Kamsi Exposes The Side-Effects of Beauty Standards In Brand New Single “Proof”
Kamsi
At just nineteen, Nigerian-American artist Kamsi is using her music to remind young girls and women - especially women of color - how beautiful their existences are. Defying the strict confines of the westernized beauty standard and shutting the need for young women constantly having to prove themselves in social settings, Kamsi’s brand new single “Proof,” is an honest and enticing slow-pop song that taps into the intricacies and vulnerabilities that make self-questioning and a belief for equal beauty more attractive than ever.
Inspired by artists like Ruth B, Gracie Abrams, and the upbeat sounds of Nigerian music, Kamsi got her start in entertainment by performing at open mic nights across towns in Chicago. Unafraid to write about the feelings that make us most human, “Proof” is just a sneak peek into the young artist’s talent for exploring heartbreaking topics like unrequited love and placing them into songs more beautiful than the situations they were created from.
On top of the release of her captivating new song, Kamsi is diving into summer with an exclusive interview with Amplify Her Voice to talk about “Proof” and the inspiration behind it.
When did you realize that you wanted to pursue music?
I actually started singing when I was really young, like three or four years old. My mom would try to record me with her camcorder, but I was so shy that most times she could hardly get any footage. Then in elementary and middle school, I always took part in musicals. Around that time, I also got into writing stories, poems, and essays that got published through competitions that my middle school encouraged students to participate in. I’ve always loved singing and writing, but for a long time, I didn’t know how to play instruments to the point where I could write my own music. Because of that, I never combined both singing and writing, but once I started teaching myself how to put together chords on the piano, I really fell in love with creating music.
You began performing at open mic nights when you were first getting started. Were you ever nervous performing in those settings, and how did you push through the nerves to make sure you could put on a great show?
It’s actually so strange to me because performing in front of people never really freaked me out. Before I would perform, I would get slight jitters, but it was nothing too crazy. In my mind, I knew that if I freaked myself out, then I wouldn’t have full control over my voice because of the nerves. So reminding myself to stay calm was the key to a great performance for me.
Does the music scene in Chicago or from your Nigerian heritage inspire the music you make today?
Nigerian music is always super upbeat and catchy, so that definitely influences how I approach writing choruses. I grew up in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, so I wasn’t that exposed to the music scene in the downtown area, but Chicago also has a lot of major performance spaces like the Allstate Arena and the Sears Center Arena. I lived really close to those places, so whenever major artists like Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran came to town, it was a super big deal. Moreso, I think seeing how people in my community were influenced by those major artists showed me from a young age how powerful music really was.
“Proof” is such a beautiful song. I know it was written about WOC not fitting into the beauty standard which I think makes it even more honest and real - something the industry truly needs to hear. Can you tell us why you felt the need to write this song? Was there a time in your life that inspired you to create it?
The things I saw on social media during quarantine definitely influenced how I approached writing that song. Although I was super inspired by the WOC who were brave enough to use their platforms to speak about something like beauty standards, I was ultimately writing from a first-person perspective. Their honesty really challenged me to write lyrics that were personal to my own experiences, and that feeling of insecurity that comes as a result of what we all see in the media, and also from experiencing unrequited love. I wrote this song because I wanted people to know that they weren’t alone. I felt like I heard so many love songs and breakup songs, but not a lot of songs that talked about unrequited love, or generally feeling unappreciated or overlooked. At the end of the day, all women are beautiful and don’t necessarily need that external validation. But I wrote “Proof” for the moments when you feel insecure, and simply need a song to relate to.
Kamsi
I love how social media has been such a great way for you to gain your audience! What was it like when stars like Ruth B started to notice your singing online?
It was all so surreal to me because I’d always make singing videos and send them to my friends and family, but I never really considered posting them on social media. I was so shocked that Ruth B actually saw my video on TikTok because that was a smaller account that I made to post all the singing videos that I didn’t want to post on my larger platforms. Not a lot of people ended up seeing that particular video, but it made me so happy that she was one of them!
What were your musical influences like growing up? Who are some female artists that influence your sound today?
When I was really, really young basically all I listened to was the pop music that I heard on Disney Channel. Both of my parents are Nigerian, so it was a combination between that and Nigerian music. When I started getting older and discovered things like YouTube and other forms of social media, I started listening to artists like Rihanna, Ruth B, Zara Larsson, Ariana Grande, and Halsey, and they are all female artists that influence my sound today.
Do you have any advice for college students who still want to become musicians and artists but also want to further their education? Are there any ways that you keep a balance between school and creating art?
I would say that maintaining a schedule is what really allowed me to be doing music on top of my college coursework. I would write a lot and go to the studio during breaks, so I was always making use of the free time that I had. Planning ahead, and having the songs that I wanted to put out ready to go, gave me the leeway to focus on school at the same time.
For a lot of women in music, they’re often judged by how they look rather than how their music sounds, but “Proof” is a great song to push the conversation of seeing all artists as equally beautiful. Do you have any advice for other young WOC songwriters who might be going through what you went through when you wrote this song?
My advice is to let the experiences that you’ve gone through in your life manifest through your art. I feel like people connect to music more when it’s honest. I would also tell them to keep going and pursue their passions regardless of external opinions that tell them to stop.
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