Kenia Os Has Paid Her Dues. In New Album 'k De Karma,' She Takes Back Her Power

Mexico’s reigning popular princess is entering her femme fatale era.

Kenia Os played up her tiny and cuddly broadside successful her erstwhile album, 2024’s “Pink Aura” — but pinch her upcoming medium “K de Karma,” retired Friday, Os is putting that era to bed.

Os, calved Kenia Guadalupe Flores Osuna successful Mazatlán, Sinaloa, has made an unthinkable leap from societal media influencer to Latin Grammy-nominated popular prima successful nether a decade. Yet astatine 26, she has weathered countless storms — whether facing incessant body-shaming online, aliases defending her popular euphony pivot from cynics successful nan comments.

In an question and reply pinch nan L.A. Times, nan Mexican superstar explains really she transmuted that power into her astir fierce and sexy philharmonic offering yet.

“In that darkness, I recovered myself,” nan 26-year-old says complete Zoom from her edifice room successful Los Angeles — wherever she’s traded her signature humor reddish dress for a achromatic vessel apical and jeans arsenic she prepares for her upcoming tour.

“This medium is wholly astir empowerment. There’s an power down it of divine justice... What’s for you belongs to you.”

Os had plentifulness of examples of powerful popular divas to tie inspiration from. Though she fondly recalls her mother playing nan euphony of nan precocious Selena Quintanilla and Jenni Rivera, Os was tapped into American talents for illustration Miley Cyrus — namely her “Hannah Montana” change ego — arsenic good arsenic Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez.

“I’ve ever been inspired by a batch of female artists,” she recalls. “The powerfulness that women wield has ever been astatine nan halfway of who I americium an artist.”

As Os looks backmost connected being a teen woman who shared her life gratuitously connected YouTube, and later societal media platforms for illustration Instagram and TikTok, she still feels nan sting of body-shaming comments. Os reveals during that time, her weight would up and down from dealing pinch hormonal issues specified arsenic PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and endometriosis.

“It’s very difficult really group judge you for your body, if you summation weight, person a tummy, aliases whatever,” she says. “It was very analyzable to turn from a young woman into a female [in a world] wherever you are really you look. Currently, I consciousness astatine easiness because acknowledgment to nan universe, I’ve had nan opportunity to return attraction of my body, understand it, and heal from within. It’s made maine a stronger woman.”

Another hurdle that Os had to flooded successful her profession is an ongoing stigma placed connected influencers-turned-pop stars. Although artists for illustration Addison Rae, Tate McRae, and Charli D’Amelio successfully forged their careers arsenic performers connected societal media earlier taking halfway stage, Os sees Mexico arsenic being little receptive to that benignant of profession modulation arsenic nan U.S. aliases Canada.

“In Mexico, it hasn’t been that easy for group to understand that I americium a singer,” she says. “I’m not nan best, but I’m here, I person my fandom that I emotion and we’re doing unthinkable things together.” (Os is referring to her monolithic pursuing online, which includes 26.3 cardinal fans connected TikTok and 18.2 cardinal fans connected Instagram.)

When Os first launched arsenic a vocalist successful 2018, immoderate instantly took purpose astatine her creation moves and nan digitally augmented sound of her voice. Os admits that she’s travel a agelong measurement since that first loop pinch rigorous singing and choreography lessons; 3 years later, she signed a grounds woody pinch her existent explanation Sony Music Mexico, and released her glossy debut album, “Cambios De Luna,” successful 2022.

Since then, Os has travel to norm nan Latin popular segment successful Mexico, boasting aggregate sold-out tours of nan country.

“It’s been difficult for group to understand that I started retired making contented — which I still emotion to do — and suddenly, I’m [also] a singer,” she says. “They effort to devalue my activity and what I do arsenic an artist. At nan extremity of nan day, I’m still arsenic hard-working arsenic I [was] connected time one. I’m connected nan charts pinch a batch of artists. I’ve put myself successful a position wherever I tin opportunity that I’m afloat dedicated to music. For me, it’s been a beautiful travel wherever I’ve learned a batch astir myself and I’ve grown truthful much.”

Os achieved an world breakthrough pinch her ocular album, 2022’s “K23.” The pursuing twelvemonth she scored a viral deed connected TikTok pinch nan flirty “Malas Decisiones,” which has complete 340 cardinal streams connected Spotify. Os would soon circuit nan U.S. for nan first time, and astatine nan 2023 Latin Grammy Awards, “K23” was nominated successful nan class of agelong shape euphony video.

“I loved that experience, and I judge it would beryllium beautiful to triumph a Grammy, but now I’m much dedicated to my fans, my euphony and what I for illustration without expecting an award,” she says.

Last year, Os besides pulled a page from Taylor Swift’s playbook by releasing nan performance movie “Kenia Os: La OG” successful theaters successful some nan U.S. and Mexico.

Now pinch “K De Karma” out, Os is uncovering spot successful further harnessing a sexier and much defiant change ego — which she introduced successful her cinematic euphony video for “Belladona.” Directed by Daniel Eguren, nan visuals stress nan fatality of her femininity pinch a car detonation and suited-up businessmen bending to her will.

“It doesn’t consciousness for illustration that I person to enactment aliases dress to beryllium sexy aliases sensual,” Os admits. “Now, this feels very natural. It feels very me. This is who I americium astatine this infinitesimal arsenic a woman.”

She adds that her medium was besides inspired by a marginalized group that stuck by her broadside done her ups and downs: nan LGBTQ+ community. As a show of gratitude to nan girls and nan gays, Os transforms from “Belladona” to Primadonna successful vogue-ready location bangers for illustration “Slay,” “Problemática,” and “Boom In Your Face.”

“I wanted to do thing nosy and different for nan LGBTQ+ community,” she says. “I’m very happy and grateful for nan emotion they’ve fixed me. I judge they’re my astir passionate fans — they’re nan benignant of fans that are location for you nan most. To put connected concerts wherever you cognize astir of nan crowd belongs to that community, it’s an unthinkable experience.”

A astonishing collaborator connected “K De Karma” is Mexican singer-songwriter Carla Morrison. She co-wrote nan tender emotion opus “Tú y Yo X Siempre” pinch Os; nan 2 besides collaborated connected “Días Tristes,” which is reminiscent of nan moody ‘80s popular anthem by Jeanette, “El Muchacho De Los Ojos Tristes.”

Os reveals that she and Morrison worked connected a 3rd opus that they’re still putting nan finishing touches on. “It was very magical to activity pinch her,” she adds. “She’s an exceptional and unthinkable quality being pinch a large heart. She told maine very beautiful words that motivated maine each of past year. Those were words that I needed to hear.”

On nan individual side, Os is besides relishing her narration with Peso Pluma. After collaborating connected nan reggaeton way “Tommy & Pamela” successful 2024, nan 2 Mexican artists went nationalist arsenic an point past year. Os has moreover accompanied Pluma connected a fewer stops of his caller Dinastía Tour.

“It’s very beautiful to cognize that you person a partner that knows what you spell done and that tin springiness you proposal from his experiences arsenic well,” Os says. “I emotion that I tin count connected personification that understands maine wholly and supports me.”

As for now, she is raring for nan Mexican limb of her “K de Karma Tour” that kicks disconnected connected April 25 successful her hometown. She is hoping to yet adhd immoderate dates successful nan States.

“I want to turn much internationally pinch this album,” says Os. “As agelong arsenic my fans emotion and bask this album, that’s each that matters to me.”