F  L  A  U  N  T

 [Karina Rae](https://www.instagram.com/karinarae/) just released the official music video for “Bitch Boy,” an anthemic pop record dedicated to all the past lovers in her life. Inspired by her own experiences dating influencer type men who have way too much ego, the song channels her inner rager—simultaneously having fun and letting loose. She states, “I want the listener to be able to dance and put the blame on the bitch boy, rather than themselves.” Hailing from Boston but now residing in Los Angeles for two years now, the rising star blends the genres of pop and rock, creating ballads inspired by real-life emotions and feelings we can all relate to. Growing up, she fondly remembers her mom always playing Gwen Stefani and Shakira all around the house all the time, influenced greatly by Latin rock and music from the 90’s and early 2000’s—specifically Avril Lavigne and Hayley Williams. Getting her start on social media based tours back in the day in her teens, Karina now returns with her first single after a two-year hiatus. _Flaunt_ caught up with Karina via FaceTime to discuss her sound, her upbringing in Massachusetts, the turning point in music, the inspo behind “Bitch Boy,” shooting the visual, studio essentials, and more!  **How would you describe your sound?** There’s been a lot of trial and error processes with finding my sound. Since moving to LA, I’ve discovered myself going into my 20’s. Figuring out who I am as a person has affected me in figuring out who I am as an artist now, that’s really translating through my music coming out. Instead of thinking about “oh no, what’s my genre?” I’m doing what feels right and it’s been paying off. **You’re from Lowell, MA, what was the household like?** I grew up in a very Hispanic household. I’m Colombian and Peruvian. I grew up in a house with my mom, my dad, two dogs, my cousin, my aunt, my uncle, my other aunt, my other uncle, my grandma, my grandpa. \[laughs\] That’s the household I grew up in since I was really young up, until I was 16 or 17. I’m glad I grew up where I grew up for sure, I’m glad I grew up in that house. I’m a very family-oriented girl, that’s a big part of who I am. **At what point did you realize that you could do music for a living?** I’d won a contest when I was 8 to perform with KIDZ BOP. I know I was really young, but I remember that being the first moment where I thought “hey, this is what I want to do. I can probably do this.” From then on, it’s been me executing that dream. **How was that audition with KIDZ BOP?** I still remember it very clearly. It’s one of those moments you have when you’re a kid, but it’s still super clear to you because it was so monumental in growing up. I was 7 or 8 years old, they had put up this flyer. “Hey come and perform with us in concert, we’re scouting talent.” I had only sung musical theater like _Annie_ and _The Sound of Music_. I went in and I sang “Tomorrow” by Annie and that was my introduction into pop and mainstream. Let’s get into it! \[laughs\] **Talk about moving to LA two years ago, did you come for the music?** Yeah, I was 18 going on 19. I’d just graduated high school. I’d done one semester of Berklee and I said “man, I need to get out of Boston now.” I’m a very impulse-based person, that was a big impulse move. This is it, I need to do this right now or else I’m never going to do it. So I did, I made the decision, I moved a month or two later. It was 100% the best decision I ever made.  **What did you like about Los Angeles, how did it help your career?** More so what I didn’t like about LA that really shaped me as a person and helped me figure out… When I first got here, it’s very cliche _La La Land_\-ish. I jumped right into the influencer world and lost track of who I was really quickly after I moved here. Very much trying to fit a mold, very much trying to fit an Instagram persona, that responded in who I was. I lost myself. I really needed to go through that because I don’t think I’ve ever been more myself now than ever before.  **You just released “Bitch Boy,” how are you feeling**? This is definitely a different one for me, but I couldn’t have been happier with the response. Still the responses now, I’m honestly very through the roof. This is the most motivated I’ve felt after a release like “wow, this is worth working. I need to keep doing this.” I’ve done releases in the past and it’s been “yeah, this is cool. This is my song.” This is the first time where whoa, people are actually liking this. Appreciating what I have to say and who I am as a person. It’s so rewarding because it’s the most raw I’ve been in a song, speaking about something that’s happened in the most me way I could. I’m really happy with how everything’s going with “Bitch Boy.” **What were you going through recording this?**  When I moved here and I was super sucked into influencer land, don’t get me wrong I love my current roommate who’s an amazing influencer, but. \[laughs There’s definitely a culture here that’s very easy to get sucked into very quickly, you can lose track of who you are. I met a lot of people, I was single and doing my thing at the time. There’s this one boy that stuck out to me at the end of my run in the influencer world. I can’t make this up, I almost felt like I was a child being talked to. “Don’t post about me, don’t tag me. Don’t do this, don’t do that,” because essentially that means you’re using me because I’m not a person, I’m a product. Trust me, I get it. I do because that stuff’s real and it does happen. But if you claim to have a thing for me or having feelings for me, we’re going on dates, it was a culture shock for me. “I don’t know how I feel about this. This person is walking on eggshells not because they don’t like me for who I am, but because they feel I will not add any value to their brand.” I thought that was a very wild concept, I’m like “I need to write about this.” \[laughs\] It’s more so the angry side of it because I do understand to an extent, but this is more so me in the moment being like “fuck this guy! I can’t stand LA.”  **Has he heard it?** He doesn’t know it’s about him, but I’m sure he’s heard it because we do still follow each other on Instagram. \[laughs\] I’m sure he’s taken a listen, but I doubt he knows it’s about him.  **Why haven't you released music for two years?** I haven’t really released music since I’ve moved to LA. A lot of it ties back to the same thing: losing myself, finding myself, losing myself again and finding myself again. Going through a hundred rebirths within a span of 2.5 years. It got to a point where “I’m done, I don’t want to do music anymore. This is it.” I eventually said “let's give it a shot, let’s give it one more go.” And thank God I did. Doing a lot of self-discovery, self-reflection, figuring out life now beginning my way through LA and my 20’s. **What can we expect from the “Bitch Boy” visual?** I’m so damn excited about it because the whole concept is so cool. I basically directed the thing, I’m really excited. I’m over the roof. It’s inspired by one of my favorite movies, _13 Going On 30_. One specific scene in that movie, it’s really obvious which one it is. Basically my friend and I got together, he filmed it all on a VHS. I had my band, my friends in my actual apartment where we filmed it. I’m really stoked! **3 things you need in the studio?** I need inspiration. I call myself the Latina Taylor Swift because I need something to actually happen to me to be able to write about it. If something didn’t happen in that moment in time, I have to reflect back on something that made me feel a certain type of way. “Okay, let me channel these emotions and write very specifically about this.” One is real-life inspiration, second is good company, three is my phone.  **What do you want fans to get from your story?** My biggest goal as of right now, especially seeing the way people are taking “Bitch Boy” and the new people that have come to my Spotify and TikTok just through “Bitch Boy” is transparency. I want to write so people say “oh, this is real. This is a very specific situation, but it’s cool because I’m talking to this artist about something that she went through.” I want it to feel raw and transparent, it’s okay to word vomit what you’re feeling. **How would you describe your fashion sense?** I’ve been very experimental. My most comfortable outfit, I wear a lot of baggy jeans and different variations. \[laughs\] That’s pretty much it. I like to be as comfortable and trendy as possible, but still be able to express myself and have an identity through my outfits. I do love fashion. **Any goals for yourself at this point in your career?** I want to release an EP with his new era of Karina’s new mentality. I’m genuinely excited to see what body of work will come out of what’s happening now. That’s going to be really exciting for me and for everyone around me to see what the hell comes out of it because I feel good. **Anything else you want to let us know?** Lots of music coming out, first time in a long time I can say that. There’s more music ready to go, we’re getting ready to execute all of it. More stuff to listen to soon.