Art is beautiful for many reasons.
For some, though, it isn’t just beautiful—it’s a necessity, a way to transform into the version of yourself you’ve always wanted to be, uncovering the parts that have been hidden away for far too long.
On a 30-minute Zoom call, emerging pop artist Kyra Machida discusses growing up in rural Japan, her rebellious tendencies, the role of fashion in self-expression, and learning to embrace the messy imperfections of herself—ultimately finding a sense of home in the world she’s creating through her art.
With her forthcoming debut EP Blonde, featuring standout production and collaboration from Madison Love, Timfromthehouse, Leo Mellace, Zhone, German, and Karma Kid, Machida embarks on a new chapter—though not one she plans to linger in, as more fresh material is already on the horizon. This is just the beginning of her story.
Whether you’re an artist yourself, a fan of Kyra Machida’s work, or someone who’s ever felt confined by societal expectations, this interview is sure to resonate.
For listeners who are new to your music, how would you describe your musical identity and the sound you’re exploring at this stage of your career?
I'd say my sound is very influenced by electronic dance music, but pop-leaning.
I grew up listening to a lot of Imagine Heap and all that, but I've always listened to Britney Spears, Madonna, and all these influences kind of shaped me into who I am right now, and I feel like I've never really imagined meshing all those influences together.
But it's where I felt the most me, and I felt so good making that kind of music. Think of it as electronic–but full of harmony, some drama, and…cunt.
Having been born and raised in Japan, how has your upbringing shaped your music and the way you express yourself creatively?
Oh my god, so I grew up in the countryside–like, deep countryside of Japan.
Everybody went to sleep at 6 pm. All my neighbors were grandpas and grandmas.
So I think for them–seeing a girl like me, I am mixed Japanese. My dad's Italian-Japanese. My Mom’s also mixed as well.
I’ve always been considered unusual, and I was forced into this tiny box in the countryside. That really restrained me throughout my entire upbringing, and I constantly felt the urge to break out of it.
Since I was already being treated poorly and not accepted for who I was, I grew up hating being the black sheep. But over time, I’ve almost started to enjoy it.
As I grew, that’s where I found home. Instead of asking, “Where is it?” I just created my own home and poured it into my music. I’ve built a world of my own, and I think people connect with it.
There are so many girls who understand it too, carrying the same expectations from the world or from where they come from. I feel like it takes a lot of courage to step out and just say, “Fuck you” to everyone.
When you say you weren’t accepted, can you explain more about what you mean?
The beauty standards in Japan are very different from Western ones.
I wasn’t pale enough–I was naturally tan, and sometimes I had wavy hair.
People assumed I had an accent, even though I spoke completely normal Japanese. Adults, not just kids, would point it out.
As a young girl, it was confusing—I thought I was doing everything right, but they made me feel like everything I said or did was wrong. I was just trying to assimilate.
After beginning your career in Japan at 14, what has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned about pursuing music internationally, and how has your artistry evolved since then?
Moving to Tokyo alone at 14 was a huge step.
I’d always worn a happy-go-lucky mask, even though I cared deeply inside. Tokyo inspired me to stop pretending and really explore myself. It felt like I was clay, absorbing different materials and influences.
Still, Japan’s society is strict, and growing up there made me a perfectionist—sometimes in the worst way, but also in the best. I became picky about what works, but also hard on myself.
Now, working internationally–I’m looser, but I still carry that perfectionism within me.
Your early campaigns with brands like Converse and Nike gave you exposure in fashion—what’s your connection to fashion, and how does it influence your artistry and the way you express yourself as a musician?
For me, it’s 50% visual, 50% music. Whenever I hear sound, I immediately see visuals—colors, fabrics, outfits.
Growing up, I stood out in fashion, even in the countryside. I’d wear striped socks with heels at six years old.
Fashion has always been important to me; the first impression tells you so much about a person.
Color represents where I am emotionally.
My favorite colors are pink and black—cute, cool, sexy, hot, all at once. My favorite pieces are miniskirts and heels. If I see that outfit while writing a song, I know it’s the right one.
If you had to pick one, what’s the ultimate “Kyra Machida” outfit—the one that screams you as an artist?
A spaghetti strap black-and-white striped top with a hot pink corset, a flowing miniskirt underneath, knee-high socks with ankle warmers, and stiletto heels.
You’ve cited Gwen Stefani, Lady Gaga, and Fergie as influences. What aspects of their artistry do you channel in your work?
Definitely fashion, but most importantly, their unapologetic self-expression. They create conceptual worlds with their music, and I’ve always wanted to do the same.
It’s about freedom, not caring whether it fits into a category, but instead asking, “What world do I want to create and share with people?”
If you had to embody an archetype—like, for example, the Storyteller, the Explorer, or the Rebel—which archetype would you choose, and what draws you to it?
Definitely the rebel. I’ve never followed rules—if I do, it’s for the plot.
I like being the black cat, stepping in and out of paths, making my own story.
The rebel’s perspective is always interesting, and that’s the story I want to tell.
Do you have a specific formula when writing your tracks?
I’m more of a melody girl. I usually start with a word, concept, or vibe. I dress for the energy I want to embody that day.
If I’m writing something sultry, I’ll wear all black and give off Black Cat energy.
Sometimes I write from personal experience, sometimes from a character.
I often start from a single sound, even just a bassline, and if my body starts moving, I know it’s right.
