With the release of her latest song, “Party with a Monster”, London-based singer-songwriter and social media star Chiara King proves to be a star whose light never dims, which marks a much-anticipated return after an almost two-year hiatus for the artist.
The Trilingual upbringing saw her turn to a fusion of Latin Rhythms with glossy Pop melodies and strong Brit-pop Flair to create her signature upbeat sound, however, in the case of “Party with a Monster”, Chiara also brings in Arabic-influenced melodies into the mix for an even greater flavour profile.
“Party with a Monster” is her femme fatale comeback as a recording artist and the song encompasses this powerful feeling. It is a story of a girl wanting to party with a monster. The duality of the monster is interesting because not only is the monster representing the dark side of herself, the temptation, seduction, and toxicity, which everyone holds within them yet doesn’t wish to admit…
This new track is rather special for Chiara. More than a return, it signals her triumph over industry forces that threatened to drag her career down. For two years, Chiara was stuck with a record label that -to say the least- did not facilitate her artistic development, so stifled she felt that she almost quit making music entirely.
Today, Chiara has returned to being an independent artist fully in control of what she wants to make, and the end result -and more- is the very subject of our interview with her today. Check it out:
“Party with a Monster” is very intriguing, the more you read into it, the more complex it gets. Would you say it blends personal experiences and imagination?
Party with a monster has a dual meaning, to be honest. The first meaning is wanting to chase someone that perhaps is not good for you, but you want to party with them and get lost in the temptation of something and someone who isn’t good for you. The other meaning is going out and partying and giving in becoming a monster and the dark side of yourself which only comes out at night. The version of yourself which you try your best to hide during the day but with alcohol and partying, this tempting, darker, more sultry, and sensual side comes out to play. Think of it as the devil and angel on each shoulder, and giving in to the devil when the sun goes down…
Speaking of personal experiences. You were “stuck” with a record label for nearly 2 years and that almost led you to quit your music career. Having been burned by the industry in such a way, would you say that it can be a lot like partying with a monster?
Yes. I was very close to quitting and actually the only person who encouraged me to try one last time was my mum. She taught me never to give up on music and this is why I’m here right now, it’s because of her, she gave me the strength to go alone and do it all independently without any help, solely using my social media platform to push my music, which is a massive risk because you have no support from a team or label, however, if it works, well the reward will be out of this world for me.
This is your first release in nearly two years, what are your feelings going back into the game?
I’m absolutely bricking it. Scared, nervous, excited, stressed, and overwhelmed. To be honest I’ve been putting off releasing music for so long because of these exact feelings. I’m very vulnerable when I release my music because it’s the closest to my heart compared to anything else I put out into the world so I really do care about how people will react to it. Overall though I have faith that everything will work out I’m just a massive self-critic and nothing will ever be perfect enough in my eyes! Haha
What makes this song the right “comeback” for you at this moment?
This song I would say is a big power move in terms of the song being quite dark yet strong. I want to party with a monster, play with a dark side, and in a way prove everyone wrong, that I don’t need a label in order to be successful. Everything is changing now in the music game and I’ve been burnt enough. Now it’s time to bring my darkness out, the monster inside me and take matters into my own hands by releasing my music. Something I’m proud of for years to come. I’m excited!
How do you conceptualize yourself as a songwriter? Are there themes you often like to explore or do you just follow inspiration wherever it may take you?
Usually, I talk about my past heartbreak, new love, and relationships, very similar to my content on Tiktok and Instagram to be honest. I’m fascinated by love, heartbreak, healing, and the meaning of it all. I’m so intrigued by others’ experiences with love and hope, through my own romantic experiences (good and bad) I give a place where other people can relate to what I’ve gone through or am currently going through with love and relationships.
Do you feel like being trilingual affects the way you handle your songwriting?
Absolutely. I actually feel more comfortable writing in Spanish and singing in Spanish than I do in English because I grew up with Latin music playing at home than I did English music. My mum was obsessed with Ricky Martin and Jlo and Shakira so that’s all I listened to, therefore, even though I’m not Spanish, I basically fell in love with the language and the culture and the music. The words and lyrics when I write in Spanish have so much more passion and depth in my opinion, and I just feel my soul more connected to Spanish In that sense, something I can’t quite grasp with songwriting and singing in English.
Let’s talk a bit about your TikTok adventures. How does it feel to be like this hybrid artist/entertainer? How important is the platform for you as a creative right now?
I honestly never wanted to be an “influencer” as everyone loves to call us. However, I’m so extremely grateful to have fallen into it because if it wasn’t for Tiktok, and creating content about relationships then I wouldn’t have the platform I have today and I’m grateful to have touched so many people that relate to my heartbreaks and healings and new found loves. It makes me feel more connected to my audience and my music will just be another avenue for connection in that way. All of these avenues are just an extension of me and what I want to show the world, whether that be in content or music.
It seems inevitable that artists nowadays are compelled to use social media platforms and provide content and interact with their fans more regularly than ever before in the history of music. Does it get a bit too demanding at times?
By doing content, people underestimate how much needs to be done. I post 4 times a day on Tiktok and twice a day on Instagram, once a day on YouTube shorts too. It’s a lot to handle sometimes and I almost have to take myself willingly out of the real world to do this, and it makes me feel very antisocial when I’m with friends or family for example. However, I would never in a million years trade what I do for something else. I really do feel like the luckiest girl to be able to do what I do. With every job there are always positives and negatives, you cannot have only a job that has perks and no downsides, but I am more than happy any day to take the negatives of social media because the perks of what I do are beyond what I ever thought was possible at my age especially. I’m so extremely grateful to have a fan base that loves what I put out there, it makes my heart full.
I can imagine you’re eager to dive back in full. What are you planning for the rest of 2023?
Releasing more music! I can’t wait to show you more of what I’ve been creating for the past few months and years too! I can’t wait to perform more, I’m actually opening for a big artist Bellah Mae on the 7th of April which is exciting and scary. I haven’t performed in nearly 3 years so I’m bricking it a bit!
Any message for the fans now that you’re recording again?
Keep your ears and eyes peeled! More to come…this is just the beginning and I can’t wait to bring you on this new, updated music journey with me. I’m so freaking excited!!!
