NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Kiana Led茅 is one of R&B鈥檚 brightest rising stars but that doesn鈥檛 mean she always embraces the compliment.
鈥淚 kind of have mixed feelings about it because it gets me in my head about me needing to do more or me being more invested in my craft, or I just don鈥檛 have the right (industry) politics surrounding me,鈥� said Led茅, starting in Auckland, New Zealand. 鈥�(But) it also makes me feel great because they鈥檙e clearly appreciating me and understanding that I do this for healing purposes and that the music is just good.鈥�
It鈥檚 a pivotal moment in the career of the 26-year-old songstress whose upcoming tour stops include London, Paris, Sydney and Berlin. Led茅, who wrapped up her 21-date North American tour in October and recently parted ways with her record label, Republic, has built a loyal fanbase and respect from industry contemporaries. But she doesn鈥檛 always garner the same attention as some of the leading ladies of R&B鈥檚 new generation.
鈥淚 probably get at least four tweets every day with my name mentioned next to 鈥檜nderrated鈥欌�hat is a constant conversation that people have about me,鈥� said Led茅.
Crafting popular songs like 鈥� and which reached No. 9 on Billboard鈥檚 hot R&B songs chart, the Phoenix-raised artist released during the summer. The 17-track project has features from Bryson Tiller, Khalid and Ella Mai, and is executive produced by Nija Charles who scored a non-classical songwriter of the year Grammy nomination for her work on Beyonc茅's 鈥淩enaissance.鈥�
鈥淕rudges鈥� follows Led茅鈥檚 critically-acclaimed debut, 鈥淜iki,鈥� which reached No. 30 on the Billboard 200 and No. 7 on the top R&B album charts. Her latest work unabashedly recounts her experiences with love and unhealthy relationships, a musical composite sometimes referred to as an unofficial genre, toxic R&B.
鈥溾�楪rudges,鈥� I think, is鈥e just being able to be honest about what I was going through in that moment, knowing that it鈥檚 healthy and okay to be upset,鈥� said Led茅, who has writing credits on every track. 鈥淚鈥檝e been so happy with the response to 鈥楪rudges鈥欌� always say this almost every show, I have two goals: to make you twerk and to make you cry.鈥�
Part of what draws fans to the artist, whose , Kehlani and Offset, is a combination of raw transparency and skilled writing, conveying sensitive emotions through the music.
鈥淚t鈥檚 her being so relatable and being so real鈥 feel like a lot of artists are robots 鈥� artists are just moving on what people are telling them to do,鈥� said Christine Sanchez, Led茅鈥檚 manager. 鈥淲e鈥檝e all been in a place where we鈥檝e just been bitter after a relationship. But for someone to acknowledge it and be so honest about it, you鈥檙e just like, wow, OK, I see myself in her.鈥�
While Led茅 introduced the album with the Ella Mai-assisted 鈥淛ealous鈥� and the sultry track 鈥淒eeper,鈥� songs like 鈥淪ame Type鈥� highlight her vulnerability, as she laments about significant men in her life, including her father, all being the same type and the emotional scars they鈥檝e caused. And on
鈥淚 remember crying almost that whole session鈥� I needed to help myself heal from that situation because that was about me being raped a few years before,鈥� recalled Led茅. 鈥淭here鈥檚 some people I told about that experience that either didn鈥檛 believe me or never went through it, so they didn鈥檛 really empathize or sympathize. And with鈥lmost every person in that room being a woman, I felt so heard and seen and loved.鈥�
Led茅 says she鈥檚 been working to heal from painful experiences from her past.
鈥淭here鈥檚 still a lot of ways it affects me to this day鈥ost of my sexual experiences have been traumatic,鈥� revealed the singer. 鈥淏ut I鈥檓 a lot more balanced and healed than I was even six months ago, a year ago. So, I think over time, it gets a little bit quicker 鈥� but I also have a great therapist.鈥�
Led茅 first experienced depression at age 12 and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder during the coronavirus pandemic. The singer, who has Black, Native American, Mexican and white heritage, initially rejected the diagnosis, saying 鈥渟he was a white therapist, so I didn鈥檛 trust her with half the stuff that I was telling her about,鈥� sharing the . Actor disorder, also hinted to Led茅 that she might have the same mental health issue, but it wasn鈥檛 until Led茅 found a Black female therapist that she accepted it.
鈥淭he way that she said it just felt so gentle鈥he showed me basically a road map of how I can feel more healthy mentally, and how I didn鈥檛 have to struggle as much as I was,鈥� said Led茅 as tears formed in her eyes.
Describing her sound as alternative R&B, Led茅 grew up listening to an eclectic mix of musicians. Citing Alicia Keys as a significant inspiration, she was also influenced by artists such as Ne-Yo, Ryan Leslie, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, along with pop and alternative acts like The Spice Girls, Justin Timberlake, John Mayer and Sara Bareilles.
Led茅鈥檚 entrance into the music industry began at 14 after she won KIDZ Star in 2011, the annual Kidz Bop talent contest. That led to a record deal with RCA, and at 21, she joined Republic Records. In addition to her two studio albums, Led茅 has released several EPs, including 2018鈥檚 鈥淪elfless鈥� which birthed 鈥淓X鈥� and 鈥淲icked Games.鈥� She鈥檚 also an actor, securing roles on and
While 鈥淕rudges鈥� hasn鈥檛 garnered the commercial success of 鈥淜iki,鈥� Led茅 has been taking back control of her life in all aspects, and her manager says momentum is moving in the right direction.
鈥淭he music鈥檚 always been her, but as far as putting it out into the world, it鈥檚 always been a bunch of people helping鈥� kind of really (being) told what to do. And (鈥淕rudges鈥�) was taking control back,鈥� said Sanchez, who understands Led茅鈥檚 apprehension over the underrated title. 鈥淣obody needs to change her. We just need to amplify her, and that鈥檚 the next step鈥er moment is coming.鈥�
Led茅 is also optimistic about her future, both in her career and personal life, but she鈥檚 also laser-focused on the present 鈥� and that includes connecting with those who love her music the most, at home and abroad.
鈥淏eing on tour, being on stage in front of my fans, that鈥檚 where I feel like my heart and my spirit, my soul, my body鈥� lives the biggest and feels the most love,鈥� said Led茅. 鈥淚 love just making people feel something and making people smile 鈥� and it makes me smile.鈥�
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Gary Gerard Hamilton, The Associated Press
