NXTSTYLE’s 2020 Songs of the Summer: Tiana Kocher “FWU”
INTRODUCING NXTSTYLE’S ‘SONGS OF THE SUMMER,’ HIGHLIGHTING OUR FAVORITE TRACKS WE’VE DISCOVERED THIS SUMMER. OVER 70 SONGS FROM NEW AND INDEPENDENT ARTISTS FORM OUR SUMMER 2020 SOUNDTRACK. TODAY WE FEATURE ARTIST TIANA KOCHER. SHE HAS A REAL KNACK FOR MIXING DIFFERENT SOUNDS AND STYLES INTO HER MUSIC AS SHE DOES IT SO NATURALLY. TAKE A LOOK AS TIANA GIVES US DETAILS ON HER LATEST SINGLE, SUCCESSFUL TIKTOK CHALLENGE AND MORE IN OUR FEATURED INTERVIEW.
YOU CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION EARLIER THIS YEAR BY DELIVERING MAJOR HEAT TO OUR PLAYLIST WITH “DON’T TRIP” AND NOW YOUR FOLLOW UP “FWU” HAS US EVEN MORE EXCITED ABOUT YOUR FUTURE. TALK ABOUT THE CREATION OF “FWU” AND WHAT YOU HOPE LISTENERS TAKE FROM IT.
I had a lot of fun co-writing and building on playful and flirty ideas for “FWU”, which was very much a collaboration with the other writers, Alex Jacke, Merges and Rikki Randall. This song is definitely one of my more explicit records, and that’s what I love about it, its edginess and great beat. Although we recorded the song before the pandemic, I really wanted to hold off on its release until the summer. The music video for this song was for my friends around the world, to remotely use Snapchat, in the safe environment of their homes, and create a fun video of their interpretation to the song. It was actually such a fun process, being able to see my friend’s reactions when they heard the song for the first time. I hope people just have fun with it, when I listen to it, it reminds me not to take life too serious and to have fun! I hope listeners feel the same way.
WHAT WOULD BE THE ULTIMATE SYNC PLACEMENT FOR “FWU”?
I definitely feel like it would be the perfect song for movies like The Kissing Booth or Girls Trip, definitely movies that are comedic an up-beat. I’d also love to hear the song in a commercial for streetwear brands owned by females like Sporty and Rich created by Emily Oberg, Sorella created by Heather Sanders, I.AM.GIA created by Gia Carangi and Alana Pallister and Melody Ehsani by Melody Ehsani.
FROM SINGING TO RAPPING TO DELVING INTO GENRES LIKE POP, R&B AND LATINX, YOUR CATALOG OF MUSIC REALLY SHOWCASES HOW MULTI-DIMENSIONAL YOU ARE. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO WORK DIFFERENT ELEMENTS AND STYLES INTO YOUR MUSIC? DO ANY ARTISTS PLAY A ROLE IN INFLUENCING YOUR SOUND?
Being mixed race myself (Filipino, Spanish, German-American) I was raised surrounded by different cultures. Thanks to my upbringing, I was able to quickly adapt and hone into my craft especially putting little influences from my background into my music. I think its really important to work different elements, people want to hear different things, they get bored from listening to the same thing over and over again. I’m very lucky to also work with such a diverse team where everyone is able to put their own flavour into the product, which in this case is the music and music videos. I am heavily influenced by 90’s and early 2000’s R&B, especially in terms of writing but I always try and make my music unique.
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TIANA KOCHER
2020 HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE YEARS OF OUR LIFETIME. HAS IT IN ANY WAY CHANGED YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE, RELATIONSHIPS, AND YOUR SONGWRITING?
It’s definitely such an interesting time and I can’t believe I’m living through it! I don’t believe that my songwriting has been any different. I have lost the urge to write sometimes and I have often run out of ideas, since I can’t go out and do anything. It’s been more of me trying to find inspiration from different outlets, like if I watch a video or a movie, or a friend tells me what happened to him/her. It has changed my perspective on life a lot, I am absolutely not taking things for granted anymore. Even simple joys like walking to your local coffeeshop with your dog, or hugging your friend or even going to church.
WHETHER IT’S AN ALBUM, BEING AROUND CERTAIN PEOPLE, OR AN ACTIVITY, WHAT IS ONE THING THAT HAS HELPED YOU MOVE FORWARD DURING THE PANDEMIC? ANYTHING YOU CAN SUGGEST FOR OTHERS?
I’ve enjoyed the downtime. I’ve used this time to write, whether it be music or just daily journaling. I’ve been working out as well, I think staying healthy is really important. Trying to stay creative has really helped me move forward, giving me things to look forward to record and create with friends has helped me not spiral. I think the music video to “FWU” is a perfect example of overcoming pandemic issues and putting technology to use. It’s hard to suggest how people should spend their time during these moments in life, because we are all experiencing it differently, but I would just say to always try and stay positive, things will change for the better and in the meantime, do something for yourself if you can. Take care of yourself and those around you. Stay upbeat!
WE’RE HUGE FANS OF “DON’T TRIP” WHICH I NOTICED BECAME A CHALLENGE ON TIKTOK FOR CHARITY. TELL US ABOUT THAT EXPERIENCE AND WHAT IT MEANT TO BE ABLE TO RAISE MONEY THIS WAY?
Staying connected during the pandemic has been vital. The #DontTripChallenge exceeded all of my hopes of, not just connecting us as a community in a fun way, but also by raising much-needed money for the Philippine and American Red Cross, who work tirelessly for us all year round. I loved seeing people from all over the world take part in the challenge, especially since we were raising money for such a great cause – the whole experience was very uplifting for me.
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AS WE HEAD INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR WHAT CAN FANS EXPECT FROM YOU FOR THE REMAINDER OF 2020?
I’d love to be back in the studio to create more music. I had an EP launch planned in March, that was obviously postponed. I’d love to get back to planning that and being able to release my EP this year, hopefully! I also have a couple of songs that I’m ready to record in the studio for myself and for other artists from all the writing I’ve done during quarantine. I am looking forward to reconnecting with the industry when everyone can get back to a healthy working environment. Going forward, I am hopeful for a healthier and happier world for everyone.
IS THERE A CHARITY OR ORGANIZATION THAT MEANS A LOT TO YOU THAT YOU URGE OTHERS TO LOOK INTO? ANY PARTICULAR CONNECTION YOU HAVE TO IT?
I have various charities that I connect with and support. One is Queens Best Stumpy Dog Rescue, they rescue Corgis who need rehabilitation and who came from hostile homes. I have a Corgi myself so thats very close to my heart. I love supporting #hashtaglunchbag where they have meet ups in different cities, we pack lunch bags for the homeless in our areas. And of course the Red Cross for all the amazing work they do around the world.
TIANA KOCHER’S
SONGS OF THE SUMMER
- 1) Maye “Tu”
- 2) Girl Ultra and Ximena Sariñana “Fuckhim”
- 3) Kehlani ft. Tory Lane “Can I”
- 4) Victoria Monét with Khalid and SG Lewis “Experience
- 5) rum.gold ft. Jamila Woods “Waiting For”
Listen to all of our featured artist’s favorite songs of the summer on our special Spotify playlist.
Discover New Music
THE ‘NEXT IN MUSIC’ PLAYLIST
Discover a wide range of new music we love from artists located all across the world. Follow the ‘NEXT in Music’ playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud.
MUSIC IN 2020 INTERVIEW SERIES
WE INTERVIEWED MUSIC PROS AND TASTEMAKERS TO GET THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON WHERE MUSIC IS HEADED AND TO DISCOVER WHAT NEW MUSIC THEY’RE LISTENING TO.
