How Isabella Chiarini Defined Her Sound in 2025

There are artists who write songs, and then there are artists who live them, and Isabella Chiarini fits squarely in the second category. The Hamilton-born pop singer-songwriter has spent the past decade shaping her craft with intention, discipline, and a clear understanding of who she wants to be. Her voice carries both vulnerability and confidence; her stories come from real life; and her artistic choices feel rooted in a kind of emotional honesty that resonates with young listeners navigating their own chaos, growth, and self-discovery.

Isabella’s journey started early. After losing her mother at only three years old, she grew up watching her father, her biggest influence, show her what strength, resilience, and unconditional support really look like. That foundation shaped everything: her work ethic, her belief in herself, and her commitment to showing up authentically in her music. By eight, she was already training with acclaimed vocal coach Teresa Nocita. By her teens, she was in Nashville taking classes in songwriting, stage presence, and artist development under PCG Universal. And now, years later, she’s carving out a lane of her own back home in Canada, writing alongside Nocita and Canadian Idol winner Brian Melo to refine a sound that lives comfortably under the pop umbrella while never sounding generic.

2025 became one of her most pivotal years yet. With releases like “Gotta Be,” “Kiss,” and “Let It All Go,” Isabella showcased a level of depth and versatility that made her stand out in a crowded pop landscape. But it was “Gotta Be”  a raw, emotionally charged song drawn from a painful personal situation that defined her year and earned its place in BUZZMUSIC’s Best Independent Artists of 2025.

What could have remained a private hurt instead became a moment of empowerment: a song that resonated, went viral on release announcement, and even landed her a TV performance. It’s the perfect example of how Isabella transforms life’s hardest moments into something uplifting, relatable, and healing, both for herself and for her listeners.

Outside of the studio, Isabella has been equally focused on growth. She’s entering her fourth year at Berklee Online studying Music Business, driven by her desire to understand not just how to create music, but how the entire industry works. She’s also made her health a priority,  mentally, physically, and creatively, building routines that keep her grounded while she balances school, writing, recording, and personal evolution.

Looking ahead, Isabella has big plans for 2026: stepping into industry roles, gaining hands-on experience behind the scenes, continuing to release new music, and refining the artist she’s becoming. Her path is shaped by authenticity, determination, and a belief in never giving up, a message she hopes inspires anyone listening, especially young adults figuring out who they are.

This spotlight goes deeper into her year, the milestones, the challenges, the growth, and the personal breakthrough that became “Gotta Be,” her defining release of 2025.

Your song “Gotta Be” comes from a deeply personal place, turning a painful family experience into something empowering. Looking back now, what did writing that song teach you about yourself, and how did transforming hurt into art change the way you see that situation?

It taught me that even though something may seem hard or like it’s never-ending, it will always turn out all right in the end! It made me appreciate it because I was able to turn my hurt into something I’m proud to share about in hopes that it will help someone else come out of a difficult situation.

This year, you explored multiple pop subgenres with “Gotta Be,” “Kiss,” and “Let It All Go.” What part of your identity as a pop artist feels the strongest right now, and how do these releases each reveal a different side of your sound?

I feel like every time I release, I show a different side of myself because I’m constantly trying to reinvent! I want to show people that I’m versatile, and try to create music that my listeners can listen to at any time or occasion. I love coming up with new ideas and concepts that can turn into awesome art! 

You’ve been writing since you were a kid, and you’ve trained with industry pros from Teresa Nocita to Brian Melo. How have those early years of discipline, vocal training, and artist development shaped the way you create music today?

Both Teresa and Brian taught me to never give up. Sometimes, when I’m hitting a wall when it comes to ideas or writing, I always have them in the back of my mind, telling me I can do anything I put my mind to. It instilled great discipline and drive in me, which is important to have not only in the music industry but in life.

Your announcement video for “Gotta Be” hit nearly 10k views in two days, and you performed it on TV, huge milestones. Did those moments shift anything internally for you as an artist navigating confidence, visibility, and momentum?

Yes! Performing on TV was a huge moment for me because I had been trying to get on that particular channel for years, and when it finally happened for me for “Gotta Be,” the timing felt so right!! It gave me a huge confidence boost.