Just around 2021, Kahren’s singing prowess became an open secret to Afrobeats lovers when she stepped out with her debut extended play, I Think I Know Her. The five-tracker which housed duets with both Blaqbonez on “Commander”, and Victony on “Mirror”, helped build a solid foundation for Kahren’s evolution as a musician.

Kahren’s affectionate songwriting and vocalisation have been key laurels on her music since she began writing songs both for herself and others. On her latest release dubbed, “Sativa”, the young chanteuse, born Karen Anyanwu, tells a story of a romantic situationship and heartbreak recovery. The song’s gentle percussion and ambient melodies boost its overall catharsis and replay value.

Making music with some sort of emotional function has been a focus for Kahren, long before she even put out her professional release. In a sit-down with Guardian Music, the singer opens up on her odyssey within the Afro RnB scene, her creative muses, processes, as well as her current mission to create catalogues that reflect on love-related tragedies and healing.

What inspired your latest song, Sativa?
I draw most of my inspiration from life experiences, whether mine and other people. And the song is majorly about navigating situationships like knowing what to do, especially for people that have been in that position before.

Walk us through your come-up journey.
I always loved singing. I realized I knew how to write and sing when I was 10 years old. It was the first time I wrote any song at all. I just continued from there. And then I started learning how to play my favorite instruments, which is the guitar. I went into music professionally for the first time in 2019. That was when I knew that I wanted to do music. Then I released my first single in 2021. It’s just been a very nice journey. I’ve had ups, I’ve had downs, but generally, it’s been really nice. I’ve learned a lot of things. I met a couple of people. I’ve done back up for some artists. I’ve also written some songs for several artists as well.

Tell us some of your earliest influences as a teenager
I came from a house where my parents generally love music; so I grew up listening to a lot of music. At a particular point in my life, it was Jhene Aiko. I loved what she tried to portray and that her music was speaking to people. So I kind of took a bit from what she did. It influenced my songwriting, how I wrote my songs, and how I compose my songs, as I’ve taken inspiration from different people, like Rihanna, Post Malone, and so on. I am very versatile.

Any new projects coming up?
So I have just dropped my first single, “sativa.” I have actually not released any songs in some years, and it’s really exciting. I have other singles coming out next year, then a body of work which would still be centered around situationships. I’m trying to create a brand on failed relationships and self healing. After that, I’ll just keep releasing more music.

What’s your creative process like?
I have a setup at my house. I write better when I just compose a melody in my head for the beat, and then I reach out to a producer to develop this idea. Then I go into composing a melody for the song itself. So there are times where I make beats with my head, and other times I just get beats from producers. Then after composing a melody, I write my songs. Then after writing, I record, and then I just keep on trying until I’m satisfied with what I’m hearing.

Outside of music, what do you typically do?
Right now, I’ve just been taking courses. I’ve been trying to learn new things. I think I’m still an art person. I have an interest in everything arts. I like photography, videography, and cinematography. I love makeup art and song writing. If I could get jobs for songwriting, I do that as well on the side. So it still kind of revolves around the arts. So that’s just what I do when I’m not making music.

How would you describe your vision for your career?
My vision is to impact people. I hope that people eventually listen to my sound and resonate with it and relate with it the way I do, because I feel like my song has a lot of impact when people listen to it.

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