When someone was raised in a household where music was not only present but was also a core value, it shows, and Tiana Major9 is most definitely a product of that. Tiana is someone who exudes an authentic connection with her art that undoubtedly helped set her apart as her career in music began to take off.
Tiana grew up in London, England, singing in her youth choir at church, absorbing the beauty of jazz that echoed in her home, and even studying music at a performing arts school. It was a huge passion in her life from a young age, but it wasn't until she was older that she realized exactly what facet of the industry she wanted to pursue. What originally started out as an interest in songwriting quickly turned into her becoming a songwriter, singer, performer, and artist. The rest is history.
If you have yet to have the privilege of listening to Tiana, I highly suggest you look her up, but I'm fairly confident her voice will sound familiar from her wildly successful single "Collide" featuring EarthGang that appeared in the movie Queen & Slim. And that aforementioned authenticity I mentioned? It's written all over her latest EP, At Sixes and Sevens, that recently dropped on Motown Records. Listen to the lyrics and you will hear Tiana open up about her complex yet highly relatable emotions surrounding love and self-discovery.
After speaking with her about the EP, her upbringing, and, of course, her style, it is clear that Tiana is not done opening up and sharing her story with her fans. This is just the beginning for this up-and-coming artist, and we are excited to share a little bit more about her with you all here.
Your new EP, At Sixes and Sevens, just dropped on Motown Records. Can you tell us a little bit about it?
To be at sixes and sevens means to be in a state of total confusion, and that's exactly how I felt before writing. I felt confused about self-love and loving friends and romantic love. I also worked with a lot of amazingly talented producers on that subject.
You touched on this a little bit when you first started talking about the EP, but it's definitely a very vulnerable one in terms of the content and the lyrics. What made you decide to really open up on this particular EP?
I feel like I have a reputation of not being very open with my emotions, so I really wanted to channel my vulnerability and give people a bit more insight into how I'm feeling and how I've been feeling.
What are you hoping that your listeners and fans will take away from it?
I hope that they take away the affirmations and use them in their lives, and even if it's not the affirmations that I have on my EP, I hope they start affirming themselves more. I want people to feel exactly how I'm feeling or to relate to how I'm feeling.
Is there one particular track that you are especially close to, and if so, why?
My favorites are "Exclusively" and "Same Space" because when I wrote "Same Space," that was one of my favorite sessions ever. It was just good vibes—it was just flowing. And I allowed myself to be very, very vulnerable in that room.
I would love to know a little bit about your personal history with your love of music. Was it always a big part of your life growing up?
Yeah. I've always always wanted to be a singer. When I was young, I used to sing a lot around the house. And then when my mom went back to church, I used to sing a lot in the youth choir and praise and worship. Then at school, I studied it quite a bit in college. I also went to a performing arts school. I've always wanted to do this. I've always wanted to sing.
What was the turning point for you when you knew you definitely wanted to turn music into a career?
I wanted to be a songwriter—strictly a songwriter—because I'm a dark-skinned woman and I just thought it would just be a lot harder for me to be in the industry and be successful in the industry. But then I realized, "You know what? It's much bigger than me. I'm going to work hard and I'm going to try and be one of the people that changed people's perception of darker-skinned women in the industry." So I decided to be an artist.
Your music definitely falls into the R&B, hip-hop, jazz genres. But from what I've read and researched about you, jazz is particularly important to you. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
I just love jazz. That was always playing in my house—jazz and gospel. It's just something that is a part of me.
Are there any artists right now who are inspiring you or who you look up to?
I have a few, actually. I really love SiR. He's an amazing artist. Who else do I love? I really love FKA Twigs. She's an amazing artist. Lucky Daye. So many people. So many.
Since we are a fashion publication, we have to chat a little bit about your personal style. What's your relationship to fashion? Is it important to you?
Oh, yeah—very, very. Some people will see me before they hear me sing. It's all about branding for me and expressing myself and making sure that I'm expressing myself with my clothes.
How would you describe your style, and has it evolved much throughout the course of your career or remained pretty consistent?
How would I describe my style? I really like color. I really love color—colorful clothes, patterns. I feel like I'm still working out what my style is. I'm just having a lot of fun, but at the moment, I'm very fem, and I'm wearing a lot of dresses and skirts. I'm still working it out. It's going to evolve because I'm just like that. I don't like to be the same. I don't like to stay the same.
Do you have any go-to pieces in your wardrobe right now that you are obsessed with?
When it comes to shoes, it's probably my black platform Buffalos or my Nike Air Forces. I wear these black bleached denim jeans a lot. They're really nice. They have buckles and spikes on them. I wear that a lot. That's my go-to.
Are there any brands you're particularly loving or supporting right now?
Always Nike. Who else do I love? I love Mowalola. I just can't afford her stuff at the moment, but Mowalola is amazing. What else am I loving? Daily Paper.
You're definitely not afraid to mix it up and take risks when it comes to your beauty looks. What are some more experimental beauty looks that you're loving right now?
Bottom lashes. I haven't done them yet, but I want to try them. I think that would be cool. Shaved eyebrows. I want to do that one time. I want to shave my eyebrows or make them straight. I have the natural curve of my eyebrows, but I want to make them straight across or something.
Have you always been experimental with makeup or is it a newer thing for you?
It's been about three years. Before I didn't really wear makeup too much. I used to wear a lot of natural makeup. Makeup is fun.
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