Singer/songwriter KANITHA (pronounced “Kuh-knee-tha”) makes her debut with R&B/Pop track, “VICES,” sure to leave you wanting more.
Hailing from San Diego, CA, KANITHA, also known as Marjorie Huot, chooses to perform under her middle name in order to pay tribute to her Cambodian-American heritage. Her sound is infused with emotional and raw lyrics, intimately exploring her experiences navigating various relationships, anxieties, and confidence throughout her life.
KANITHA effortlessly blends Pop and R&B elements to form her unique and compelling sound, which we can hear in her debut track, “VICES.” Written over the course of the pandemic, this single sheds light on old habits dying hard, as KANITHA explores patterns of codependency within a relationship on the rocks.
“VICES” pulls the listener in right away with KANITHA’s luscious, stacked vocals panned out overtop an intimate guitar line. The track opens up with a compelling, sultry drum groove and a more flushed-out soundscape for the listener to sink their teeth into.
KANITHA has created a lush sonic world throughout “VICES.” Soothing yet engaging production support KANITHA’s emotionally vulnerable and raw lyrics. Her delivery is powerful and captivating, as she navigates a back and forth relationship with her vices over the course of the track. We feel for KANITHA as she sings out passionately in the chorus, begging for change but feeling the pull of negative patterns coming back once again.
“I still drink the tears, I swallow
I can’t help but follow
I need to be released
But my vices always find me.”
If this debut single is any sign of what’s to come, then the future is definitely looking bright for KANITHA. We can’t wait to hear more from this up-and-coming star. Check out “VICES” by KANITHA today, and keep an eye out for her debut EP and future project coming in 2022.
We are so happy to have you here celebrating the release of your debut single, "VICES." We are really impressed with the track, and the sheer emotional rawness displayed throughout it. Was it tough to tap into such a personal and vulnerable emotional state/experience while writing the lyrics?
Thank you! I always felt like writing about how something made me feel easier for me than just saying it. There are times I've censored myself when I have to really talk about how I feel because I'm afraid that I'd upset someone. I used to share diary entries with my therapist because I knew if I didn't write them down, I wouldn't be able to articulate them as well in our sessions. With "Vices," I felt like whenever I'd write about that relationship, I wouldn't feel connected to what I was writing because I wasn't being as honest to myself. "Vices" is ultimately about how hard it is to come to terms with accepting how things are instead of what they could be. I felt like I was in this cycle of knowing better, but I'd abet the situation by staying around thinking things might change when ultimately, I'm draining myself for someone's approval.
Your love and passion for music and performing are extremely apparent throughout your work. Do you remember where your love for music all began?
My mom always said that I was humming since I was a baby, but my earliest memories were singing along to Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On and imitating Scary Spice and Britney Spears in my childhood home. I remember when my cousin showed me the music video for 'Sometimes' by Britney Spears when I was about maybe four years old, and immediately, I thought, "that's a job? People do that? I wanna do that". It's always been something I'd go out of my way to pursue, whether it was begging my parents for lessons, performing in choir, or taking classes for my minor in college.
How do you think songs like "VICES" represent you and help us get to know you better as an artist? What impact do you hope to make with songs like this?
I feel like Vices is only a slice of who I am as a person and an artist. I feel like Vices is about letting go, and I think for a long time, that was something I had a hard time understanding that letting things go can benefit you and your happiness. I think if you're not always learning and growing, you're stuck, and I would want people who listen to my music to not expect me to do the same things over and over again. I really want to be able to capture these human experiences of being flawed, hurt, loved, etc., in my music. I want people to feel connected with the words I'm saying without having to compromise my own truth. I feel like the music I love and connect with is often a song that is personal to the artists. They create such a vivid story that the listener can relate to or understand what they're trying to say. I'm not saying I'm writing the next "All Too Well," but I would hope that as I release more music, people could feel as strongly about my music as they do about that scarf in the song, haha.
We love the lush, airy, smooth feel to the production that makes up "VICES." What sort of atmosphere and vibe did you want the instrumentals and production to give off, and who helped bring the sonics to life?
That all goes to my producer Mystc. I had sent him a playlist of what I liked and who inspired me as an artist before we started recording together. We had been working together for. I think a little under a month before he sent me the track to write to. Before we started working together, I had always written and played for myself, so I felt like I had a hard time wanting to share that creatively because I'd second guess myself on whether or not it's good enough to share. I remember as soon as he texted me the track, I wrote to it immediately that I started recording what I thought the melody would sound like on voice notes and sent it back within the next hour to him. It was one of the quickest songs I had written with him but the longest to record because I was such a perfectionist about it.
What's next for you?
I have a whole bucket list of things I want to accomplish this year, but I'm now focused on continuing to record and release more music this year. I feel like I've been taking my time with everything because I want to feel good and confident with the work I'm putting out. I hope to start performing these songs by the end of the year and hopefully start writing for other artists besides myself.