Isaac Dunbar Takes Our Pop Quiz
office gave Isaac an impromptu pop quiz where there are no wrong answers... except, of course, the wrong ones.
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office gave Isaac an impromptu pop quiz where there are no wrong answers... except, of course, the wrong ones.
TiaCorine’s first viral moment was her hit single Lotto in 2018. Next came FreakyT, which debuted almost a year ago. This song was so viral on social media that it led to Latto hopping on the remix soon after Latto brought her on stage at Coachella. Since then, TiaCorine has performed at more festivals and events than ever before. Now, she’s selling out venues, and FreakyT and Lotto are still rising in streams. She just finished a tour with Key Glock; a duo that no one expected yet works perfectly.
Her unparalleled style isn’t just present in her music, but also through the different clothes and makeup she puts on every day. Whether she’s dressed up in pastel colors and face full of fun makeup or sweatpants and a t-shirt, she emphasizes that like her music, cannot be bound to one concept.
Do you think that any of your upcoming songs or projects will be as viral as FreakyT and Lotto?
That’s a hard question to ask because you really never know. I didn’t know it was going to be FreakyT, but I hope so. I feel like it has to do with the fans, the listeners, and the supporters. I have some new music coming out and it’s always the songs that I don’t like that go viral.
Why do you think those songs went viral?
FreakyT is just really relatable. The beginning of the song is ‘Look at me, where she wanna be…’ I feel like a lot of people feel the same way. I feel like they felt, ‘Never needed you, but you needed me…’ A lot of people understand that lyric and it hits everybody at the same time.
I Can’t Wait was your last project. When can we expect new music?
Of course – definitely more features. I’m never really a feature person. A lot of my projects have just one or two features, but they’ll have more features and bigger features. I’m putting together an EP right now and working on an album as well.
Will your sound be any different?
It’ll always be different because I’m always changing and always growing. I never know what I’m going to make. Everything is really natural and organic when I make music. I don’t go into the studio and say ‘I’m going to make this type of song.’ I just go through beats, get with people, and then it just happens. That’s why I put I Can’t Wait together the way I did; so you are used to expecting something out of the box from me at all times.
You often incorporate anime and cute stuff in your music. What does that representation mean to you as a Black woman rapper?
I’m not just Black. My mom is Native – I’m more Native than anything. I feel like if I just say that, I’m ignoring the other sides of me as well. I just call myself an artist and a person. I’m just doing what I’m doing. It really just boils down to being all the way myself. I’ve always been into anime/ I’ve always been into Toonami, Dragon Ball Z, and Inuyasha. That is where I started. It’s a core memory of being a kid and unlocking that aesthetic. I feel like those things keep that inner kid in me alive. I also make sure that my music is always fun because this is my job, but when something feels like work, you don’t tend to love it anymore. It keeps that passion and fun stuff alive, as well as that very creative, imaginative part of me.
TIACORINE wears TOP and BAG by ZITA TAN, SKIRTS by NODRESS OFFICIAL, SHOES by FLORENTINE LEITNER, RINGS by NINNA YORK, NECKLACE by MOCO
You’ve recently performed at a lot of festivals. How does that feel for you?
It’s crazy. Every week it was like, ‘They want you to come, they love you.’ I’m like, ‘What?’ I’m always shocked that these people like me. I’m just this person from Winston-Salem. But I did my first tour with Key Glock and that was awesome. He called me personally and asked for a favor. To feel wanted and needed for your craft and music is way different than somebody setting it up for you. It was a challenge that also broke a lot of barriers for me.
Can we expect a tour soon?
We were thinking about November, but I did express that I have to get surgery on my cords. It’s why I sound so hoarse right now. I have a polyp that I have to get removed.
You have a seven-year-old daughter. Do you ever center your music around her?
Of course – like things me and her go through or something funny she said. I like to include her in videos so people can see her grow. She was in the videos for Lotto and IKYK, so she’s well-incorporated into my music.
What is your songwriting process?