I usually finish a song in one day—I’ll record scratch vocals, listen on the way home, then step away for a day before returning with fresh ears.
Do you have a favorite part of the process—writing, recording, or performing?
I'm more of a girl who likes to be locked in when in the studio.
But I also think it's always fun to see the world expand, especially when I get the choreo down.
It's my favorite part because whenever I write a song, if my body's not moving, that's when I know I'm not really feeling it.
If I see my body move and hear the sounds, I kind of trust that movement. It's like—if my body wants to do something, the bass has to give that energy too and guide me into it. I feel like they mesh together.
But definitely, my favorite is being in the studio. That's when I feel the freest. And obviously, performing is so much fun—seeing everyone's reactions, watching people dance—but I lock in so much that it's almost like I black out every time I'm about to perform.
When I'm in the studio, I get to play with so many emotions, which is why I really love being there.
Listening to your upcoming EP Blonde, I noticed a through-line of challenging assumptions while maintaining a fun, danceable energy. Also, was the title track written before naming the EP Blonde?
Actually, “Blonde” came way later. It's a song that I worked on with Zhone and Madison Love, who I love working with.
At that time, I was kind of going through a little bit of a traumatic experience prior to the day of writing. It just kind of reminded me of something I had experienced back then, and it obviously ties so much with expectations, and also with us as women, and how we get judged by the world, by men, and all these expectations where we feel like we can't really be free, but we also have to show up for ourselves.
There's this undertone of darkness, but it’s covered up with pretty makeup, pretty outfits, pretty skirts, so people would never know that anyone wearing a miniskirt is actually going through so much.
With “Blonde”, it really guided me there, but I didn’t want to be sad about it, because I’ve never been sad about it. I am the type of girl who likes to brush things off–until it breaks me.
But I feel like that’s true for a lot of girls. And I think that guided where the EP went—it’s so much fun, the production is fun, but there’s a dark undertone in the lyrics, my heels are bleeding, all that.
I feel like the pre-chorus of the title track represents how I was feeling, and there’s so much pain you have to go through in order to show up looking beautiful in this world. I think the expectations we have to meet are the whole storyline for me.
Before I wrote “Blonde,” I had black hair with some highlights. I wasn’t weak, but I felt so tied down.
After I wrote “Blonde,” I wanted to give myself a lobotomy. That’s why I went blonde. I’m not even kidding—I thought, “What’s the best way to DIY a lobotomy? Okay, let me put bleach in my hair.”
That’s when I turned blonde. It was almost like I was being sarcastic, like, “Okay, this is what you want, I’ll give you blonde.”
But I still had the power at the end of the day, and that’s what I really loved about it—being able to control what you want to control without having to do anything. That’s still power.
I loved the freeness of it–and I just loved being messy.
At the end of the day, there are girls who are so shiny and so beautiful, but for me, it was more about loving the mess of it all—the reality, the nakedness.
Blonde represented that for me–what I wanted to put into it.
Before the Blonde EP, I had “Handsy”— “Handsy” has this visual of a shiny girl on stage, perfect, always smiling. It was kind of silly.
I’ve never really explained this to anyone, with my songs or any content I’ve put out–I was very strategic and intentional with the order of the songs on my EP.
Even with the video—which isn’t out yet—the end of “Handsy” is when I walk off the stage, and the beginning of Blonde is when I’m coming out from… the work. It starts with me walking out at 2 AM in the morning.
After all the glamour, it’s the girl’s reality.
It’s just kind of this show—the persona I want to be seen as versus what I actually struggle with—and that flows through the lines of the songs and the order of the EP.
But it’s like—you wouldn’t actually think about that because you’re just constantly dancing. I just love the thought of dancing my emotions away.
What are your favorite songs from the EP?
Definitely “Nasty.” I think if I were to describe myself with a song, it would be “Nasty.”
But other than that, I would say “Voicemail.” It’s just so fun!
I mean, it puts you in this sassy mood that’s just so unserious—so confident without being like, “I’m confident,” you know?
It’s literally just about me being terrible at responding to calls, honestly. It takes about 10 to 20 business days, and then my team or manager will be like, “Hey, Kyra, you gotta respond.”
I’m terrible with it because I respond with my mind.
I’m such a present person that if I see it, I’m like, “Oh, true, you’re right,” but I’m not actually ignoring it.
But there are so many distractions, and people only really engage with you when you’re doing something cool–that’s when you hear back from them, so I think there’s this little sprinkle of disinterest, in a very sassy way.
“Voicemail” is that—it’s just so fun and carefree. “Nasty” is full serve.
“Voicemail” is just this fun part of me where I switch off, but I still have my eyes in the back of my head.
With your debut EP Blonde, coming out very soon, how do you want listeners to feel or connect with your music?
I would love for them to feel carefree and unapologetic about themselves.
I think that choosing a path that feels so uncertain is actually the right path to take, if that makes sense.
I would love for them to pick something that makes them uncomfortable, but really just have fun with it, not overthink it, and embrace the messy person that they are.
What’s next on the horizon?
I just did my EP release in New York, which was really, really fun. It was my first-ever performance in New York, which was so fun.
I have an upcoming show in LA, which is really close, so I’m really excited for that. It’s on October 26th.
From there, I think we’ll be doing some more shows afterwards, hopefully. And there are also more songs coming out, which I’m really excited to release.
Connect with Kyra Machida: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
