The Electrifying Rebirth of a Music Powerhouse
KIARAA’s music has always been more than just sound. It’s a movement. When I first heard “Feel With Me,” I was drawn in by its raw emotion, a song that felt both deeply personal and universally empowering. Now with Robert Parker’s remix, that message of resilience and self-belief hits even harder, transforming into an ’80s fever dream that demands to be felt. In this interview, KIARAA opens up about the evolution of “Feel With Me,” her journey into music, and what’s next as she continues to push boundaries and inspire. It is my pleasure to introduce you to KIARAA.
What motivated you to revisit “Feel With Me” and release a remix?
“Feel With Me” has always been more than a love song. On the surface, it feels like it’s written for someone else, but it’s always been a song for me. For the woman I’ve been fighting to believe in. Every lyric is an invitation to rise, to trust in her, to dream bigger than the doubts. Revisiting it now felt like a full-circle moment—a chance to breathe new life into that message and remind her once again: Keep going. You’re worth everything you’re fighting for.
When Robert Parker came into the picture, he reimagined the song into something bolder, something that demanded to be felt. The remix became not just a song but an anthem for resilience, a reminder to every woman that she is her own greatest love story.
What stood out about Robert that made him the perfect fit to reimagine the track?
Robert understands how to create worlds with his music—worlds where you feel everything you’ve been too afraid to feel. His sound makes nostalgia feel fresh and freedom feel like a rhythm you can move to. I knew he could take the quiet vulnerability of “Feel With Me” and amplify it into something stronger, something that felt like power. He took the heartbeat of the song and turned it into a pulse you can’t ignore.
Can you tell me more about the original track? When did you produce it, and what was going through your mind when you were writing the lyrics?
When I wrote “Feel With Me,” I wasn’t writing to anyone else. It’s disguised as a love song, but it’s always been a conversation with myself. Every line is me calling out to the woman I was becoming. “Fight with me like fire, move with me like air, touch me like water, hold me like you care.” It sounds like a plea to a lover, but it was always for me.
It’s a theme I’ve found in all my music. I write a lot about love, but more often than not, it’s about the love I’m learning to give myself. It’s the fight to believe in her, to dream with her, to feel with her. It’s an anthem for all the versions of me who thought they weren’t enough and needed a reminder to take up space.
And I have to say—the original “Feel With Me” still moves. It still grooves. The energy, the rhythm—it’s got this hypnotic quality that makes you want to move even while you’re feeling every lyric. That’s what makes this song special—it holds both motion and emotion, the heartbeat and the stillness.
With the remix being described as an ’80s fever dream,’ how do you think this nostalgic twist aligns with or diverges from the essence of the original “Feel With Me”?
The original “Feel With Me” still moves—it grooves, it hits, it has that undeniable rhythm that pulls you in. It was always a song that made you feel something deep while still making you want to move with it. That’s what I love about it—it holds emotion and energy in the same breath.
The remix doesn’t replace that—it expands on it. The original was intimate, like a quiet conversation you have with yourself when no one is listening. The remix turns that same message outward—it’s bolder, louder, drenched in neon-lit nostalgia but still carrying that heartbeat of self-belief.
It doesn’t change the essence; it just amplifies it. The fight, the passion, the rawness—it’s all still there, just in a different shade of fire. The remix makes you want to dance through the storm, to celebrate the survival, to stand in your power and let the music move through you.
Your debut album, Defying Odds, is described as a lyrical masterpiece forged in moments of resilience. What personal experiences influenced the themes and stories within this album?
Defying Odds is a journey. It’s a collection of love songs in disguise—love songs for myself, for the parts of me that were learning to rise again after being broken. Every song was written in a moment where I needed to be reminded that I was still capable of dreaming, still capable of becoming more than the limits life had handed me.
It’s a deeply personal album, but it’s also for every woman who feels like she’s too late or too far behind. It’s a love letter to her. A reminder that she’s always been enough and that it’s never too late to start believing in herself. This album isn’t just about music. It’s about survival and self-love and knowing that we’re worth every bit of space we want to take up in the world.
You entered the music scene at 32 and achieved remarkable success in just a year. What motivated you to pursue music at that stage of your life?
Music found me at a time when I didn’t even know I needed it. I wasn’t searching for it, but it came in like a tidal wave and refused to let go. I had never played or written before, but the first time I sat at a piano, it felt like something inside me woke up.
At 32, I was a mother and a business owner. My life was full, but I knew I needed to make room for this voice that was rising inside me. It wasn’t about success; it was about survival. Every song became a way to speak to the version of me who had almost given up on her dreams. Music became my rebellion, my freedom, and my love letter to the woman I was still becoming.
What advice would you give to individuals who are considering starting a musical career later in life or without formal training?
Start before you’re ready. You’ll never feel ready. Do it with shaking hands. Do it scared. Do it without knowing exactly how. Just do it.
You don’t need to have all the answers. You just need to take the first step and trust that every mistake, every stumble, is shaping you. Love yourself enough to bet on your own potential.
With over 2 million streams and recognition from major outlets, how do you stay grounded and focused on your craft?
The streams, the recognition—they’re beautiful moments, but they’re not what makes me. The real work happens in the silence. In the moments when I’m sitting at the piano, in the rawness of writing a song, in the space where it’s just me and the music, with no one watching.
