Kenya Grace on 'Strangers', New Projects, and Dream Collaborations in Exclusive Interview with Brooke Reese

On December 6, Kenya Grace, the dynamic UK artist behind the viral sensation “Strangers,” joined Brooke Reese for an exclusive interview as part of the Apple Music: Emerging Artists series. Held at Apple Soho in New York, this event offered fans a unique opportunity to connect with Kenya, whose blend of dance-pop has captivated audiences worldwide. Known for her innovative approach to music and storytelling, Kenya's session with Brooke Reese provided insightful glimpses into her artistic process and future aspirations.

If you missed it, fear not, we've got the highlights for you.

Brooke: So glad that you wanted to do this. Your name has been everywhere, your song has been everywhere. I think it’ll be fun to start our conversation with the song “Strangers”. When you made it, did it feel special? Was there something about it? Because people just gravitated towards it immediately.

Kenya: Iyanu, ko. Mo ti ko ba fẹ. Mo ti fi o siwaju sii ati ko ba fẹ nibẹ ni eyikeyi nipa o nigbati mo ti fi fi o, ṣugbọn mo ni o dara julọ ti awọn eniyan ti kọ pẹlu o siwaju sii. O jẹ iyanu.

Brooke: Your style is unique, and you live in that dance-pop world. What is your process creatively when writing music?

Kenya: Kẹsẹ nigbati mo nṣiṣe, Mo ni akọkọ lati ṣe awọn beat. Mo ni akọkọ pẹlu awọn akori tabi ohun ti o ṣeto mi ninu awọn orilẹ-ede yii, lẹhinna Mo le ṣe awọn buburu, ati ni akọkọ yoo jẹ awọn vocals: bẹrẹ pẹlu awọn melody ati lẹhinna awọn lyrics. O ti wa ni igba ti o dara julọ fun mi. Nigbati mo nṣiṣe awọn lyrics, Mo ni igba ti o fẹ lati fi ọrọ, nitorina Mo ti o gbọdọ julọ lori o.

Brooke: I love that for you, the beat and melody guide you, and it's the storytelling where you take your time.

Kenya: It always takes so long to write the whole story.

Brooke: Mo ti wa ni o wa ni o wa ni iyanu lati tẹle pẹlu awọn artists ti o ni awọn akoko nla lori awọn ọna asopọ asopọ asopọ bi TikTok ati Instagram, ṣẹda a ile-iṣẹ pẹlu awọn ifiranṣẹ rẹ ati ṣugbọn ṣugbọn ṣugbọn ṣugbọn ṣiṣe awọn ohun ti o gbọdọ ni ọpọlọpọ ni ọdun kan. Eyi jẹ ohun kan? Awọn nọmba jẹ ọkan ohun, ṣugbọn mọ pe nibẹ ni awọn eniyan ti o wa nibi wọn, ti o ti wa ni a ifiranṣẹ ti Kenya Grace.

Kenya: O ti wa ni o wa ni o wa. Mo ko gbiyanju eyikeyi wọnyi lati wa ni gbogbo, ati o jẹ iyanu, ṣugbọn o jẹ iyanu kan ti o dara lati ṣee ṣe awọn eniyan ni aye nla. Nigba lori awọn ọna asopọ, o gbiyanju awọn DMs ati ko mọ pe nibẹ ni o wa ni o wa nkan ti o dara julọ nibi wọn, ki o jẹ iyanu.

Brooke: Emi ko mọ ti o ba ti o jẹ TMI siwaju sii, ṣugbọn ti o ṣe TikTok rẹ siwaju sii? O ti wa ni ninu TikTok mi o ni ọpọlọpọ ni ibamu si FYP ati awọn algorithm, ṣugbọn ti o ba ti o ba wa lori nibi fun? Mo ni ife bi nibẹ ni o wa ọpọlọpọ awọn orilẹ-ede ti o yatọ si o, nitorina awọn eniyan gbọdọ si o, lati ri awọn music titun, lati ri awọn artists titun.

Kenya: I’m really into music. I like so many DJs, producers. I think that's mainly what I get, and just like random shows, with 20 parts, so funny.

Brooke: This is so embarrassing, but I saw one of those on social media, and it was “say yes to a dress” show. Have you ever heard of that?

Kenya: Yes.

Brooke: There were five parts, and then I went and watched it all because I needed to know what was on there. Have you ever done something like that, where it takes you to a show, and you go, “well, now I have to watch it”?

Kenya: Yeah, literally so many. I saw so many good films on TikTok. It's pretty good.

