Your new obsession, K.O. aka Koala
K.O. aka Koala is many things; talented, captivating, beautiful and extremely creative; and hopefully she becomes your new obsession. The LA based multi-hyphenate creative is a DJ, visual artist and most recently, a musician. Her background is eclectic, born in Florida to scientist parents. Driven by creativity she also has experience in fashion, as a stylist intern in New York. Her creative journey is flourishing through her music career. We sat down with K.O. aka Koala and asked her about her many talents, and we hope you love her as much as we do!
FEATURE INTERVIEW
What inspired you to get into music
I’ve played the piano since I was little and then DJed for a bit.Creating music is something I never thought I would be doing, but at this point I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else. I love it because you can createyour own reality.
5 people you would love to collaborate with on a future project
I would love to collaborate with Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears, Takashi Murakami, Guo Pei, and Avril Lavigne.
How has growing up as an Asian American influenced your sound
I think one of the unique experiences of being Asian American in music is that thereisn’t really a place that you fit in or belong to and there’s not really a roadmap of anyone from the past to reference career-wise.It still confuses some people when they try to put you into a box. I don’t let it phase me because I really love a lot of different types of music, so I blend that into my own. I just keep making music that I like, and let the process happen naturally.
What is your creative process
If I’m making the song on my own, I’ll start with making the beat and then write to it after. Usually I’ll start with the title or concept of the song first. Lately I’ve been working with other people as well.I really enjoy collaborating with friends because it’s fun and they bring a different perspective too. After that it’s pretty easyfor me to switch into visual mode and I always have a million ideas for that.
What was the first song you fell in love with
Paper Planes – M.I.A.
What beauty brands are you obsessed with at the moment
I’m a HUGE beauty/makeup person and I use a lot of Asian products.Some of my favs right now are Son&Park, Missha, 3CE, and SK-II.
What can we expect in the future
I have another single coming out in December and a lot more single releases after that.I have a lot of songs finished already and I’m recording new songs everydayso I just have to figure out in which order to release them. Sometimes that gets kinda overwhelming.I’m also really excited about my NFT drop that’s coming soon.
CREDITS
Photography by Klinko Studio @klinkostudio
Art pieces designed by Punk Me Tender @punkmetender
Hair by Angelina Panelli @angelinapanelli
Styling by Wilford Lenov @wilfordlenov
Makeup by KO @koakakoala
