Kiara Lanier
Photo courtesy of Kiara Lanier
Photo courtesy of Kiara Lanier
After Lena Waithe featured Kiara Lanier's music on The Chi, the singer readied her debut music video.
Singer-songwriter Kiara Lanier shares her first-ever music video for "Friendzone," the breakout single from her debut EP, Tongues and Teaspoons.
Hailing from the South Side of Chicago, the artist had initially opted to take her talents to the acting world. An on-screen audition for a role in Lena Waithe's Showtime series The Chi led to a performance appearance on the premiere episode, as well as two tracks from her EP being featured on the show's soundtrack alongside fellow Chicagoans Chance The Rapper, Taylor Bennett, and Noname.
Kiara's multidisciplinary artistry, along with her signature "Ara Orb" hairstyle constructed by frequent Solange collaborator Shani Crowe, marks her presence on the scene as a vision and a voice.
In the video, the self-proclaimed "soul experimental artist" dons a "Miss Chi" pageant sash and tackles political yet playful discourse on the colonization of African nations and unworthy suitors. In the video's conceit, those suitors represent imperialist countries, and Kiara admonishes them and patriarchy with one line: "You ain't never hitting this; you can't have it all."
'Nough said.
