‍Having bounced ideas with producers and writers at the iconic Rockfield Studios in rural Wales, KOTA! arrived with a self-titled debut album that is truly exceptional. Of the 10 songs on the album, lead single ‘Eyes Wide Open’ stands out for its inventive amalgamation of pop and grunge. 

New Mexico born artist KOTA! has shared channeled pop, grunge, nu-metal, indie, and a handful of other musical styles on her excellent new single ‘Eyes Wide Open.’ 

Having grown up in a creativity family - both her parents were writers - KOTA! knew from a very young age that she wanted to be a singer. She wrote her first song before the start of Elementary School, and she got her first taste of a music studio at the age of 9 (it was at a family friend’s house, but still, it planted a seed and fired her up as an aspiring creator). 

KOTA!’s journey as a songwriter took her everywhere from training at the Hollywood Pop Academy to playing for any number of garage bands at any number of gigs over the years. She became a sharp musician at the same time as she was refining her artistry in terms of the type of songwriting she wanted to do, and - importantly - the type of fellow artists she wanted to collaborate with. 

KOTA!’s self-titled debut album is all about collaboration. With songs co-written in the world-famous Rockfield Studios in rural Wales, as part of the collaborative Pro7ect writing camp, KOTA! followed in the footsteps of some of the biggest acts of all time (Queen, Coldplay, Oasis, take your pick). ‘Eyes Wide Open’ was, she said, inspired by conversations around the little twists of fate that define the direction your life takes. In the song itself, these deep, heavy conversations are chiselled into a bracing pop track that dabbled and dips into multiple genres. 

At its heart, ‘Eyes Wide Open’ feels like a testament to the power of songwriting itself. The song is about following gut instincts, about weighing up the delicate balance between random opportunities vs pre-destined fate. For anyone who has followed KOTA!’s story so far, it feels like the kind of subject matter she would excel at.  

In a previous statement, KOTA! said: “Every song I write starts from a completely different place. Some times I’ll pull a tarot card to see what to write about, or some times a song will start with a poem. I draw inspiration from literally everything, and love working with co-writers as well to bounce off of other peoples’ experiences and influences.”

KOTA!’s readiness to be inspired by the people she collaborates with has resulted in an album that is brimming with self-confidence and originality. Don’t sleep on this artist, she knows what she’s doing.  

‘Eyes Wide Open’ was released on January 23rd, on the same day as she released her self-titled debut album. You can stream KOTA!’s songs here. 

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