LGBTQIA+
Kentö, in His Own Words The multilingual singer, songwriter, and producer speaks By Simha Haddad
GHR: HOW DID KENTÖ COME TO BE? K: As I was putting together an album in Japan [in 2011], the tsunami happened. I decided to move to LA and create a project on my own. It was completely indie, without the support of a record label or anything. That’s when I released my first EP, Complicated , in 2013. From there, I kept trying to build my brand. It took a long time to figure out what my sound actually was. Once I figured that out, that’s when I feel I really became an artist. I got signed to AWAL (a London-based indie subsidiary of Sony records). Last year, I put out a buzz single called “Silhouette” that got a lot of traction. It felt really cool. I think the scale had to do with the fact that I now understand who I am as an artist. I believe in my sound so much that other people are starting to believe in it too. CAN YOU ELABORATE ON HOW YOU DISCOVERED YOUR SOUND AND HOW YOU DEFINE YOUR SOUND NOW? Right after I released Complicated , I had an identity crisis. I was comparing myself to everyone else. I started to believe I was unworthy, and I had to rebuild myself up and remember who I was. Because I was experimenting with all these different sounds, I started to really look at what the inspirations are for me, as an artist. Why do I make music? It all came back to what my parents listened to when I was a kid— music like Kate Bush and Queen and The Police and Tina Turner and Peter Gabriel. My parents passed away when I was pretty young. I started to think, oh my gosh, I am creating music as a way to communicate with my parents. It was an interesting revelation. Now when I go into producing a new song, I always think, “Would my parents listen to this?” WILL THERE BE A FOLLOW-UP TO “SILHOUETTE?” Yes. On Jan. 23, 2022, I have a single called “Pega- sus” coming out. It is a song that was written as a trib- ute to my late friend Zavion Davenport, also known as Chi Chi DeVayne from RuPaul’s Drag Race . It’s about my questions about other people I have lost in my life too. There are a lot of questions about death, and that’s really sad. But, there is also this celebration of want- ing to sing for them and share that feeling of love with other people. I also have a full-length album coming out in July, called Strangers , that focuses on communication and miscommunication.
“ If you love what you do, then other people will
feel that and follow you. ”
WHEN DID YOU HAVE THE BIG REVELATION THAT YOU ARE CREATING SO MUCH FOR EVERYONE YOU’VE LOST? In 2020, I was diagnosed with a severe case of ventricular tachycardia—a heart condition that caused me to go into cardiac arrests and have strokes. I flatlined in the middle of the surgery, but when I woke up, it was like I got LASIK for my heart. I think that experience, coupled with being alone with my thoughts in isolation during the pandemic, made everything become really clear. HOW HAS BEING ON THE AUTISM SPEC- TRUM INFLUENCED YOUR JOURNEY? I spent a lot of time hiding my autism. I was told to mirror and mask my behavior from a young age, so I did. I had
Kentör
WHAT HAS BEEN A HIGH POINT IN YOUR CAREER? Performing for 60 thousand people at LA Pride in 2018, opening for Kehlani. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR ARTISTS OUT THERE WHO WANT TO DO WHAT YOU DO BUT DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START? If you’re a singer, be a singer first and foremost. Focus on the craft. Make it the best you can make it. All the other stuff like how to market and get famous comes later. The No. 1 thing you need to focus on is making music. If you love what you do, then other people will feel that and follow you.
to come out twice in my life, both as a queer person and then being on the spectrum. I was tired of hiding myself. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE STRUGGLES THAT COME WITH BEING A DIY ARTIST? I wish there were five of me. There is never enough time. The most stressful thing is that you never know how it’s going to be received. You don’t have the support and promotion of a major record label. However, that said, there are amazing tools out there like social media and word of mouth. Once you get the ball rolling and you get the attention of certain publications and networks, it starts to snowball. Sometimes it can take years, but if you keep going, it will get there.
@kentooff icial | kento.co.uk/cyberspace
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