From the Boy in a Bedroom, to the Woman On Stage: Interview with Transgender Artist Kid Keen, Exploring their Journey and Upcoming Release, “I Thought Your World Was Ending”

Kid Keen, also known as Kaia, is a transgender, half-Hawaiian pop artist from Bettendorf, Iowa. She started her musical career in 2020, transforming her sound over the last five years from “the boy in a bedroom, to the woman on stage.” Her music not only tells beautiful stories about love, dreams, heartbreak, queerness, and anything in between, but you truly get to know Kaia. “I Thought Your World Was Ending” is a somber yet warm song that is perfect to listen to in your car, on the beach, with friends, or by yourself. It truly draws you in, so make sure you're comfy!

IB: Hi Kid Keen, we are so excited to talk to you today! I just want to say, it is so touching that you wrote a song for your partner who was struggling. We can’t wait to hear more about it!

KK: Hi! It’s an honor to chat with you. Thanks!

IB: How did you come up with the name Kid Keen? Did it have another special meaning before "Stay Keen" after your transition?

KK: Kid Keen originally stemmed from a nickname I had when I was young. It was a play on my deadname, and all my friends used to call me “Keener”. Even before I started my transition at the start of my career, I didn’t necessarily like my name as a stage name, so after some trial-and-error, I landed on Kid Keen, shortening my childhood nickname. Being transgender has brought conflicting feelings for my stage name. On one hand, I don’t want to be associated with my old name. On the other hand, it’s a part of my story. It’s who I was and had to be at that point in my life, and that allowed me to become the person that I am and want to be now. It serves as a reminder that if I can get through what I did at that time, then I can get through anything in life - I just have to stay keen.

IB: What was the hardest thing you faced as a transgender artist over your musical career?

KK: Finding my voice and what that meant for me. As artists, we all have to find our voice, but I think mine brought a different set of challenges. As I was questioning my gender identity, I had a constant back-and-forth where I was thinking about quitting and continuing. I’ve been putting a lot of work into changing my appearance and voice to match who I want to be as a woman. However, changing my singing voice isn’t so simple. It’s regarded as something pretty difficult, and can take years to do well. I was thinking of quitting because I don’t really want to be seen masculinely. I had spent so much time and effort into my transition that I didn’t want to immediately throw it away when I sang. Eventually, I realized that in the background, I can work on singing more femininely while still doing what I love. Because as much as being transgender is part of me, so is music, and I can’t give it up. I’ve come to realize that regardless of my singing voice, I can be who I want. My voice doesn’t define me, it’s just one way and one tool I’ve found to express myself. When I’m not singing, I can express myself differently.

IB: Who was or is your biggest supporter during the start of your music career?

KK: As cheesy as it is to say, it’s my Mom. She’s been my rock throughout life in general, and for music, it’s no different. She helps me with writing, offers advice, encouragement, connections, and so much more. She’s always inspired me to be the best and happiest person I can be, and I continue to look up to her.

IB: When you saw your partner struggling, what was it that drew you to write a song for them? And how did they react when they heard it for the first time?

KK: I had a few conversations with my girlfriend prior to the song about how she was feeling, where I was offering support, encouragement, and help. My girlfriend is very “I have to do it by myself because I feel bad if you do it,” so I offered whatever I could to ease her load. I don’t typically go into writing my songs intending to write music about someone. On the day of writing, I usually think of different words or phrases and pick the one that sticks out to me the most, and I build my story from there. For “I Thought Your World Was Ending,” the title is the line that stuck out to me. That morphed into thinking about what it means for the world to end. The first thought is literally, the world is ending. Aliens. Asteroids. All that stuff. The second way is figuratively. Like when you’re anxious and stressed, you can feel like the world is ending. It was originally going to be a song about how I myself feel when I’m anxious, but my girlfriend had been going through it, so I wrote the song about her and what I want to say to her. When she first heard the song, she just sai,d “That sounds good!” Very anticlimactic, I know! However, I think with our previous conversations and the song combined, she’s been a bit more receptive to opening up and asking for help. About a week after she heard the song, she asked me for help with one thing while she worked on something different, and I was more than happy to oblige!

IB: When you are writing a more emotional song, such as “I Thought Your World Was Ending,” what is going through your mind?

KK: So many things! I find myself asking if I’m hitting the emotions right, if the message is good, if the lyrics make sense, and for this song in particular, I was worried that my girlfriend wouldn’t like it. However, I think the biggest question is if I’m being true to myself. I tend to want to say everything in my music, but not enough time to say it all, so figuring out what parts of the story I want to tell and how to tell it is the biggest thing on my mind.

