As a proud New York native, Kaitlyn has spent the past 20 years enjoying all things fashion and music, but the latter has always remained #1 on her list. She always saw herself doing something music related, but it wasn’t until her senior year of high school that she made the decision to do everyhting she could to make a career out of it. “Like every other senior, you ask yourself this question a million times: ‘What should I do for the rest of my life?’ And pursuing music just seemed like the right thing to do for me,” she says.
And how right it was. A student at the Berklee College of Music, she’s already nailed the genuine lyrics, catchy melodies and an overall energy that keeps you listening. If you’re looking for those songs to play in the car with your windows down, or to blast on your headphones while walking to class to feel like the main character, look no further – “FOMO,” “comfortable” and “i miss you” are just a handful of Kaitlyn Velez’s fun, upbeat anthems for college girls everywhere.
FOMO: fabulous original music out (now)
Kaitlyn’s songs have received tens of thousands of streams on Spotify, but her most popular song to date is “FOMO,” an ode to a feeling we all can definitely relate to. It started off as an assignment for her songwriting class. “I really wanted to write about something personal, and be really honest as well as make it relatable to listeners,” she says. I don’t know about you, but none of my homework assignments were ever thought about twice, let alone listened to by over 180,000 people all over the world.
While “FOMO” is a bop in and of itself, the feeling of her entire discography carries the same positive energy and infectious catchiness. With influences like Stevie Wonder, Tori Kelly and Ed Sheeran, it’s no wonder that she describes her sound as light hearted and bright!
An everyday student, just on the rise to fame
Balancing a music career alongside full course load can only be described as anything but easy, but she still manages it with grace. “Sometimes it’s easy and sometimes it’s hard,” Velez says. “I go through phases where I have my life together, so managing both things isn’t too much of a hassle.” Time management is a crucial skill to have, and Kaitlyn says that mastering it in college is the best thing you can do for yourself.
When she’s not being a multitasking queen, she’s spending her free moments just like the rest of us. “On a day off, I usually like to catch up on new music I haven’t gotten to listen to yet and try and make plans with friends,” she says. “I have a lot going on while I’m in school and don’t have time to do anything else on the weekdays, so I always make sure to utilize my free time by spending it with the people I care about.”
They’re not just songs; they’re stories
While snappy melodies and beats are obviously important, Velez hopes her listeners understand her story as well. The best kind of music is when you can genuinely relate to it and feel as though you understand exactly where the artist is coming from, and that’s the feeling accomplished in her work exactly. “I want people to feel like they get a sense of who I am when they listen to my music. I want people to walk away from listening to a song of mine and feel like they know me better.”
With plans to release new music before this year comes to an end, make sure to keep an eye on her Spotify and Instagram to stay in the loop!