It’s a mixture of a lot of things. Sometimes it’s random. My friends may say something funny and I’ll write it, then I’m finished. I might hear a beat and go through the little stuff and it’ll be perfect. Starting off a song is so hard, it’s very important. I’ll find something on my phone to start me off. I’ll use that and freestyle in a way to find the tone. I get on the mic and close my eyes.
Do the beats usually come first?
You have to find the perfect beat. I go through three or four beats before I even record. Sometimes I won’t like it anymore and might spend three hours on it. People take a long time on beats because there’s a lot of sampling. I don’t always like sampling because of the clearing process. I’m also a co-producer so if they’re making something I tell them to do something. I always pick my own beats.
Who do you usually produce with?
Everyone. I don’t have a specific person. I always co-produce. If not, it’s because somebody on Instagram sent me something and I’ll fuck with it.
TIACORINE wears HOODIE, TIE, TOP by LUAR, GLOVES are STYLIST’S OWN, BOOTS by PIFERI
In regards to your style, how does each look come to life on a daily basis?
It’s just like making a song. You just feel it. Some days it’s like I’m going to the grocery store the whole day. I think I’m just really in tune with myself and I don’t lie about how I feel. Some people say I dress like this because people are watching me; no I don’t. I do not give a fuck. Tia’s gonna be comfortable. A lot of people are like, ‘Is she gay?’ You would know if I was. I’m gonna go all the way with it.
What do you think makes you unique?
I’m like a chameleon. You’ll never know. I’m really home to myself. I really don’t feel like I sound like anything. I can do a rock song and be inspired by Doja Cat, but it still sounds like me. I feel like I just have a very unique voice.
What does being from North Carolina mean to you?
It means a lot, simply because a lot of people told me I couldn’t make it out of North Carolina, especially from Winston-Salem. Now that I have actual support, it proves that I’m actually really good. I don’t think anyone from my city has performed at Rolling Loud. People will come up to me in the mall and the way they’ll approach me is just so cool – but I can still be normal and they inspire me to go back to do what I want to do. They make me feel like I can make it from here, I can chase my dreams. I feel like I’m really making history and I’m like a hero, especially being Native. Sometimes I forget that I’m Native because they always categorize me as female and Black. As much as I am, I’m also Native too. I don’t meet a lot of Native people and I’m a Native artist…It’s such a different history, like mom was born on a reservation.
Is there anyone you want to collaborate with?
I really wanna collab with Tyler, the Creator. He’s number one on my list. I was really sad to see I wasn’t performing at Camp Flog Gnaw. I definitely want to do something with Key Glock because his fans are amazing. Also, of course, Frank, Kali Uchis, Don Toliver, and Future. I’ve got a long list.
TIACORINE wears DRESS by ACNE STUDIOS, SLEEVES, HEADPIECE, and STUFFED ANIMAL by R4BBIT TEETH, RINGS by NINNA YORK, SHOES by ACNE STUDIOS
What are some of your personal goals aside from music?
I want to start doing voice-overs. I want to make a soundtrack for a movie. I want to be an actress in a thriller. I used to want to be a bartender. When I’m back home, I always like to make drinks. One day I want to put together my own bar called Tia’s Drinks so that people can drink like Tia. I want to make toys and collectibles that are limited edition.
You’ve blown up so quickly. Is there anything you want to say to your fans?
I want to say thank you. I love that y’all love me and I truly do love y’all because where would I be? I truly thank y’all for giving me a chance and actually listening, supporting me, coming to my shows, Tweeting me, and reposting my things. I’m really grateful. I just hope that y’all stick with me.
His newest single, “Saico”, and the accompanying video — shot on his grandfather’s ranch in Peru — taps into his familial and psychedelic roots. While the lyrics unravel existential feelings, the visuals provide a rare sense of ease.
Ahead of the release we sat down with A.CHAL to talk about his grandfather’s influence, how Peru continues to ground him, and what's next for him music-wise.
So your first single comes out this Friday. Are you excited?
I'm excited and kind of nervous, but I know everything's going to be all right. Coming out of a major deal where I had so many resources to do this thing solo has been a learning experience for sure… but I think what’s cool about it is that I’m not tripping on my success like that. Leaving LA and this system I was in, I knew that I couldn’t put out music that felt commercially-aligned or based on an algorithm and I also don’t have to. This song and upcoming record is different from all the other music I put out. I made what I would want to hear. Even shooting the video in Peru on an eight millimeter instead of having a huge production team has made it feel very organic, which reminds me of my formative years.
I’m hoping this is God giving me a new run with all the wisdom I’ve gained since then. It feels like a new term and I’m happy I didn’t rush to drop music during the COVID era, which was a time of experimentation for a lot of artists. I’m more long-term, I wanted something with longevity that will age well.
I can see that with “SAICO”.
Exactly. I came in the game songwriting and producing and was lucky enough to learn from a lot of big producers about what goes into making a hit record and that’s really just about identifying what kind of music you want to make and what you’re trying to say, which gets a little harder when you’re independent and can basically do anything.
How much time did you spend in Peru over the last two years?
I was there for a while when my grandfather was getting sick. He passed away about a year ago. I was named after him although my name was supposed to be Ichal, my dad’s choice — after the mountain he was raised near. Also where I shot the “Saico” video. That’s where I take the A in my artist name, which also looks like a mountain to me, then the period signifies the circle of life and Chal so that it sounds similar to the name my father wanted for me.
What was your biggest takeaway from the time you spent with him in his later years?
There was this huge mirror in front of the bed where he was hospitalized and sitting there with him, it made me realize how young I still am. It’s easy to feel like you’re running out of time or that if you don’t do something by a certain age, it’s too late. He died at 102 and has been such a big inspiration throughout my life. Up until the end he was a true cowboy and always tried his best. He reminded me that you can’t put a number or letter on anything you do. All you can do is try to do what actually means something to you.
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about society’s obsession with “more”. Very rarely is anybody ever just satisfied with what they have.
That’s what “Saico” is literally about. I say “I’m going saico in my head. There’s a cycle I can’t quit, it’s a cycle I admit. Said I wouldn’t but I did.” I’m not talking about being addicted to any specific thing, but the obsession with finding fulfillment. Then the verse says “Talking to La Luna in the sky, ate a whole eighth on the 405…” I just did a bunch of shrooms and I’m looking at the moon like “What am I doing?” Headed from one toxic destination to the next.
One day, you just wake up and realize that people get stuck in these cycles of doing the same empty things over and over again.
It’s a dangerous way to live, wanting something that you don’t have and once you get it, you’re already onto the next thing.
It’s insane because that’s how we live in every single aspect.
It’s crazy that we’ve survived this long, but I'm also a big fan of not overthinking and just being present. Sometimes I’m all there, but others I’m just in my head. Today at brunch with my friends, one of them asked how I was feeling, and I just felt so confused by my own thoughts. Sometimes I wonder if my thoughts are mine or if they're placed there through my phone.
Definitely, I’ve been there. Our brain is always processing what we consume even if it isn’t in our conscious awareness.
Exactly. It might’ve been a five second swipe but it’s there now. It’s like adding a drop of oil in water. Whether you see it or not, it’s there. With the song, it was important for me to do a visual that showed what the song was talking about, but we didn’t go to Peru with a plan. We just went and did what felt natural and to me that was going to my grandfather’s ranch where phones don’t even work.
Shooting there with Xavier Scott Marshall and only family members in the video felt intentionally in opposition to the lyrics because being there is what keeps me going and clears up this saico in my head.
I love that juxtaposition.
I think it’s therapeutic in a way. It makes you feel good. The other night, I ran into my boy at the Dion Lee party and we were outside having a deep convo and were talking about how I only pop out maybe two times a year and being out here can actually be so draining. I can’t have fake conversations all the time and that’s what it feels like here versus when I’m in Peru.
I think it’s so funny that you’re wearing timbs on this Peruvian terrain in the video, like what’s more New York than that?