Brooke: I love that so much. I was reading how you were born in South Africa but grew up in the UK. I would love to know if any of that has influenced your music and also growing up, the music you listened to.

Kenya: I think I’ve been influenced the most by the UK scene. I lived in South Africa for 8 months. I was a tiny baby, so I don’t really have too much inspiration from there, but I’m very into the UK music scene. There are so many different artists, especially in dance... so many different mini sub-genres. It's very cool.

Brooke: So growing up, whom were you listening to? Whom were you inspired by? What was playing through the speakers in your home when you were younger?

Kenya: When I was really young, my mom always used to play Neo Soul, and I really liked Neo Soul in general. It was amazing. I just loved the chord progressions, and the melodies are stunning. And then when I went to college, I got really into dance music.

Brooke: What is it specifically about dance that just draws you in that way? It seems like you have a very beautiful relationship with how you feel about the genre in general.

Kenya: Mo ti fẹ o lati gbogbo igba, lati wa ni owo. Mo fẹ o jẹ awọn buburu ti mo ti o dara ju, eyi ti n ṣe mi lati fẹ ... Mo fẹ nigba ti mo ti wa ni o wa gbajumo, ki o kan 7, Mo ti wa ni YouTube ati Mo ti ri dubstep, ati Mo yoo nikan wo nibẹ nibi ni ibi mi pẹlu awọn ọrọìwòye fẹ lati dubstep, ko danse tabi eyikeyi. Ṣugbọn Mo ti fẹ o. O ti wa ni o dara julọ lati lọ lati gbẹkẹle lati gbẹkẹle [big]...

Brooke: And also being on your music journey and releasing songs this year, everything grows so quickly with you, by the way. How do you decide what you want to release for the next song as you are trying to build your journey as an artist?

Kenya: Tọkasi, Mo n ṣẹda o nipa ewu. Mo n ṣẹda ọpọlọpọ awọn songs gbogbo akoko. A fẹ lati fi wọn, ati ki o si yoo nikan ṣe a kekere beat video, ati ki o mo ni iṣoro. Nibẹ ni ko si ọna ni gbogbo.

Brooke: Nibẹ ni o ko ti wa ni kọja? Diẹ ninu awọn eniyan ti wa ni si T, ati Mo ti o ba fẹ ti o ba wa pẹlu bi o ba wa pẹlu bi o fẹ. Ti o ba ti o ba ti wa ni nigbagbogbo nibẹ ni o wa nibi ti o tẹsiwaju kan song lori social media ati awọn eniyan ti wa ni ki o tobi ati ki o si gbọdọ nigba ti won yoo bi "tẹsiwaju awọn song! Wo ni awọn ti o wa?"

Kenya: [laughing]

Brooke: What do you think is one of the songs where you teased and people were like “we need the full version now”?

Kenya: “Strangers” 100%. Ati ki o si “Out of My Mind”, Mo ti tẹsiwaju a apakan ati ki o si fi “Strangers” ati ki o si ri diẹ ninu awọn eniyan ti wa ni iyanu nitori ti mo ti ko fi ọkan. Ṣugbọn wọn mejeeji wa nibi ni bayi.

Brooke: Are you currently working on a project? How do you see yourself as an artist going forward because we are at the end of 2023, which is so wild to even say, and you’ve already grown and done so much. Where do you see yourself moving forward with your music?

Kenya: Mo ti wa ni ṣiṣẹ lori a iṣẹ, eyi ti mo yoo tẹsiwaju ni ojoojumọ, eyi ti o jẹ iyanu! Mo ti wa ni iyanu lati fi awọn iṣẹ niwon nikan singles. O yoo jẹ gangan.

Brooke: When you are doing something like that, how do you know you are building a project? Do you go in being like, ok, I’m going to make an LP or an album, or do you start writing songs and then collectively feel like thematically and sonically they work?

Kenya: I feel like I've been accidentally, subconsciously doing that for the whole year, and I've got so many things that I've posted but haven’t released, which I think actually work very well together, so I’m going to make something big next year.

Brooke: O ti wa ni iyanu! Mo fẹ lati kọ nipa yi, nitori Mo ti ṣe awọn iwadi mi, bi o ṣe fun iṣẹ, ati Mo fẹ lati mọ bi o jẹ bi o jẹ lati ṣe akọkọ bi awọn nikan akọkọ akọkọ akọkọ ni afikun Kate Bush lati lọ si No.1 bi a nikan akọkọ akọkọ akọkọ, producer, ati ifihan ni awọn UK pop charts?

