Singer Genia passionately delves into her transformative journey of discovering her authentic voice, embracing the beauty of vulnerability, and sharing the deeply personal experiences that shaped her debut album, Intense Lover.
This intimate project is a profound exploration of love, passion, faith, and the intricate process of emotional growth, inviting listeners to connect with her heartfelt narrative.
I know you did a full 180. I want to get into the music, but first, what was the catalyst?
Before this project, there were about 17 or 18 tracks. I was recording a lot—I’m always creating every day. Around the time I was finishing that project last year, I went into the studio and recorded “Miss Your Touch.” I had no intention of putting the record out. It wasn’t planned. It was just a record I made because I really felt the storyline and the vulnerability of that moment.
One random day, I decided to post a snippet on TikTok. I wasn’t expecting anything. At first, it didn’t really do anything, but for whatever reason, I kept posting it. Then it really skyrocketed on social media. Every time I posted the record, it would get at least around 5,000 views. People were really craving the song and wanted it to drop.
Seeing people gravitate toward a record I made with no pressure—something that was true to what I was going through—compared with music I may have been trying to force at the time was eye-opening. I realized that who I am right now, what I’m going through, and the fact that I’m sensitive and vulnerable and care about love—even if that’s not the “cool” thing—are what people were connecting with. People found themselves in those records. They could relate to “Miss Your Touch.” It made me want to dive deeper into that vulnerable part of who I am. That’s not to say the other records from the previous project won’t come out. There’s a time for everything. I just didn’t want too much going on with this project. Seven records felt perfect for giving people a rundown of where I am in my life.
Speaking of where you are in your life, it seems like you’re going through a transformation while creating this project. That has to be a roller coaster. What did you learn about yourself during that time?
I learned that being myself is the way. We’re in the age of social media and in a generation that’s really hell-bent on being cool and coming off as cool. I’m the opposite. I wasn’t the cool person in school. So I had this realization: If that wasn’t me to begin with, why do I feel the need to portray that?
Being cool is being yourself at the end of the day. It’s not, “I’m cool because I’m wearing this” or “I’m cool because I’m speaking on this.” I think being cool is being raw and vulnerable. I realized that me being myself is enough to move the needle. I don’t need to overdo it.
Speaking of being raw, you posted about losing your apartment while, at the same time, making a hit. Everything falling apart while simultaneously coming together feels like a common theme for a lot of people right now. What does that mean for you?
I wasn’t sure if I was going to post it, to be honest, but I wanted people to see where I am in my life. A lot of artists nowadays don’t want to show that, or maybe they’re too embarrassed. But I’m a human being at the end of the day.
I’m doing well for myself in the sense that I took the leap to chase my dreams. I took the leap to move to L.A. I don’t see losing my apartment as a failure at all. I see it as part of being human. I’m putting everything I have into my music, and I believe the bad usually happens before the good.
I want to be raw, open, and honest because if there’s someone from my city—or anywhere—who wants to chase their dreams, it’s important that they see this. It’s not pretty. It looks pretty on social media because people try to paint it that way, but it isn’t. You’re grinding as an artist, and things happen. You lose things, you make mistakes, you have wins, and you have losses. If I’m encouraging people to chase their dreams, they have to know what comes with it. This comes with it.
“Miss Your Touch” is the song we talked about earlier this year, when you said it was going to be the hit. I was driving the other day, and “For You” came on Apple Music. I love it. How did you expect “For You” to be received?
I try not to think too far ahead. I feel like all of those songs are hits in their own right, so I don’t focus too much on which record is going to go or which one is going to be the hit. I think they’re all going to have their moment.
But “For You” was a vocal moment for me to really show off. On each song on the project, I show something different in my vocals and in my tone. “For You,” for me, is a very debut-type song. It’s like, this is where I’m taking it, and this is just a taste of where it can go.
You were also able to work on a record connected to Chris Brown. What was that like?
I didn’t directly work with Chris Brown in the studio. I heard the record, and the A&R who played it gave me the opportunity to go in and lay an idea. I did get to briefly meet Summer Walker. She was really dope. But in general, it was crazy to see someone of that caliber take the song and sing something I had written. It was really dope.
Let’s talk about “Intense Lover.” Is there a story you’re trying to tell throughout the project?
Yeah. I love to the max. My love is always on 10; it’s never really in the middle. That’s one of the reasons I try to stay to myself and not overexert myself, because once I love someone—whether it’s a relationship or family—I go to war for them.
It can be dangerous when you’re that type of person because there’s no cap on it. There’s almost nothing I wouldn’t do for a person I love. On this project, I’m obviously talking about relationships, but that’s always been who I am in relationships. I’ve always loved to the max. Whether I’ve gotten that love back, we’ll save that for the next project. But I’ve always loved at a 10—never below, never in the middle. It felt right to call the project “Intense Lover.”
How do you feel about how the project is being received?
I feel great. I’m an up-and-coming artist, and it’s been nice to see this discovery happening. It’s the first time I feel like there’s been a real discovery around my music. I think people knew of me before, but right now things are really moving online. It’s been amazing. I feel like people are loving the project and receiving it well. There’s a song on there for everybody. I sprinkle in some pop and alternative R&B. Then you have “Can’t Wait” and “Miss Your Touch” on the ’90s R&B nostalgic side. I think it’s great. I rock with it.
I’m excited about what you have coming up. What do you see for yourself as you close out 2026?
I see more performances. I definitely want to be outside more. I want to meet more of the listeners and fans. That’s really big for me right now. My goal is to be onstage as much as I can.
I’m also working on more music to release next year, but I’m taking my time. This project just came out. I want to give it time to simmer and move around. My focus is getting one of these records to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. I believe one of them can chart, so I’m working toward that.
Lís
