At only 17-years-old, singer/songwriter KIITA is making a name for herself as an alternative pop artist with her brutally honest lyrics, powerhouse vocals and above-killer production.
Getting her start by uploading early compositions to Soundcloud and Instagram in 2017, KIITA used music as a portal to purge her dark thoughts after battling a pill addiction at just 14.
“Freshmen year I was addicted to taking pills, I was 14 years old and woke up one day and took a Xanax, later I got suspended because well I’m a dumbass and I was falling on the high school floors. I got suspended and was at my lowest I had ever been, once again I was 14 years old. I never thought about releasing music before because first off I was drugged up most of the time and secondly I didn’t care about my life, I wanted to die,” KIITA shared in a lengthy Instagram post. “It was this very night September 13th 2017, I released my first ever song, ‘fire and ice,’ and if I never did I would have never gotten this far.”
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“If I never took that pill that morning and sat at home that night with nothing but water in my eyes, I would not be who I am today. If I wasn’t suicidal and depressed in that year of my life then I would’ve never written those songs about that time. I’m not proud of my past but I am grateful of it, this is the first song I ever released and I am here to share it with you today. Sometimes you gotta be at your lowest for a long time to really understand how it feels to be at your highs. Life is a cycle of up and downs and that is something we all have to get through.”
Her talents caught the attention of Young Forever founder Chris Anokute who immediately signed her in 2019 in partnership with Epic Records. Since her signing, KIITA released three EPs — Let’s Commit A Robbery, ANTHEMOESSA, and her most recent, BAYARD THE BLOODHOUND, which features the record’s lead single “Thinking About You.”
“[My music is] cautionary, sincere and reflective,” KIITA tells Celeb Secrets.
Celeb Secrets sits down (virtually) with KIITA to talk about her musical journey, spending time in quarantine and what she hopes fans take away from listening to her music. Keep scrolling to read our full Q&A below and connect with KIITA by following her on Instagram at @kiitaofficial.
Celeb Secrets: You credit artists like Ozzy Osbourne, Nirvana, Madonna and Selena Gomez when it comes to your musical inspirations. How would you describe your sound to people that haven’t heard your music yet?
KIITA: “I would describe my sound as stimulating and moving. My music is on the side of alternative and pop but I like to explore and mix all genres inside of each song. I don’t like to compare anyone to anything else so I tend to try and create sounds nobody has heard before.”
CS: Can you talk to us about the creative process behind your latest EP “Bayard the Bloodhound?” Do you have any favorite memories from writing or recording?
KIITA: “Well firstly, writing these songs took a toll on my heart, especially writing ‘Thinking About You.’ The process of writing these songs was different than before. Usually I write about what I’m feeling at that specific time, but in ‘Bayard The Bloodhound’ I had chosen to write about moments and feelings I had felt before, things I wish I could feel again. One memory I will never forget is while I was recording Bayard at WestLake studios I met Tyler The Creator outside, an amazing experience and it really boosted my energy to show who I am to the world.”
CS: If you could describe your EP in three words, what would they be?
KIITA: “Cautionary, sincere and reflective.”
CS: Can you elaborate on your latest single “Thinking About You?” What’s the song about and why did you choose that specific song to be the lead track?
KIITA: “The song is about an ex-boyfriend who I dearly admired but sadly had to cut ties with. ‘Thinking About You’ is about all the good times we had and looking back on them, but while there were good memories I also would think back to the bad memories. In this relationship I blamed myself for everything and felt I was the one damaging the relationship all along. I chose this song to be the leading track because in my mind, it was the most powerful and meant the most to me.”
CS: What’s one thing you want people to take away from listening to your music?
KIITA: “I wish for the people listening to me to never forget that things change and time ALWAYS heals. No matter what heartfelt or pain someone can feel, as time moves on so do you and all you have to do is be honest with yourself.”
CS: How have you been keeping busy during the pandemic?
KIITA: “I’ve been doing a lot of gaming and talking to my friends on the phone since I miss them so much. I’ve been doing a lot of writing as well, journal writing in specific. I will usually write songs on my laptop but when I write for myself I’m using a pen and paper, it helps me sort out my thoughts and I can do it for hours.”
CS: What’s next for you music wise? Any new projects we should be on the lookout for?
KIITA: “Yes, a love EP, still thinking about the name but I think I have the idea. It’s more on the softer side of me, sadder too. I’ve been feeling more emotions than I have ever felt before so I decided to wrap it up in a project.”
CS: Since we’re Celeb Secrets, do you have any secrets about yourself that our readers wouldn’t know about?
KIITA: “Here is a secret… when I was in elementary school I had this super weird obsession with squirrels. I would run around the playground pretending I’m a squirrel and I’d scream ‘NUTS’ every once and awhile.”
Listen to Bayard the Bloodhound now: