Kenya Grace Talks Coachella, iHeartRadio Music Awards Nomination & More!

Kenya Grace joined our East Coast host Crystal Rosas via zoom to talk about being on the Coachella lineup, being nominated for the iHeartRadio Music Awards and more!

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
What's up? I'm your host onthe New hit List, Kenya grace A.
Welcome to the show. And firstof all, how are you doing?
Are you breathing? Are you drinkingwater? What's the vibe? H?
I am doing great, Thank you, staying healthy, very chill.
How are you good? I meanyou need to be so much isn't happening
for you in the past year?Congratulations on it all. We've chatted before

(00:22):
about your start making music for whenyou're little, making music in college,
and then now your song is playingon almost every single radio station around the
world. How are you feeling?Honestly, I thought it. I still
like can't believe it. Sometimes it'sso crazy, like it's is wild but

(00:44):
amazing. I'm so grateful, ofcourse, No, it is. I
mean it's it's the craziest thing.Do you remember when you first heard your
song on the radio? I thinkthat was in like it must have been
in the car in the UK thatI first heard it, and I was
so, so, so so excited. I remember one specific time was on
the chart show in the UK andit like went in at number twenty or

(01:04):
something and I was listening like justlike, what the hell is happening,
but yeah, it's amazing. Whowas the first person who called my mum
so cute? Was a reaction likeshe was obviously screaming like just so happy
for me. It's crazy. Yes, and now we see you on the

(01:27):
Coachella lineup. Congratulations. That ishuge. Artists have worked their whole careers
to be on that lineup. Howdid it go about? Where were you
when you found out? It's sorandom? I was in a yoga class
when my manager texted me and toldme so, it was quite like random,

(01:48):
but it is insane. I'm soexcited to go, like even just
to go. I've always wanted tojust to even just go, like not
even perform, Like it's such ahuge thing, Like it's so famous and
it's so cooled in the desert,Like I'm so excited for that. Honestly,
have you been to a festival beforein the desert like that? No?
Like the only best OFE that I'vebeen to her in the UK,

(02:10):
and they're so different. It's likemuddy and like grassy vibes, Like this
is so different. It's so exciting. Yeah, Well, who on the
lineup are you really excited to see? Because you're gonna have extra time to
watch I feel like literally everyone,Like I was, I was thinking,
like I really want to stay likeon the other like days and like go
and see everyone. But I feellike Lana del Rey is probably my I

(02:32):
really want to see her live likeso bad. That is, She's amazing.
Do you have any friends on thelineup that you know or have ran
into before, like excited to meetup with or I don't think so,
but yeah, hopefully I meet somepeople there that'd be so good. Now
I know that you're a tourist.Do you know a lot about astrology or
you're kind of like me, you'reon like surface level vibes. Yeah,

(02:53):
I don't know too much about it. Yeah, I sometimes read my horoscope
sometimes, But yeah, you're atrue tourist, like what people say about
you. I feel like the onlything about Taurus is like they're stubborn and
hungry or like like like they lovefood. I do love you, I
guess, so yeah. Or I'ma Pisces, like a creative and social

(03:19):
and emotional so yes, that doesline up. No. Also, Valentine's
Day is coming up. Do youguys celebrated in the UK or not really?
Yeah, I think so. Yeah, it's quite I think it's quite
a big thing here. Yeah,it's quite. Do you think you have
any what was that? Most peoplelike do something I guess with their partners
or yeah, is there a Valentine'sDay that stands out to you? What

(03:43):
in my in my past? Yeah, not really not really no, but
like I need to do I needto do something this year. I need
to make more of a thing ofit. Definitely. What would be your
like ideal Valentine's Day? Maybe justlike a nice dinner that would be quite
cute. Yeah, what do Imean? Hm hmm, I think maybe

(04:08):
like Italian I feek that's quite romantic, like pasta or something quite cute,
little show the spaghetti vibes. Yeah. What about gifts? Are you like
big on giving gifts or you're like, no, my presence is enough.
Yeah, I think so I'll getmy boyfriend something. I think, like
something something small. Yeah, Idon't really like I think it's maybe just

(04:31):
like not too much of a bigthing here? Is it quite a big
thing there? Like the people reallysay? Yeah, you know, in
America, like everything is so extraand now it's all about like the big
bouquets and the big gifts, andwe were even talking about money bouquets,
like turning money into fla Have youseen those before? No? What the
hell? That's crazy? That isgreat. I feel like I need to

(04:54):
move there, to be honest,it sounds so much more of a vibe
than here. Do you have anyplans? Why are you liking it in
the UK? I do love ithere, to be fair, but I
don't know, I'm not like posedoff the idea. I feel like it's
so cool there. I think Iwould love it. You've traveled around the
US now doing shows, and likewe said, we finally got you here

(05:15):
to New York for the first time. Was there any city that you really
loved? You're like, no,I could for sure live here New York.
I thought like that was that's likethe it's quite like I think it's
similar to London, to be honest, that it's quite like similar vibes,
but just way bigger. I feellike all the other places are a bit
like more chill, but New Yorkis is cool and it's like I like
how you can walk around as well. I love that. It's pretty cool.

(05:40):
Was there any part of your NewYork trip that really stood out to
you that you loved. Hmm,I love the shows so much and like
meeting everyone. Like the people Imet there were just so amazing. Everyone
was so nice. I feel like, yeah, the people that was the
best bit. Yes. And wealso have been talking a lot about the
Oscars, Barbie Oppenheimer, who's gotnominated and not Were there any movies that

(06:04):
you loved last year were obsessed with? I loved Barbie actually so good.
I feel like it was so emotional. Actually, I did not expect it
to be that like poignant. Itwas so good, incredible. I know
America For's monologue, we're just likefeeling it too crazy. It's basically like
sobbing in the cinema, like wow. We've had artists like Ray come on

(06:28):
and she's voiced how difficult it couldbe for women writing and music. What
encouragement and words do you have forwomen trying to make it in the writing
and in the artist field. Ifeel like it can be a bit like
daunting at the start. But myadvice anyone would be learn how to at
least like the basics of logic orAbleton, and like learn how to produce

(06:53):
a little bit. I just feellike that helps so much. If you're
doing sessions with people, you canreally voice what you want out of the
song. And yeah, I justfeel like that little bit of knowledge will
help so much, like with yourlike being to be empowered to actually write
more. And yeah, and Ithink a great part about being an artist,
especially now that you're getting bigger andyou're being showcased on Coachella, You're

(07:15):
gonna start meeting all these different artiststhat you never have before. Have you
ever maybe considered working with any Latinoartists? Are there any Latino artists that
you are big fans of? Hm, I need to like get more into
it, Like I feel that that'slike a whole genre, Like I don't
really know too much about, LikeI really need to like go and like
experience some of that. It soundssounds so cool, But I'm so like

(07:39):
up for work with other artists,Like I don't want to always do everything
myself. Like I love the ideaof co labbing, to be honest,
I think it would be so amazing, especially like different genres. I feel
like that could be really cool todo, like you know, like crossover
very cool. I know one ofyour dreams is to work with disclosure.
Have you not talking have you talkedto anyone about that or gone closer to

(08:01):
that, babe, any conversations.No, but I met I met Jason
Status, which was like another oneof my like big like dream collapse.
So that's that was amazing. Sohopefully that will hopefully something will happen there
go okay maybe. And also Ihave to say congratulations, you are up

(08:22):
for Song of the Year, PopSong of the No, Dance Song of
the Year. You are up forDance Song of the Year. Are twenty
twenty four. iHeartRadio music War.It's so crazy? How cool is that?
What do you think about all this? It's so crazy, Like it's
wild. All the other people thathave been nominated as well are like all

(08:43):
like just super famous. It justfeels so crazy. I think you could
have won. I mean we're playingyour song non stuff everywhere, so you
have a good chance. Kenya.Thank you of course. Now lastly,
I just want you to send amessage to everyone listening and rooting for you
on the New hit List. Thankyou so much everybody who's rooting for me

(09:05):
on the New hit List. It'sabsolutely amazing. Thank you so much for
all your support easy peasy well.Thank you so much for hanging out with
us. We cannot wait for youto come back to New York. Since
you say you love it here somuch, we can find a place for
you very easy. Thank you somuch for having me on. I definitely
want to come back. I loveNew York.