IB: “I Thought Your World Was Ending” is super catchy in terms of instrumentation and vocals. How did you come up with the instrumentation?

KK: All credit for the instrumentals on this track goes to the incredibly talented producer Peril. He’s amazing at what he does, and his work is always a pleasure!

IB: Where do you typically draw inspiration from while writing? And what topic do you tend to write the most about?

SV: My inspiration comes from anywhere, really. Usually, it's from my personal experience, whether it's my feelings at that moment or an actual event. Other times, I want to encapsulate other people's stories. Sometimes I want to just make something catchy. Right now, I’ve been more inspired to write about my transition. It’s such a complex process, and there’s so much emotion I want to convey since it’s fresh and ongoing. It comes from the most random places really. Broadly speaking, I tend to write about feelings the most. Usually love, but also my internal struggle. However, I’m also a huge fan of space, so in some capacity, I find myself including that in a lot of my songs, whether it's stars, planets, the sun/moon, or night/day.

IB: When you are in the studio recording, how do you get your emotions to come out in the lyrics and your voice? In other words, how do you get into the right mood?

KK:  I have a few different ways to get into the mood of my song; it really depends on what I need that day. 

1. Mouth and facial expressions really help my mood. If I’m making a really upbeat and happy song, I’ll smile while I’m singing. If I’m making a sad song, I start staring off in the distance, putting my head down, and pretending it’s raining, and zoning out a bit. I think as humans we can often hear and see the subtle changes in people’s faces, so looking the part makes you sound the part. 

2. Trial and error in pronunciation. When I’m excited, I tend to talk high, fast, concisely, and louder. When I’m sad, I tend to slow down, blend my words together, and speak lower, so I try to emulate that in my singing. I do upwards of 20-30 takes figuring out how I best like the pronunciation. 3. Finally, I think back to a time when I felt the emotion I want to convey. It helps put me in the right mindset. I remember specifically for this sad song, I had gone too far into the feeling one time and just broke down crying for like ten minutes, and I couldn't record. In hindsight, it's hilarious!

IB: Iowa has complex feelings on the queer community, how has living in Iowa affected your personal and musical career as a transgender artist?

KK: The cities and communities I grew up in seem to be supportive and accepting in a general sense, but on a state level, not so much. Iowa has recently voted to repeal anti-discrimination laws for transgender people this year, making them the first state to do so. They were also the first state to codify those protections back in 2007. It deeply saddens me because nationally, there are still at least some protections. All repealing it accomplishes is telling transgender people that Iowa doesn't want us anymore. There are localized areas in the state that may be better or worse, but I’m still sure that in my communities, it has increased the negativity surrounding transgender people. It can lead to more attacks verbal or otherwise attacks, and it also creates alienation that definitely has and will have a tangible impact on my music career. I’ve already struggled with weird looks and people shying away after my performances. I’ve already faced an uphill battle finding my audience. I've gone to open mics and left without singing because the other musicians are speaking negatively about transgender people. I think these issues are exacerbated by visible, public attacks on transgender rights and transgender people. All this to say, it pushes me to be better and to do better so I can make a difference. If even one person changes their mind after listening to my music or hearing my stories, then I consider it a success.

IB: If you could say one thing to those who are struggling, what would it be?

KK:  It’s okay to ask for help or to talk about what you’re feeling. Humans are social creatures, and we depend on our “pack” to survive. Most people are happy to give help or lend an ear; you just have to ask. If all else fails, just know that you’re not alone, there are helplines you can call and groups you can meet with, from support groups to hobbyist groups. If you're like me, you don't have to share anything in them. It's still helpful just listening and knowing you're not alone.

IB: What is one song you wish Kid Keen wrote?

KK: I’m a big fan of non-mainstream artists and bands, so I would have to say “unsaid” by flor. They’re probably my favorite band right now!

IB: What can we expect to see from Kid Keen in the future?

KK: Definitely more music! I want to start putting some music videos together and an EP. I also have a lot of cool ideas that I want to do from, unique merch and events to potential code-cracking/ARG stuff. There are so many ways I want to deepen my stories and fan interactions. I’m excited to see how these projects turn out when I get there!

IB: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us. We can’t wait to hear more music from you soon!

KK: Thanks for having me! It’s been a pleasure.

Stream Kid Keen below!

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Credits: Vocals, Ukulele, Lyrics, and Engineering: Kaia P

Production and Guitar: Peril