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Karisna is a 23-year-old singer-songwriter whose upbringing across Hong Kong, the UK, and the US shaped both who she is and the kind of artist she wants to be — music has been her constant since she could speak. She began piano lessons at four, started songwriting around seven, and moved to New York to study at NYU's Clive Davis Institute, a turning point that pushed her to take her artistry seriously. The artist's sound blends pop, R&B, and house influences into cinematic, story-driven songs built on emotional contrast, moving from vulnerability toward empowerment. Her single "Down Bad" was featured on Spotify's R&B Late Night Drive playlist, and "Often" was featured on Black Coffee's official playlist twice. She's been profiled in Hong Kong's Gafencu magazine and in Voyage LA, and has built a following of 31K on Instagram alongside millions of views across platforms. At the core of it all is representation: she wants young, multicultural women who've never fully seen themselves in mainstream pop to feel seen, heard, and empowered. |
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3 words to describe you:
Unapologetic, cinematic, bold
Describe your sound:
I’d describe my sound as emotionally driven pop, but I’ve always been quite genre-fluid. I love experimenting with different sounds and have released everything from contemporary pop to house music with ethnic and afro influences. For me, the common thread has always been the emotion behind the song — I’m drawn to strong melodies, expressive vocals and music that makes you really feel something.
So I would say emotionally charged pop built on contrast — vulnerable, intimate verses that build into big, belted, empowering choruses. I call it walking through fire, but in heels.
Tell us about your early music memories and when you knew you wanted to pursue music:
My music journey started as soon as I could speak — my parents always say I used to sing to the moon, and one of the first songs I ever made up was called "Moon in the Sky." When I was four, I begged my mom for piano lessons. Growing up in Hong Kong, learning an instrument was usually very classical and exam-focused, so my mom had to ask my teacher if I could learn pop songs alongside the classical pieces — all I wanted to do was sit at the piano and sing Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez songs like "Love Story" and "Who Says." That was really the beginning of everything. I started songwriting around age seven, and music has been how I process emotions and understand the world ever since.
How does your heritage impact your art?
It gives my pop music a global, cross-cultural lens — and I'm now bringing it forward visually as much as sonically, through statement jewelry and fashion reinterpreted through a modern pop lens.
What moment are you most proud of in your music journey so far?
I've stayed committed to this path even when it felt unconventional or uncertain — building my artistry independently from the ground up. But more than anything, I'm proud of how much my music can help other people, not just myself. I started a series in my Discord where I asked fans to send me their stories, and I ended up getting essays and incredibly long, personal messages from so many of them. My single "That I Don't," which I released in April, was actually based on one of those stories. Being able to write through someone else's lens and then have them hear their own experience reflected back to them is everything to me — I'm proudest when someone tells me a song made them feel seen, stronger, or understood.
Your next music goal:
To fully step into powerful, vocal-driven ballads and build a visual world around my music that feels like a genuine, authentic extension of my heritage.
If you could collaborate with anyone, who and why?
Max Martin. He's behind so many of my favorite pop songs, and I've always admired how he can write something that feels massive and anthemic but still deeply emotional. Getting to work with him on a big vocal ballad would honestly be a dream come true.
A song that has shaped you:
Alicia Keys — "Empire State of Mind."
I sang this song at 15 to win Hong Kong's Got Talent, a one-night live show, and I kept performing it everywhere afterward. Little did I know, three years later I'd actually be moving to New York to pursue music and attend university. Looking back, it almost feels like that song manifested the whole thing — it's just so empowering, and singing it that night is where this journey really began.
3 songs you're listening to right now:
I have a pretty wide range when it comes to music taste — there's what I love to listen to, and then there's what speaks to me on a songwriting and vocal level. On the listening side, I'm on a huge RÜFÜS DU SOL kick right now — "Fire / Desire" has been on repeat — and I've also been loving "No Shape Without You" by Shimza & LevyM. Then there are songs that hit me differently as a songwriter and vocalist — the ones where I think, "I wish I'd written that." Faouzia's "UNETHICAL" is one of those; it's such a powerful song. I've also been loving Sienna Spiro's music lately — every track of hers feels like something I'd want to sing myself.
Your community shout out:
Rina Sawayama. I love how she blends genres so fearlessly and puts her identity and heritage right at the center of her artistry and storytelling, rather than shying away from it. Watching her build a lane that's so unapologetically her own has been really inspiring as I figure out how to do the same with my own music.
Anything else you'd like to share:
I'm releasing my next single by the end of October and working toward a full EP for the top of next year.