Kayla DiVenere – Justin Bieber

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) I don’t specifically put my sound in a box because I love experimenting with new sounds and styles, but if I had to describe it, I would say fun indie pop. Is that even a sound? I don’t know. [laughs]

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) Tate Mcrae and Olivia Rodrigo have definitely influenced my music taste. It’s also so cool to see young women my age doing what they’re doing and, even at that, killing the game! Love them!

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Justin Bieber.”

A) If you ask anyone who knows me, they will tell you I love Justin Bieber. [laughs] I grew up listening and jamming out to his songs all the time and had his posters plastered all over my wall. I watched him grow and evolve throughout his career as a musician and a person and it’s heavily inspired my musical journey by admiring his love and authenticity for his art. I jumped in a writing session with my team one day and we started joking about writing a song called “Justin Bieber,” but it ended up not being a joke after all when we created a real song that we all thought was pretty dope. We made sure to add fun little clues of his song titles throughout the song and tried to embody every girl’s teenage dream of finding someone that “gave them feelings like Justin Bieber.”

Q) What was it/is it about Justin that makes him such a heartthrob?

A) Justin has the swag and will always have the swag!! His honesty and big heart seriously make him such a role model! Who doesn’t love the Biebs?

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

A) I think it’s so fun to create and build a music video in correspondence to my tracks. I’ve always been a very visionary and artistic person, so I absolutely adore watching the image in my head come to life in every song. I think it’s important for everyone to create their own meanings and grab their own takes on songs, but music videos are such a fun little way to help assign certain meanings in other perspectives.

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) I usually start my songwriting process with some sort of motif or feeling. The key component that’s so important to me is inspiration. Whether I get it from a picture, a text, a personal experience or even someone else’s experience, I find it to be the most crucial aspect to have. With the feeling and inspiration I’m carrying that day, I’ll just simply create art in no particular fancy order.

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

A) I love to work with my producers and find a certain sound that compliments the inspiration for the day. It’s so wild to see what sounds they offer and what sounds I offer and how they simultaneously blend together.

Q) Will there be a full album or EP coming in the near future?

A) I’m working on A LOT of new music right now. An EP is in the works to come out this fall. [winks] Super, super excited to craft something from scratch, pour my heart into it, and put it out into the world. I’ve only put out singles until this point, so you can only imagine my excitement for this project!

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) It would be an absolute dream to collaborate with Olivia Rodrigo or Tate McRae!! They’re so dope!

Q) loved seeing you on our screens, as well. Are there any new roles you’ve been busy working on?

A) I have been working on Hulu’s “Love, Victor” and Season 2 actually just came out!! [smiles]

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) Social media can be really tough to deal with nowadays, but I love how close it gets me to my fans! I absolutely adore reading my comments and chatting with them. I love the connection and realness it creates between us!!

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I would die if I could give them a giant hug and thank them for all their support and endless love. I appreciate and love you guys more than you know!!