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KINA is a soulful new solo artist who puts all of her heart into the lyrics she sings on her brand new self titled record.  The young diva was first heard as part of the girl group Brownstone, but since then has matured as both an artist and a person who’s turned to her faith to get her out of the gutter.  “I’ve always felt music would help me do something even more important,” she says.  “I think that’s God’s plan for me.  I’ve been guided by this force throughout my career.  A lot of it has seemed like a fluke, but I know that’s not all it is.  I’m very passionate about a lot of things, and I’m certain my passion for music will lead me to make a difference in the world.”

Although KINA doesn’t speak of a specific trauma in the album’s theme song “Girl From the Gutter,” it’s clear that she has encountered many people who have tried to stop her from fulfilling her dream of making music and reaching out to others.  The driving guitars and solid drum beats, mixed with KINA’s firm tone, makes the song a great lead off single and sets the pace for the remainder of the disc.

Songs like “Have a Cry” and “Hurt So Bad” continue speaking of her struggles, but there is light at the end of the tunnel on the soft spoken “I Love You” and “Give and Take.”  The album’s next single, “Me” is KINA speaking out to her audience about coming to term and accepting herself.

The entire disc is an emotional roller coaster of the happy and sad parts of life, while the pace moves from heavy to very soft.  Musically, this rising star is a cross between Tina Turner and Whitney Houston and if she keeps up the hard work by hitting the road in support of the disc, KINA’s destined to rise to an equal level of stardom as her influences.

Andy Argyrakis 1/7/2001