Kenya: It's crazy. Kate Bush is so sick. She is such an inspiration, she is amazing. I just think there should be more people to have done that.

Brooke: Ati pe o ba ti o ba ti wa ni ifọwọsi fun awọn ọpọlọpọ awọn obirin lati ṣe eyi, ati awọn ti o ko mọ ṣugbọn ṣugbọn.

Kenya: I hope so. I feel like it's our moment now. It's coming.

Brooke: It is our moment.

Kenya: There are so many sick girls and women that are smashing it in writing and production. It's the moment.

Brooke: I feel like also in the dance genre, not only as performers but as DJs, women have also grown exponentially, which is very exciting.

Kenya: 100%.

Brooke: You did decide to release the sad acoustic version of “Strangers”. We love an emo moment. How did you decide that you wanted to come up with the acoustic version of it, and where do you begin, or did it start that way?

Kenya: Mo ti sọ pe o yoo rọrun dara, jọwọ. Mo ti ṣayẹwo lati fi awọn string ati ki o si ṣiṣẹ lori fi awọn harmonies ti o dara. Mo ko n ṣayẹwo ohun kanna bi eyi, jọwọ ati chill, ki Mo fẹ lati fi o siwaju.

Brooke: I think it would be interesting to talk more about the dance world where you live so much. You’ve been talking so much about being in the UK and the dance scene being so huge, but have other areas of dance influenced you as well? As far as other places, other countries.

Kenya: I feel like my main biggest influence at the time was Flume from Australia. He is a huge influence of mine. And everyone else is probably UK and house vibes.

Brooke: Mo fẹ dance music, ati Mo fẹ ki Mo ti ko mọ diẹ sii ju odun yi, nibẹ ni o wa ni iyanu. Ṣugbọn o jẹ iyanu. Mo fẹ bi o ti wa ni gbajumo ọpọlọpọ bi a gẹgẹbi gẹgẹbi a gẹgẹbi, ati awọn ti o bi ọkunrin ti o tun ṣe eyi, nibi ti o ti wa ni iranlọwọ lati gbe nipasẹ ni agbaye. Nigba ti o ba fẹ ohun ti o siwaju bi eyi ati awọn eniyan bẹrẹ lati gbe si awọn gẹgẹbi nitori ti o, ohun ti o fẹ?

Kenya: Crazy. I'm happy that people hear drum and bass, to be fair. I didn’t expect you guys to like that.

Brooke: Oh, that's right, it's your first time visiting us in The States. You just had your first show in New York. What was it like? The energy? The vibes?

Kenya: The vibes are amazing! I did one last night, and one the night before at “Elsewhere” in Brooklyn. It was so cool, everyone is so nice and such good vibes.

Brooke: Lẹkan ti o bẹrẹ lati ṣẹda fun awọn show rẹ? O jẹ ọkan nkan lati wa ni ọkunrin ati ki o ṣe music ni a ile-iṣẹ tabi ni ibi ailewu rẹ, ṣugbọn o jẹ diẹ sii lati gba awọn music ati ki o lọ ki o si ṣiṣẹ diẹ ninu awọn eniyan.

Kenya: I’ve struggled, actually, over the past couple of months getting over stage fright, honestly. Because it's scary going from being in your room and posting online, where you kind of remove yourself from being in front of everyone, but it's so fun. It's a completely different process from writing. But I still do a lot of writing. When I make my set, I love adding transitions between songs. I love doing that.

Brooke: There is still so much for you to accomplish. This year it's just the surface level of what we’ve seen so far from Kenya Grace. I feel like 2024 is going to skyrocket and take off. There is a song that you put up, “Paris”, which just came out not so long ago. I would like to talk a little bit about it, the lyrics, and how you decided to release this one.

Kenya: Mo ti sọ pe o ni ọdun sẹsẹ, ati pe Mo n fẹ awọn ipo ti o. O ti wa ni ibamu nipa bi awọn ọna asopọ aṣa ati, siwaju sii, ohun ti Mo ti mọ nipa awọn ibasepo lori awọn aṣa asopọ lori awọn aṣa asopọ. Awọn wọnyi le wa ni o dara julọ ṣugbọn nibẹ ni o wa ni ipinnu, ati pe eyi jẹ fun awọn ibasepo bi ninu awọn ẹgbẹ ati awọn ibasepo bi daradara, Mo fẹ. Mo ti ri o. Mo ni anfani ti o ti wa. Mo fẹ o jẹ diẹ ninu ohun ti o ni diẹ ninu awọn ohun tobi ọdun tobi.

