quiet introspection...A personal exchange between negative and positive self-talk in an attempt to find inner healing" Kiana shares. Her feather light voice dances over a luxurious yet wispy synth soundscape that slowly builds over the track's four minute run-time until it reaches a climax of crushing emotionality with Kiana proclaiming, "Set me free." Kiana V’s Dazed single is out now and the accompanying movement visual premieres on Youtube on July 16th.
Cover Photo Credit: Kiana V Official Facebook
Follow #KianaV !
Official Artist Site: http://kianavee.com
Youtube: http://youtube.com/KianaValenciano
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1DZGA...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KianaVOfficial
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KianaVee
Instagram: http://instagram.com/KianaVee
The last two years hasn't been what we all expected. Now, we're looking to heal from it. In a special screening of R&B artist Kiana V's newest track Dazed, she reflects on how the song came to be and her experience on creating the movement visual. Dazed is now available on all streaming platforms and check out the movement visual!
I was pushed and pulled into so many directions and didn't know what I wanted.
KIANA V ON THE BEGINNING STAGES OF DAZED
Dazed was written two years ago in 2019 during a time Kiana V was trying to achieve an inner healing. She reflects back, "it [Dazed] is about the push and pull that one goes through internally when you try to achieve inner healing." The goal she had in mind was to reintroduce herself to herself. The song is a reminder of who she is as a person and artist during a time she didn't recognize who Kiana V was anymore.
To accompany the track dropping, a movement visual premiered that had everyone in the screening buzz'n. Kiana intended the movement visual to further express herself in a way she wasn't able to in words. Choreographer and co-collaborator Shayna Cua helped in creating movement and flow for the visual. The intent was to pair everything down, show raw movement and peel away Kiana's layers. From the costume to the sets, camera shots, and movement it all matched the song and lyrics perfectly. You see a confident and strong Kiana V who's ready to continue her artistic journey.
I love creating things whether that be visually, clothes, music and it really shows in the song cover and the EP cover
KIANA V ON SHOWING HER ARTISTIC SIDE
Dazed is only a glimpse of what's next for Kiana V. She mentioned that the Dazed EP is coming out on July 30th with more original songs and expect the R&B/lo-fi sound vibes. Also hang tight for more creative projects coming like BTS and photos from Dazed and the upcoming EP. The cover photos for the track and EP were shot by her good friend, DJ Magbanua. Together, they were able to capture Kiana's vision of expressing the lyrics, mood, and essence of herself as an artist. She nails the aesthetics, but her music and visuals go deeper than that. Stay tuned for more on Kiana V's Dazed EP!
Cover Photo Credit: Kiana V Official Facebook
