“I’ve been singing since I popped out of the womb,” said Tisch senior Kiah Victoria, a student at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. Her claim may sound hyperbolic, but Victoria has sang throughout her life. Now she is releasing her second EP “Gravitate” on Nov. 19.
“There is no better time than right now,” Victoria said about the follow-up to her first record, “Look Up.” “We’ve been writing and working on it for over six months. It’s time.”
The “we” Victoria referred to are her collaborators, Tisch seniors Tolu Adeyemo and Gian Bravo. Victoria wrote the EP while abroad in Berlin and while Adeyemo was producing music in Paris.
“I can hear hues of our European experience in the music,” Victoria said. “We sent ideas and files back and forth and now, months later, we’re mixing down the final versions with our third partner in crime, Gian ‘Gnyus’ Bravo.”
As she prepared for the release of “Gravitate,” which she calls an extension of “Look Up,” Victoria also recently released the music video for “You Don’t Know,” a track from the new EP. The soulful yet sassy number showcases Victoria’s refreshing vocals, complemented by uniformly masterful production and instrumental work.
Victoria describes her musical style as a fusion of elements of R&B, electronica, pop and indie music. She also pointed to an equally varied list of musical influences, such as James Blake and Miguel.
“Kiah Victoria embodies great artistry, through her ability to command a room with her warm vocals and passionate energy, to her creative visions that she transforms into reality,” said Tisch senior Hannah Babbitt, Victoria’s producer.
Victoria has come a long way since her first public performance at age seven — a rendition of Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” at a church conference, which she said terrified her. Last month, she performed for Clive Davis and other guests at the 10th anniversary celebration of the Institute of Recorded Music, in addition to a Brooklyn Bodega-curated showcase at the Knitting Factory, for which she was chosen as a Red Bull Sound Select Artist.
She will also be performing at the 18th Annual ASCAP Awards, where she will be receiving the Desmond Child Anthem Award.
“It is without a doubt that Kiah is one of our star students,” said Jeff Rabhan, chair of the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded music. “She has the dedication, passion, drive and innate talent that any artist needs to be successful in this business, and I look forward to seeing all that she will accomplish.”
So what could possibly be next for a student who will have released two EPs before obtaining her college degree?
“The next step,” Victoria said, “is to continue the sweet hustle.”
In addition to the upcoming ASCAP Awards, Victoria will also be playing Converse Number Tracks on Nov. 26, presented by Red Bull and 194 Recordings. Doors are open at 7 p.m., with Victoria’s set at 10 p.m. The “Gravitate” release show will be held at Mercury Lounge on Nov. 19. Victoria will perform at 10 p.m.
Gabriela Kaufman is a contributing writer. Email her at [email protected].
