Kahren Finds Self with ‘I Think I Know Her’

Ferdinand Ekechukwu

After releasing singles like ‘Peekaboo’ and ‘Safa,’ talented songstress, Kahren has taken up the challenge to face the music world, coming out with her record titled “I Think I Know Her”. An alluring five-track project with vocal assistance from sensational rapper, Blaqbonez, alongside fast-rising singer, Victony, Kahren dedicates this debut EP to finding herself as a 21-year-old woman in Nigeria and her music industry. Already streaming online, this body of work is one that shows the singer’s readiness to be widely known by music lovers.

Whether weaving her melodies between Spanish guitars, Afrobeats percussion or pop rhythms, Kahren’s enigmatic lyricism invariably leaves listeners with something to ponder: “I’m an angel in the morning,” she sings on “Safa”; “the devil in the night.” Traversing pop, soul and alternative R&B, Kahren boldly presents her eclectic iteration of Afro-fusion. The singer marries astute songwriting with honey-toned vocals that float between soul-tinged sound beds. She is beautiful and arty.

Her approach to the Afro-fusion sound is deliberate and memorable in the same breath, with a soulful undertone second to none. Her greatest strength, however, lies in her versatility and ability to make complex subject matters easier to relate to – a proof of her goal to make music that heals and spreads love. Musically, she points to names like Jhene Aiko, Jorja Smith as sources of inspiration. She has also on multiple occasions lent her voice as a featured or backup artiste for multiple names within the industry.

As a young person, she had a passion for dance. This morphed into a love for music. In the thick of lockdown, she won her first set of fans after her acoustic performance videos went viral. She released ‘Peekaboo,’ a showcase of her burgeoning and equally scary pen game. She followed it up with ‘SAFA,’ an acronym for ‘Stay away, far away.’ A pop record, it showed a more fierce side to the Black Melon singer. In a new video for the song, she appeared grown and sultry, while she rode her tidal waves of ‘sexy’ and ‘unconcerned.’

Personality-wise, she is articulate and confident with a blend of shyness, while speaking on camera. But when in her element to make music, she lets loose. Revealing an artiste in bloom, Kahren makes an honest assessment of her experiences, seeking solace on “Breathe”, expressing vulnerability on the Victony-assisted “Mirror” and reprimanding a problematic lover on “Commando” with Blaqbonez. Kahren, born Karen Anyanwu, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter.

Kahren fell in love with music and its power to lift spirits at an early age. It was not long before she began to try her hands at the art of making music herself. A little while later, she learned to play the guitar and had her first studio session. She started music professionally around 2019, and received reasonable online buzz from covers renditions she did to songs by Aurora and Annie Marie. Fueled by the reception and a natural dedication to her craft, she released her debut single titled ‘Remember’ in the last quarter of 2020 to reasonable success – one she intends to surpass with every future endeavors.