Rising star Karly Kazanjian is a sophomore transfer born and raised in Newport Beach, California. Growing up as a dancer, she discovered her passion for all things entertainment-related at a young age. Being the youngest of three sisters, Karly knows how to demand attention and capture an audience with her spunk and powerful vocals. She is working towards making a name for herself in the music industry, and you can follow her journey by checking out her website KarlyKazanjian.com. Be on the lookout for her first EP to be released this March!
Karly at the Los Angeles premiere for Guardians of the Galaxy.
Tell us about your latest project?
“Well, this is really exciting – my first all-original, self-titled EP is almost done. The production is finishing up, and it should be done sometime this March. It’s five songs, all written by yours truly, which is such an accomplishment for me because when I first tried out song writing, it didn’t go as well as planned. I gave it a second try, and this time I wrote some material I am really proud of.”
How would you describe your music?
“Ugh, this a really hard question, I haven’t quite figured it out myself yet, but I like to keep it real. I like the sound of real instruments with the pop vibe as well. It’s very dancy, so I guess I would label it pop-rock. I don’t want to put a predestinated label on it, though. I want it to be open-ended so those who listen can decide for themselves.”
How did you first get into performing?
“I grew up dancing; I have two older sister that dance, so I grew with it as a huge part of my life. I also worked as a dancer, and signed with a dance agent when I was 6. I went on auditions for different jobs like commercials and TV shows. My favorite and most memorable job was when I got to dance for The X-factor. It was an amazing experience, and being exposed to the industry for the majority of my life, I decided I want to do it all.”
Who is your biggest inspiration?
“Justin Timberlake is probably my biggest inspiration. He is the ultimate goal: he dances, he sings, he plays instruments, he acts, he’s personable, has a sense of humor, but he also keeps his private life private. So if I could be a female version of him, that would be the dream.”
What are your plans for the future?
Seeing as I grew up on stage, I am super excited to start performing and doing as many live shows as I can. For some people, they just like writing the songs and recording them, but the performance aspect is what I love most about music. As important as it is to have great songs and meaningful lyrics, having a stage presence and putting on a performance is what people come to see. Especially in today’s world where you can literally download any song for free, it is important to draw an audience in with what you can do during a live performance; the mix of music, dance and interacting with people who are supporting your music.”
Who is your celebrity crush?
“Definitely Chris Hemsworth. He’s so chiseled.”