Released on February 11, Genesis is the debut album by singer K.ZIA. An opus with soul and RNB sounds, where the artist delivers messages of self-love and freedom. On this occasion JustFocus exchanged with the artist:
What is your background?
I was born into an artistic world, my mother is a singer and my father an acrobat on horseback, circus artist and actor. So I immediately fell into this world as a child. I decided to become an actress as an adult: I started doing backings for artists in the studio, and in 2018 I decided to make my own music. I moved to Berlin and started releasing my first songs.
You've traveled a lot, how has that influenced your music?
I had the chance to discover many different cultures and countries, it really fed my imagination. This diversity is felt in my music, they can't put me in a box too small in terms of musical genre. The one that suits me the most is GNI, but with African and European influences.
We talked about your childhood, you grew up in the circus world. How does this translate into your art?
I have not yet exploited all the circus part in my musical universe, but it allowed me not to be afraid during my first scenes. In my family, the stage is almost an extension of our living room! The world of theatre also taught me a lot. Thanks to my actor father, I understood that you have to have a certain posture, know how to carry the voice, articulate well, know how to stand, know how to interact with an audience.
You confided, during your showcase, that at the beginning you did not like the songs you wrote. How did you manage to get through this?
It's a question of ability: by practicing writing songs and studying them, listening to them, I managed to produce what I like. At first the message was not strong enough, the lyrics were not researched enough, then over time I managed to produce good melodies, good lyrics.
Among the songs you studied, you focused on which artists?
I really listen to everything! There was Pink with her album M!ssundaztood, Shakira, Alicia Keys, Michael Jackson, Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Georges Brassens, Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder!
You were talking about message, is it important when you create your music?
This is very important to me! As an artist you have a public image, you can influence others, you have a responsibility. The phrase I really like is 'love all ways'. It's a message I want to convey in my music: no matter the situation, happiness or sadness, you have to keep love as a basis for making decisions, for others but also for yourself. Self-love is a subject that comes up a lot in my songs. In my childhood and adolescence I struggled to have confidence in myself, I had to work a lot on myself to accept and discover myself. I also try to address minorities who are not represented in relation to their social group, their ethnic group, their sexuality.
How did you work on your first album Genesis ?
Originally this project was supposed to be an EP. I also wanted to write in French instead of writing in English as I usually do. So I did writing camps, I invited several producers, several musicians, several writers. We created songs, explored this new field of writing in French. By force, an artistic direction was created naturally.
What changes when you write in French?
It's totally different! The spirit changes in style, in interpretation, in writing, in my attitude. I really pushed myself to write more in French, that's why there were more titles and it created an album. I also lived between the United States and Belgium, two worlds, two languages, two different histories. That's what introduced my alter ego ZIA. K.ZIA says "this is how I am", and ZIA says "this is how I am, go fuck you! "
Finally, how would you describe Genesis ?
It's a very eclectic album, which goes in many different directions, whether in the stories or in the styles. And as the title says: this is the genesis. This album marks the beginning of my expression and my artistic evolution.