In the beginning of the video, I look a bit disoriented, and that’s not me acting. The altitude there is way higher than Machu Picchu, so I was physically unwell for days. I felt like I was going to explode; I was basically tripping, seeing things, and throwing up. When I first got there, I was physically unwell for days, which is why I look a bit disoriented at the beginning of the video. That’s not me acting. The altitude there is way higher than Machu Picchu; it's intense. First night, myaunt just put me under a bunch of heavy blankets, and I went to sleep. The next day I wake up and see these timbs next to my timbs and I’m like that’s crazy. They were pretty much new, not exactly new because you could tell it was the old manufacturer’s version for sure – I went there with a brand new pair so I could immediately tell the difference.
I was raised in Queens and my dad worked in construction — a typical immigrant job — so he’d go back and sometimes leave clothes there because family members would use them and take care of them for years. He brought that pair to my grandfather’s place 15 years ago after first coming to the states.
So you were sick throughout filming the entire video?
The night before we shot the video they took me to these volcanic waters and told me to drink it so I’d feel better and it’s so rich in minerals so the day we shot the video I already felt better. Iput on the old timbs and went out with no shirt and literally felt amazing, as I say in the song. But essentially, none of that video was planned; it all just happened super naturally.
There’s this underlying message in the lyrics, in the sonics and in the visuals that speak to this liberated thinking of yours. It’s like you said earlier, a five second swipe and its in your brain forever; people who listen to this track are basically plugging into this positive wavelength.
I hope so, but also as conscious as I am, I take that and can separate it from the art. Not all the art I digest visually, sonically, or whatever, has to be aligned with my ethics, but if it feels authentic, I’m probably going to like it and that’s rare in itself. Trying to plug conscious messages in art is a fine line to walk on because it can come off really cheesy. That’s why I’m a huge Bob Marley fan because although it’s conscious, it isn’t in your face. You’re just going to feel good when you play the track.
It’s art, but it means something more when it’s intentional.
You still gotta keep it saucy, you know; base it on the vibes. That said, it’s not easy to be intentional and that’s why it can take me longer to finish projects; I can’t just put a bar in because it sounds good, I have to feel it too. Everything is there for a reason.
Now I’m in the process of putting together a show and taking my time with that — how the music translates live is super important to me. I’m finding inspiration in artists from the late 60s and 70s who would put on shows with this transitional energy that felt like very spiritual experiences. We’re just going to have to see what happens.
Watch the new video below:
The 13-song experimental album showcases a breadth of musical range, seamlessly intertwining influences from pop, R&B, indie rock, and gospel with an ancestral form of Carnatic music from Southern India. Across the span of 57 minutes, the listener becomes enmeshed in an emotional out-of-body experience – a masterclass in the potency of musical intention. With each track it becomes increasingly evident that this isn’t a commercial endeavor, instead a search and pursuit of truth through an intimate exploration of music as a medium of cross-cultural artistic expression. “I believe that my purpose is to make and perform music that is spiritually charged and allows for healing,” he says. “There is this misconception that healing or spirituality from the East is all super quiet and peaceful and that is definitely an aspect of it. There is also this rawness – not aggressiveness but a certain kind of edge. It's not always going to be pretty and calm but sometimes very energized and intense in a way that is less refined.”
Twelve years ago, Sriram posted a viral Frank Ocean cover (“We All Try”) to YouTube which served as a springboard for his career. Since then, he’s gone on to work with one of the world's foremost contemporary composers, A.R.Rahman, and has been featured on more than 250 tracks throughout countless award-winning Indian-language films. This summer the Tiny Desk Concert, previewing his single "Dear Sahana,” amassed more than a million views across social media platforms and was met with rave reviews. Accruing accolades aside, Sidharth stands on its own as a tonic for the ego – simply press play and prepare to delve beneath the surface of the subconscious and beyond.
Here, Sriram walks us through his origin story: from how he got his start in Indian cinema music as a kid from California to tapping into the state of flow and his creative process at large.
