As an artist who began her musical journey at the age of 10, she excels at highlighting her youthful energy and established mastery over her voice.
With her following growing steadily, and her live performances transitioning from the likes of Carnegie Hall to Madison Square Garden, it's clear that this young talent is already making waves in the industry at only 16 years of age. And this year, "Know Me Better" is Carolina Rial's first single since "Remember Me," her 2019 endeavor.
Still, it shares more with the dance-motivating moments of modern pop's biggest hits: call-and-response vocals delays, gently and robotically stacked in the chorus, as well as dramatic mastery of pauses and faltering space between transitions before the final crescendos. The refrain of Carolina Rial's latest single lands as inspirational and in lesser informed hands and has a performatively blue surface meaning behind it. "I listen to the voices in my head," is the sort of thing your most needy friend would say to you before imparting some insight on their inner state —but Carolina finds real strength in the declaration.
Over the dance-fueled, bright-pop hit that has become her forte, the young singer confirms her confidence in herself: "I know they know me better, keep holding me together," she sings, highlighting every word with addictive vibrato and a warm saturation, "I see the world with open arms, battle scars, and broken hearts."
Punchy, low-end kick surges underneath her as if to state her resilience and confidence are one and the same. It's the kind of internal admission—steadfast, accepting—that fights external influences from reducing her inner worth, especially when paired with the song's proficient and polished production.
Carolina emphasizes a problematic struggle with imagistic lines about others' disbelief of her and being overlooked. The uplifting nature of the track feels genuine and memorable, and with a masterful vocal performance, "Know Me Better is most definitely the spotlight for this upcoming summer's go-to pop songs.
You can listen to "Know Me Better" here.
Hey there, Carolina! Welcome to BuzzMusic! We're especially excited to be featuring "Know Me Better"! Tell us more about the key message behind this song. Why do you feel this was an important message to express?
Hi, thank you so much for featuring me! “Know Me Better” is a really special song to me because of the meaning behind it. I feel like as a young artist in the game, it can be challenging for people to take you seriously from the start and how easily it is to be taken advantage of. I’m 16 now, and there have been some moments throughout the past year and a half when I’ve been fully pursuing music, where people have looked down on me just because of my age. Sure, I don’t have half the experience as someone who’s been doing this for five or ten years or longer, but we have to remember that they also started from the bottom to get to where they are now. My song “Know Me Better” expresses the passion and drive that I’ve always had to become successful in this industry. Now more than ever, it’s such an important message to deliver because everyone and anyone’s dreams should never be underestimated because of how young they are.
You prove to show full control over your voice, it seems like it comes naturally, even at such a young age. Are there any habits you've been able to credit to your capabilities as a confident vocalist?
I first started singing when I was 10 but didn’t start taking it seriously until I was about 12 or 13. Practice really does make progress. It’s been amazing to see how much I’ve developed as a vocalist and musician over the last few years. I always make sure to take care of my voice as well. Never overuse or strain it. When performing live, I try to never let my nerves get the best of me. It’s kind of funny actually, I usually get really excited to perform but right before I sing, I get nervous. Then as soon as I take my first step on stage or on a field, it all goes away and it’s just me and the microphone. Especially when I’m performing in big arenas and stadiums, I really have to hone it all in and focus on what I’m about to deliver... because there’s really no going back after a live performance lol.
Who has been your number one influencer since you first started singing, and how has their inspiration helped you develop your own style?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always looked up to my mother. She’s been a single mom since I was three and has never given up on herself. I’m beyond grateful for her and everything that she’s sacrificed for my siblings and me. She’s always told me to be original and transparent. That has inspired me to develop my own style and never conform to anything else. Now that I’ve found something I’m so passionate about in life, I want to do everything that I can to give back and say thank you to her. Musically, I’ve always been inspired by the legendary divas growing up such as Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Christina Aguilera alongside current powerhouse vocalists like Demi Lovato, Jessie J, and Alicia Keys.
Thanks for joining us at BuzzMusic! What are the next steps for you, Carolina? Do you intend to release an album soon? How about any events or campaigns to further promote "Know Me Better?
Thank you so much again for having me and premiering my first music video! I feel so lucky to have worked with some incredible people on that including videographer, Matt Marlinski, and director, Skyler Cocco. A quick shoutout to Zach Miller who produced the track and Jamison Fox and Skyler Cocco for co-writing it! The music video will be available for all to watch on my YouTube channel, CarolinaRial. I’ve been working a lot on music during these past few weeks while we’ve all been stuck at home including some collabs, so expect to hear new music very soon! I’m not going to be releasing an album this year, but I want the audience to know that I plan on releasing an EP next year, date TBA.