I stay grounded because I remember why I started. This was never about numbers. This was about survival. About giving a voice to the parts of me that had been quiet for too long. That’s where the magic is. That’s where the fire lives. The moment I start chasing success instead of chasing truth is the moment I lose what makes this real.
So I keep my focus on the art, on the stories I still need to tell, on the songs that still need to be sung. That’s what matters. That’s what will last.
Your journey is said to inspire women worldwide to dream fearlessly and push beyond their limits. How do you hope your story and music empower others, especially women pursuing their passions later in life?
I want every woman to know: You are not too late.
You are not too old.
You are not too anything.
The world tries to put us in a box, telling us there’s an expiration date on our dreams. That if we haven’t “made it” by a certain age, we should just accept it and move on. That is a lie.
I want my music to be the voice that tells a woman: Get up. Go after it. Step into the thing that sets your soul on fire. I started at 32, with no experience, no connections, no roadmap. I built this from the ground up, and I failed more times than I can count—but I didn’t stop. And neither should you.
If I can be living proof that you can rise at any time, that your story is still being written, then I’ve done what I came here to do.
You’ve recently transitioned from Raquel Kiaraa to KIARAA. What motivated this rebranding, and how does it reflect your evolution as an artist?
Raquel Kiaraa is all-encompassing—she is the woman who wears a thousand hats, the one who dreams big and builds relentlessly. She is the mother, the entrepreneur, the coach, the leader. She is the one who balances it all, who fights for her space in every room she walks into.
But KIARAA? KIARAA is the main character of music. She is the voice, the story, the raw, unfiltered expression of everything I’ve lived through and everything I still dream of. She is the fire that burns when I step on stage, the energy that flows through every lyric.
The transition wasn’t about leaving anything behind—it was about letting KIARAA step fully into the spotlight. Raquel Kiaraa will always be the foundation, the force that holds it all together. But KIARAA is the sound, the feeling, the heartbeat of the music. She is who I become when I stop holding back.
You’re set to launch an app aimed at uplifting women and guiding them to live confidently and boldly. Can you tell us more about this initiative and what users can expect?
This app is a love letter to every woman who has ever doubted herself.
It’s about building confidence in every area of life—fashion, fitness, food, and self-care—because confidence isn’t just one thing. It’s how you move through the world. It’s how you see yourself in the mirror. It’s the way you choose yourself daily, in small ways that add up to something powerful.
Users can expect structured programs designed to help them step into their power, from fitness routines that make them feel strong, to fashion challenges that push them outside their comfort zones, to self-care rituals that remind them they deserve to feel good in their own skin.
It’s not just an app. It’s a movement. It’s about women reclaiming themselves, daring to take up space, daring to love themselves loudly and boldly. Because when we believe in ourselves, we become unstoppable.
Balancing motherhood, entrepreneurship, coaching, and a full-time music career is no small feat. How do you manage these roles, and what impact do they have on your music?
The truth? I don’t always balance it perfectly. There are days when I feel like I’m being pulled in a thousand directions, when I’m exhausted, when I wonder if I’m doing enough in each role.
But what I’ve learned is this: I don’t have to choose. I don’t have to be either a mother or a musician, a business owner or an artist. I can be all of it.
My kids don’t take me away from my dreams—they inspire them. They watch me chase my passion, and they learn that they can chase theirs, too. The gym, the coaching, the music—it all fuels the same fire. It all teaches me discipline, creativity, resilience.
It’s not about balance—it’s about presence. Being all-in with whatever I’m doing, wherever I am. That’s where the magic happens.
What advice would you give to individuals who are considering starting a musical career later in life or without formal training?
Do it now.
Do it before you feel ready.
Do it even if you’re terrified.
I had no experience, no training, no connections. But I had desire. And desire will take you further than talent ever will—because desire makes you show up every single day and do the work.
Don’t wait for permission. Don’t wait for someone to tell you you’re good enough. Decide you are. Start before you’re ready, and trust that the process will shape you.
You don’t have to be great to begin. But you have to begin to be great.
When people look back on your music years from now, what message or impact do you hope they take away from your work?
I hope they hear a woman who fought for herself. A woman who refused to shrink. A woman who chose to believe, even when doubt was screaming in her face.
I hope they hear their own stories in my songs. I hope they feel less alone. I hope my music reminds them that their dreams are still waiting for them, that their voice matters, that their story isn’t over.
Because that’s what this is all about. It’s not just music. It’s a movement. A call to every woman to rise, to own her power, to step into the life she’s always dreamed of.
If my music leaves behind one message, let it be this:
You are worthy. You are powerful. And you are just getting started.
As we wrap up, can you share what’s next for KIARAA? Are there any surprises, upcoming releases, or goals you’re particularly excited about?
There’s so much coming—new songs, new stories, and new moments of truth. Every project I take on feels like a deeper dive into this journey of self-love and resilience.
This year, I’ll be releasing my second album—one that feels like the most powerful and raw body of work I’ve ever created. But I’m already looking ahead, because my third album is fully written and ready to record. It’s the next evolution, the next layer of the story I’ve been telling—the love story between a woman and her belief in herself.
I’m working on more music that pushes even further into those emotional places where we meet ourselves fully—because that’s what this has always been about. I can’t wait to share it all. This is just the beginning.
For more information about KIARAA, go to:
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