Carnatic music runs in your bloodline. You were taught by your mom and your mom’s father since you were 3 years old. Moving to India in 2015, you’ve now returned to the States to drop your debut English album. What has that journey been like?
Before I could consciously think about a whole lot, I was doled into the world of music because it was everywhere around me. We moved to the States from Chennai when I was a year old – this was in 1991. We moved to the San Francisco Bay Area – Fremont to be exact – and my mom started a Carnatic vocal music school around there. So it wasn't even a decision. I was seized by it. Very willingly obviously, but it was this ocean that existed.
I got into Western forms of music–specifically R&B, soul, and gospel – when I was around eight. But Carnatic music has been the engine that has guided me through everything. I started writing poetry in English as far back as elementary school. I’d write whatever existential poetry meant for a 6th grader, you know what I mean? I was always very intrigued by prose, the English language, and how one could express oneself using it in non-literal ways.
I started writing songs probably when I was around 17 or 18 – my senior year of high school going into my first year at Berklee College of Music in Boston. And then out of nowhere, when I was graduating, I found myself getting an opportunity to sing for Indian films. That really took my life into a completely different direction.
How did that opportunity happen?
In 2009, A.R.Rahman won his Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire which was huge for me. He's from the same city that I’m from in India and speaks the same language. So it was my first time seeing someone that looked and sounded like me getting celebrated on one of the largest stages in the West. My friend was interning with [Rahman], I asked for his email, and I sent him some of my own music, not really expecting a response. Two weeks later, [Rahman] responded and then a year after that he gave me my first debut as a playback singer in Indian cinema music. That was a dream come true – he quickly became a mentor to me and helped shape the way I look at music, creativity, and the role of art in society. I started thinking about it as a mechanism that was larger than myself.
With this kind of pivot into that industry, making my own music took somewhat of a backseat, especially starting in 2016 when my career really took off over there. But there's always been this desire, this need, for me to make something that feels like a personal statement. Right before the pandemic hit, I was at my most successful in India with a ton of number one songs, really at the top of the game doing shows for twenty- to thirty-thousand people. Then the pandemic hit which for everyone was a standstill. For me, that was a time to self-reflect and reconnect with why I wanted to do music in the first place.
This album feels like an exploration of the full spectrum of your identity, an amalgamation of different elements of your past, present, and future. It’s unlike anything you’ve done before. Why make the transition now? How did this album come to be?
There’s a photographer slash visual artist – his name is Eric Heck – and I’ve been a fan of his work from afar for a long time. Him and Ryan Olson are friends. There was some night where they were both making a mix on Instagram Live that sounded really cool. I started following Ryan and we began exchanging messages – mutual admiration and respect for what each person was doing. He was telling me to come out to Minneapolis to make music there. I kept putting it off because I'm a creature of comfort and habit, and I’ve been used to making music on the coasts here in the States, either California or New York, or in India.
I wasn’t sure that I wanted to go into new territory physically, like literally, but I ended up making a trip after my dad, who manages me, kind of coaxed me to go see what's going on there. And, truth be told, I was about to shut up shop with my English language stuff. I was hitting walls and nothing was really translating the way I wanted it to.
I went out there in June of 2021 for a weekend with zero expectations and a little bit of trepidation. But Ryan turned out to be this gem of a human being, really one of one in terms of personality and perspective. He picked me up from the airport and we spent those three days with about six to eight of us at the studio making music boundlessly without any ego. There was this palpable magic that everyone felt. I didn't realize it immediately but, subconsciously, I knew something special was occurring. As the weeks went by, I realized that there's this massive creative wave that had hit us. It hit me in a way that forced me to hang on for dear life and be a vessel to inspiration.
Can you tell me a little bit about the creative process? What was that like?
We worked on the album over the span of eight months. But the initial bulk of it was that first trip to Minneapolis, we left there with 30 song ideas. Then I went back to the Bay where I was still kicking it with my parents. That's where I had lockdown and I would record vocals and excavate from those 30 ideas the pockets that felt especially potent or special. Ultimately, before I went back to Minneapolis a few weeks later, we took those 30 ideas and brought that down to 13 to 14 ideas that felt super strong. It was rapid and I've never made music that fast. I've always sat on ideas for years but there was this urgency that we couldn't escape.
