We were lucky to catch up with KXTANA recently and have shared our conversation below.

KXTANA, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

My latest single, “Move” has been the most meaningful project thus far. This is the title of my latest song where I have recorded it in English and Japanese and performed it in English, Japanese, and a Korean translation. I was nervous about doing this track at first because I was worried people would think of me as appropriating the East Asian cultures. However, I have quickly learned that so many Japanese and Korean people from young to old actually enjoy my music and appreciate what I am doing. This is when I knew what I was doing was the right path. This confirmation was so meaningful to me.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is KXTANA (@theonlykxtana) and I am a trilingual rapper that wants to bridge the Eastern and Western worlds through my music and bring awareness in queer culture in both dynamics as well. You could say this all started when I lived in Tokyo and learned that my music and my stage presence was appreciated very well there. When I came back to the states, I focused solely on developing my craft and who I am as an artist. I didn’t actually learn this until I moved to Dallas and discovered K-Pop. Specifically, a K-Pop group known as Stray Kids. Their music, fashion, and stage presence inspired what I do today. I crafted my message and my aesthetic with my inspiration from them and created the artist you see today, KXTANA. Because of this inspiration you will hear multiple tastes and genres in my sounds, you will see full fledged choreography throughout my videos and performances, and full appreciation for the Queer, Asian, and Black culture.
I am still working towards broadening my marketing and my outreach so that way the whole world can know who I am and what I do. My goal is to eventually collaborate with Asian artists and create unity in music. This is because a lot of Western listeners do not understand that there is a whole world of music out there that can match what we listen to.
Another mission of mind is to spread the awareness of queer culture in all communities. It is hard to find openly queer Asian artist and this is a topic that has been on my mind for a long time, and I would love to be one of the artists in the world to make that difference.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Most definitely. That’s the goal to create with some of my idols. I strive forward every day knowing that one day I will collaborate with them and make an impact in both of our communities!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I started my music career, I had a very aggressive sound that did not quite sound like me but I knew it was a sound that was popular. Once I moved to Dallas, I fell out of love with that sound and that persona. It wasn’t me and never was. So I decided to pivot my sound and my whole approach to the music industry. Which was when I decided to be inspired by K-Pop artists and look at their business model.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.theonlykxtana.com
• Instagram: Theonlykxtana
• Twitter: Theonlykxtana
• Youtube: KXTANA
• Other: Tik Tok: @theonlykxtana Linktree: solo.to/theonlykxtana

Image Credits
Cameron Kenzo My Life In Rewind Tiffany Demesi