Q: I absolutely love “Miss Me When You Hear This Song” and your amazing vocals! Your voice has such a wide-range; Can you walk me a little through the creative process in making this track?
KORALOO: OMG thank you so much babe! It all started when me & BLAYK, my producer, were sitting in the studio talking about life, love & pain… as we do in our sessions. That’s the thing about music, when you’re songwriting, it’s a vulnerable experience. I am exposing the things closest to my heart. I want my songs to be honest & filled with truth. But, I don’t want all my songs to be depressing, I also want them to feel fun, positive & hopeful too, ya know? It’s also a big part of who I am. Blayk and I have been making music together for the last 3 years, so he knows my voice range, but he also knows me as a best friend & the struggle I have had with love and relationships. He said to me, “let me write you a song.” With a lot of sass, I said, “no.” I want to be involved in the writing process because I have always written the majority of my songs myself or together but I had never completely let someone write for me. Eventually, I came to my senses, and honestly it is because Blayk knows me better than most people, how I think/feel about things, how i communicate etc. The deal was that I wanted to be apart of the studio process so I still felt involved. We started talking about the idea of secretly wanting your ex to miss you especially once all your dreams come true. We wanted the song to have attitude & feel sassy from the perspective of ‘I’m over you.’ But secretly, at the end of the day, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t still miss them too.
Q: I love that the description on this track is “a breakup song but the party version”, because 90% of breakup songs are depressing, and this is a nice change from that! What are you hoping listeners take away from this song?
KORALOO: We’ve all heard about the different stages of grief. When I am going through a break up, I think that I tend to experience the stages all at once throughout the day. One moment I am feeling on top of the world because I did a hard thing, the next I am pissed off at how they could let me go, then I am crying in my car because I miss everything we had. And however you handle your emotions with loss is valid. I hope that whoever is listening to this song sees how much more the world has to offer them. It’s hard to believe that when you feel like you’ve lost a significant part of your world. But there is so much to celebrate about who you will become from the trials you face. And if you need to let out an ugly cry, it’s human and it’s beautiful to miss something that was a good thing. I want the listeners to take away a feeling of excitement for themselves. As Glennon Doyle says in Untamed, “try to imagine a more beautiful reality.” I want the listeners to imagine their dream life & realize how amazing they are. Whoever lost you, should miss you.
Q: If you could collaborate with any artist, dead or alive, who would it be?
KORALOO: This is so hard to choose! But I would love to do a song with Jessie J! I think that she is just a queen. She slayyyyys with her vocal range. I love how much personality, attitude, depth and soul she is able to communicate through her lyrics. And she just seems super genuine & down to earth. It would be a dream!
Q: Obviously, the inspiration behind this song is a breakup, but was it for a specific someone, or is this kind of a shoutout to every ex? I would love to know the official inspiration behind “Miss Me When You Hear This Song.”
KORALOO: My songs are always about my real experiences. And I think there was definitely someone special to me that initially sparked the song idea and wanting them to miss me. & I hope they missed me when they heard the song haha. But in general, I would say I dedicate this to all my exes
Q: “Miss Me When You Hear This Song” is great because it isn’t just one thing. It’s pop, rock, edgy, and is not your stereotypical breakup song. In your own words, how would you describe the type of music you typically create?
KORALOO: Overall, I am a pop artist. But a lot of my songs sound different from each other. Probably because I like so many different types of artists. I am a sucker for a solid sad ballad, but I love adding flavors of R&B and rock to what I make. For me, I am a big lyric nerd. So, creating relatable word combinations that hit home whatever the genre or feeling of the song may be.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received about the music industry, and how has it helped you navigate thus far?
KORALOO: I started reading The Artists Way in 2020 as quarantine just began. Ended up becoming part of an Artists Way group and we went through it together. Highly recommend for all humans, whether you think you are an artist or not. But honestly this book was the best thing I could’ve read & is a huge reason why I am doing music today. It was talking about how as an artist you want to make something ‘good.’ Directors wanna write the next top film, Singers wanna make the next viral song, etc. But this is the best piece of advice I have received from the book: “it’s not about making something good, it’s about getting something out.” Sometimes, it is easy to get caught in the trap of wanting to make a banger hit… what’re people gonna like? how high will the streams be? … But remembering that I am here to tell stories & help others feel less alone by releasing all that I keep trapped inside me. I think my best songs are the ones that are exploding with truth. It’s about making music that I want to listen to first & foremost. I always come back this & remember “why” i started.
Q: I’m always interested in artist’s musical journey; did you grow up with a musical family/do you remember what or who first made you fall in love with it?
KORALOO: OMG I was born to sing! My mom always had music playing in our house and we would always sing along in the car. I always told my mom I wanted to be a super star since I was little, making her watch me do performances in the living room, pretending to use the ceiling fan strings as a recording microphone. I grew up in my church choir, doing school plays/musicals. But I think I first really fell in love with it at my 3rd grade talent show when I sang “I turn to you” by Christina Aguilera. It felt so fun to sing my lil heart out. I remember feeling like a superstar that night!
Q: Tell everyone what’s coming up next for you!
KORALOO: I was so excited about this last song coming out BUT I am even more pumped for all that is to come! I have spent the majority of this year in the studio with Blayk making a bunch of new music. I have been hiding in my cocoon but this butterfly is ready to fly. I got 3 new songs lined up to be released, hopefully all before the end of the year. With a couple of music videos as well! I can’t say too much yet but there is MORE TO COME.
Q: Thanks so much for talking with me! Any parting words for your fans?
KORALOO: AND Thank you for taking the time to get to know me and letting me share about my music journey! I think I want my fans to know that I am just like them. I’m just a girl trying find her way in life & sort through this human experience. I deeply care about people & their stories. so, I hope you find yourself somewhere in between my lyrics. I just wanna give people hope & make people happy. If anything I have to say makes one person feel a little less alone & a little more understood, that’s a win for me. And to end, I just wanna say thank you to every single person who listens to my music. I never thought I would get the chance to even try to pursue my dreams. Deep down I’m still that little girl at the talent show who just wants to sing for people. So, thank you for letting me sing for you! & on that note: Keep dreaming big dreams babes
Interviewed by Melissa Cusano
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