THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Some of the most beautiful and intimate art is birthed from the rawest of emotions. For singer/songwriter Tianna Esperanza, it’s the heart of her music’s universe, a place where she freely tells her story in a way that can resonate with anyone. The depths of that expression are not only vital to her messaging, but it’s woven into her DNA. As the 22-year-old rising star unveils her debut masterpiece Terror, Tianna is geared to create a movement fueled by honest and authentic music that will stand the test of time.
Growing up in Cape Cod, Mass., Tianna was hardly surrounded by diversity. As a multiracial child in an affluent, predominantly white beach town, she navigated as best as she could, knowing she was wired differently for a myriad of reasons. She was one of a handful of Black students in her school, yet also the only Black person in her family. That too set her apart, bringing her into her own little world, where she sought solace through writing poetry. While enamored by the soulful greats like Nina Simone, Tianna was also drawn to the brutally honest lyricism of raw rappers like Eminem. Both would inevitably be her compass as she made her own music. “I learned to own my vulnerability through hip-hop,” she states.
While she could sing and play instruments at a young age, Tianna wasn’t sure where music would take her, but she knew in a way that it was her birthright. Her grandmother is Palmolive (Paloma McLardy), drummer in the legendary U.K. bands The Slits and The Raincoats. Understanding her grandmother’s legacy in music, Tianna sought to forge her own path, though her life’s journey wasn’t smooth. Experiencing othering and colourism was felt on both a micro and a macro level for Tianna as she grew up, but she also suffered the loss of her younger brother, while later surviving sexual assault.
There are layers to those levels of trauma, though her survivor’s instinct and therapeutic creativity fuel her debut album a project that is not only a composite of all she has endured, but also a means to find herself within the music. Terror’s first release was the heartfelt Lewis, birthed from watching the documentary The Black Power Mixtape, about the Black bookseller Lewis H. Michaux. The track delves into Michaux’s activism, as he was known for dissecting constructs surrounding race and self-identity.
On the project’s title track, Tianna sings in great detail about so much of whats he’s experienced, with all of the peaks and valleys. From the grief of losing her sibling to the tragedy of sexual assault, she goes the distance with her art — something that many are too hesitant to accomplish. “In some ways Terror is just scratching the surface, but in other ways it’s letting it all out,” she admits of the track. “It’s scary starting your career like this, and I feel like I’ll be talking about that song for a very long time.”
Other tracks like Princess Slit and the Raincoat Prince showcase Tianna’s knack for slick songwriting, even while tongue in cheek, as she displays her own vocal versatility. The title and punk-leaning production are an homage to her grandmother. “I wanted to do a little bit of a tribute to my grandmother’s music and her legacy,” she explains, “but also something that felt like my own.” Tianna carries that momentum into Three Straight Bitches From Hell, where her storytelling remains front and center. With a soulful edge and a punk attitude, the project is full of personality and self-actualization, from an artist who knows exactly who she is, while still evolving into whom she will become.
“I wanted to honour every part of me,” Tianna says.“I knew that I had a story, and for a lot of artists their debut album can be autobiographical.” Terror is a cathartic balance of both darkness and light, where Esperanza sings about her lowest moments, yet ends with an unbridled hope. It’s through her masterful wordplay, her range of vocals, and carefully selected production, that her introduction is geared to be strong and impactful — and she’s just getting warmed up. “There’s so much more that I haven’t spoken about,” she hints. “I’m saving that for my sophomore album and everything else to come.”