So what do you do when you get stuck or feel uninspired?
I have a few different ways. One way is to take a break sometimes. When I try to force something, it drains me of any and all inspiration and starts to go into desperation mode. Another thing is that creativity is all about equilibrium of having information go into your system so that you can have information come out. If I feel depleted creatively, I'll read or watch a film or go on a walk and try to do things that feed my soul rather than trying to force expression.
Sometimes though, deadlines really help me… like with this album. I had Ryan hit me up like, "Yo, we’ve got to finish these vocals before you head out to India." I remember even the day that we were leaving, that morning was when I finished the vocals for the song, “Came Along,” that was taking me the longest to finish lyrically. Sometimes deadlines also help take you out of your head and put you in a space of intuition. Now that I say it, the most important thing for creativity is taking it away from the space of being an intellectual process and pushing it into a space of intuition as much as possible.
Speaking of intuition… when performing you look like you’re in a flow state: your eyes roll back at times and you have these erratic movements. What’s going through your mind and body when you’re up on stage?
When I'm on stage – and in the state of flow – the only thing that matters to me is being hyper-present to the point of mentally checking out. So it comes back to this idea of taking my mind out of the equation and becoming an empty vessel that is accessing and channeling something that some people would say is “the divine,” a greater power or whatnot. Some people just straight up say God, which is what I would tend to say. And when I hit those points of channeling, there are these intense waves of emotion or energy. When those really hit, those are the points where the eyes roll back and the body moves in convulsions. I feel like I'm elsewhere hovering above the ground. You're not thinking about what people think about you. You're not thinking about anything. You're there to allow the spirit of the energy to move through you.
Truth be told, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced flow but I know it’s not uncommon for athletes, artists, and performers to be able to tap in. How are you accessing that? Where does it come from?
My first conscious memory of it was when I was like seven or eight. Admittedly through the years they've been more fleeting rather than sustained. I think that comes from whatever karmic hangover I had from past lives where I entered this world with a certain kind of ability or perspective. It was something that was given to me so I treat it as a gift. I can’t say I'm the one that's making that happen. My job over the years has been rigorous practice such that I can find ways to sustain those moments. The source point, the sparks – those have been there my whole life. To take that and extend that outwards and make it a sustained experience both for myself and whoever is in the room with me has been a question of putting in the work every day.
It’s like a muscle that you’re training.
Straight up.
You have millions of Tamil- and Telugu-speaking fans around the world and now a growing English-speaking fanbase. What do you hope they’ll take away from this album?
I made sure not to try and predict how anyone is going to take this in because we didn't make it thinking about the people that are going to be listening. We made it as a pure form of emotional and creative expression. With that said, my hope is that folks that have been my fans from Indian film music… My hope is that it triggers or opens up some sort of an emotional valve in them because when you listen to something that feels like a new experience it has the potential to molecularly change the way people feel, and thereby, think. That's my hope. I listen to music from other cultures all the time where I don't know what they're saying, but it still hits me in an emotional way. I believe that there's a certain universality to this music.
For new fans, there's going to be a certain sense of representation that’s already happening and I’m very proud of that. My job is to be an artist that is unapologetically himself, you know? I said this at the end of my Roxy Theatre show a few weeks ago. I was specifically talking to all the brown folks in the room. You have the permission to be whoever you want to be and we haven't necessarily gotten that luxury so far because we've seen so little of us in popular culture. We feel like we have to adhere to this certain very narrow sense of excellence, but if there's anything I've understood from the process of making this album it's – and specifically talking to the South Asian diaspora–that you can make whatever you want to make and there's no need to have to fit some sort of stereotype or to be relegated to a very narrow sliver of identity and experience. That's what I want this music to do for my people.
My favorite track on your album is “Quiet Storm” – what are you saying in Tamil?
If you’re lost, can you find yourself?
This interview has been edited and condensed.