What’s your stage name and where are you from?

Taija New

What’s the story behind your stage name?

My stage name is my birth name shoretened. My first name, “Taija”, means “The Crowned One” and New came from a shortened version of my maiden name, “Newton”.

Describe your musical journey in three sentences.

I began my career at local open mics where news about my performances spread by word-of-mouth. Eventually, that evolved into me and performing regionally, the across the country, the internationally. Int the midst of all of this I dropped 3 projects over the past 10 years and I just released my industry debut EP “Welcome To My Psyche” on January 10, 2025.

Share an interesting experience you had while creating your latest track.

This project I changed my approach to music. I used to predominately rap with a bit of singing and this time I allowed myself to do both equally. It was freeing to finally meld the two together after years of thinking of them separately.

What message do you want to convey through your music?

I want to convey messages about life; love, passion, heartache, pain, regret, happiness, joy, sexiness, confidence. I want each song to make people feel something different and relative to their lives.

Tell us about a challenge you faced during production and how you overcame it.

I will go over one line a hundred times just to make sure that I am emoting the way I wish to. This happened to me a couple of times during the production of this record to where I had to have the song bounced down and live with it for a few days, singing of rapping it over and over in different ways until I found the pocket. I always found it and it was always worth taking the time.

If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?

Beyonce because she’s a musical genius. I would love to learn from her and be able to bring something to the table myself.

Where do you see your music taking you in the next year?

I see my music taking me to major stages and into people’s homes. In the next year, I plan to be a household name.

What’s the next big step for you as an artist?

I just released an EP so next would be touring; opening up for a major act or a well-known up and coming act.

Where can we hear/watch your most recent work?

YouTube, TikTok, Instagram