KAYAM on his evolution as an artist and his newest single “WORTH IT”
By Nimra Amir, October 8 2021—
Born and raised in Calgary, KAYAM is an up-and-coming artist who released his newest single “WORTH IT” accompanied with a MyNameFrench-directed music video on Sept. 24.
With over 500,000 combined plays garnered over his four last singles, KAYAM has received press from Virgin Radio, Sidedoor Magazine, iHeartRadio and HipHopDX. The attention to his earlier music even secured his performance as the lead opening act for Roy Woods this summer. With large numbers, performance experience and notable recognition, KAYAM is an acclaimed name to keep an eye on.
His newest single layers the Indian-Canadian artist’s distinct vocal cadences on a punchy club instrumental to deliver the ultimate feel-good song. Complemented with a high-energy music video shot in Los Angeles, listeners can carry the summer vibes into fall. In an interview with the Gauntlet, KAYAM revealed the details on his new single and the events that led up to its release.
“WORTH IT,” a song about the initial hesitation of falling in love, represents KAYAM’s goal of creating timeless music that can be played for anyone.
“It’s appealing to all demographics and that’s what I try to do with all my music,” KAYAM said. “I think music should be unifying.”
Even if you cannot directly relate to the lyrics, the upbeat rhythm of the single is designed to have you bobbing your head along. It was created by KAYAM in this way to escape the negativity he felt when isolated during COVID-19.
“When COVID-19 happened, I didn’t know what the next step was,” KAYAM said.
To market his earlier single, “BONITA”, without the use of shows or clubs proved to be a challenge for the new artist. Nevertheless, through social media, KAYAM was able to successfully release “BONITA” and have it perform well. This experience emphasizing the significance of adaptability is accredited by KAYAM to heavily influence his evolution as an artist. “The worst situations can come out to propel you even farther than you thought.”
Along with adaptability, KAYAM considers consistency to be an important quality in establishing a brand that people can resonate with.
He explained that Calgary, when compared to Toronto or Los Angeles, has a different atmosphere in terms of the music scene. Yet this is not necessarily negative — if the mentioned qualities are honed, he says that it is easier to stand out in Calgary.
This advice culminated in his performance as the lead opening act for Roy Woods this summer. Given that it was KAYAM’s first large concert since COVID-19, this high-profile event was initially nerve-racking and yet with many of his fans attending, it turned out to be a great experience.
“It was crazy to me to be performing and have people singing along.” He goes on to add that he is looking forward to receiving even more of these opportunities as he progresses in his career.
A particular artist he hopes to work with is Tory Lanez because of his versatility.
“As an artist, a performer, even a director of his videos, he does everything himself,” KAYAM said. Remnants of this inspiration are apparent in KAYAM’s own single and music video for “WORTH IT” where he worked very hands-on in all creative processes.
“I like to portray myself as different characters with every video,” KAYAM said. While he normally has his work planned out in advance, for “WORTH IT” he was not sure about the concept until a few hours before shooting it.
He ultimately decided on the character “Nerd Q” — reminiscent of a younger KAYAM who did not quite fit in, especially at public events. Despite the unorthodox experience of the music video, shooting in Los Angeles was a major highlight of this latest single for KAYAM.
“I’m really happy with the music video and I’m excited for everyone to see it.”
Be sure to give “WORTH IT” a listen on Apple Music or Spotify and watch the music video on YouTube.
To keep updated with Kayam, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.