Brooke: So it's coming soon?

Kenya: Soon-ish.

Brooke: I’m always so intrigued with somebody who is a newer artist and emerging, having so much success so quickly. It's just fun to know where your head is with all of this, and where you want to go. You are building out your brand and your artistry as Kenya Grace, and it's always fun to see where you want to take things because you can go anywhere with your projects.

Kenya: I’m trying to take it day by day. I'm trying not to think about the big picture too much because it's stressing me out. You can just overthink it.

Brooke: I know that we are entering towards the Holiday time and hopefully, you’ll get some time off. What do you usually do for the Holidays?

Kenya: Just chill with my family, to be fair. We don’t have a massive Christmas. It's just me and my brother, and my mom and dad. It's quite wholesome and chill.

Brooke: It's nice to go back and just be with your family, just do you and be you.

Kenya: Mo fẹ ki o jẹ ohun ti mo fẹ nipa Christmas nitori o jẹ akoko pẹlu awọn ọmọde rẹ.

Brooke: There is still so much to do, so much to accomplish for you as an artist. What are your goals for 2024? Obviously, we talked about the upcoming project, but I would like to know what else, and that could be anything.

Kenya: I’m really excited to play at festivals, different shows, releasing new music, and maybe a collab.

Brooke: Who is a dream collaborator for you, if you could work with anybody?

Kenya: I have so many. Should I list them all? Definitely Flume, that would be my dream. I love him so much. Maybe Chase & Status, but my ultimate dream collab would be Lana Del Rey, but it’s so far away…

Brooke: I love Lana.

Kenya: She is so amazing.

Brooke: Is there any artist, music you know through and through so well, where like, “I’m having a moment. I’m gonna put on music that makes me feel better”?

Kenya: Probably her [Lana Del Rey]. I love her. She is so soothing, her voice... everything. I love it.

Brooke: What do you want the world to know about who you are?

Kenya: O ni iyanu. Mo ko mọ pe awon eniyan le mọ, ṣugbọn mo jẹ ọkan ẹnikan ti o wa ni o wa. Ṣugbọn o le jẹ diẹ ẹnikan [lẹwa], ṣugbọn mo ti wa ni iyanu ati ki o wa ni iyanu, ati mo fẹ awọn music, ati mo fẹ bi mo jẹ a emo ni iwaju. Ni ibamu, music jẹ ọkan ninu mi ibi, paapa ti o, Mo fẹ awọn tattoos ati gbogbo awọn ohun miiran.

Brooke: Awọn iṣoro ti o ba fẹ lati fun awọn ti o dara julọ rẹ ati gbogbo eniyan ti o bẹrẹ lati ṣe music?

Kenya: I always say, try to teach yourself how to produce. I think it's a very empowering thing to do. It’s so good to be able to do it whenever you want, without putting time in a studio with somebody else. I would say that's my main advice, and post those online, even though it's scary.

Brooke: What virtually inspires you?

Kenya: Mo fẹ lati wo TV awọn ọna. Mo fẹ o jẹ ki o kan artistic, ati awọn eniyan ti o ba ti wa ni ko si fẹ lati wo TV, ṣugbọn nibẹ ni awọn ohun ti o wa ti wa ni nla, gẹgẹbi “American Horror Story”. Awọn ohun ti o ba wa ni o wa ni owo. O ti wa ni o dara julọ.

Brooke: What was your favorite song to record?

Kenya: It's so hard to pick. One of my favorite songs to perform is “Meteor”. I just love singing it, and I think “Strangers” was pretty fun to record.

Brooke: And it must be special in a way, to know now how many people connect to it on a deep level. What is your favorite part of the writing/creating process?

Kenya: I love all of it, to be honest. I love making the beat first, and then you feel the vibe of it, and then you get this moment where you like, “oh, I really like that”, where you know that’s working. That is my favorite.

Brooke: What inspires you, and whom do you look up to?

Kenya: So many people. Chase & Status, and so many singers. When I was younger, Adele - amazing songwriting, and Fred Again, I saw him recently, the energy at his concerts is insane.

Brooke: How are you managing to advocate for yourself with management and label as your success grows?

Kenya: I really love my team. They really get the whole thing, and they are very supportive, and I feel like they back my ideas 100%.

Brooke: Congratulations on everything. Thank you so much for taking the time to sit here with us today and getting to know you better.