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For Kataria, \u201cTrophia<\/a>\u201d is a symbolic reintroduction of who she truly is in a cutthroat industry.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n At just 14 years old, she performed at Arizona State Fair, where her voice caught the ears of many, including Michael Jackson himself. After receiving musical mentorship from the \u201cKing of Pop\u201d, embarking on international tours, and releasing her own works, Kataria took a step back from music. Now, she returns with a stronger confidence and a clear vision that is fully her own.<\/p>\n With \u201cTrophia\u201d, Kataria transforms into a mysterious alter-ego, though the bold essence of character is quite close to her true identity. With instrumentals that seamlessly switch between a fantastical orchestra to synth-pop, the song is a journey through the subconscious that ultimately reveals her inner power. The music video elevates the lyrical narrative with vibrant art direction, from its costumes and set design, to alluring vocals from Kataria herself.<\/p>\n Read more about her story that she shared with The Knockturnal <\/em>below.<\/em><\/p>\n Photo Credit: Joseph Seif<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This interview has been edited for clarity.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n So tell me a bit about your journey into the music industry! I know you started off quite young, but where and when did your ambition to go into music come from? When did you start officially going for it as an artist?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Kataria:<\/b> I think I started singing as soon as I could walk<\/span>\u2014my mom will tell you that. But I was very shy to start with, so I had my music teachers calling my parents to ask them, \u201cAre you aware of her voice and her singing ability?\u201d So it took a little bit of a push and a belief from my parents to kick that off. But once I got on the stage, and once I sang, once I felt the audience feedback, that whole experience kind of made me fall in love with it.<\/span><\/p>\n I know you decided to take a break for a while. If you don\u2019t mind, was there any specific reason you decided to step back and if so, what called you back into music?<\/strong><\/p>\n Kataria:<\/b> The industry can be a rough place. It\u2019s not easy, you have to definitely have a thick skin to sustain yourself. I think it was a series of deals just not materializing in a way that kind of meshed well with who I am as a person outside of being a singer. So I decided to pursue other dreams, which included finding true love and starting a family. With that, to my surprise, the man that I married heard my voice and he was like, \u201cWow, you need to sing. Now, you can do it for the pure art of it without anyone dangling any sort of deal or no-deal.\u201d Now it\u2019s for the art of it, so that\u2019s how I came back.<\/span><\/p>\n To follow up on that, what has changed artistically, creatively, or mentally for you during this time away? What\u2019s the biggest difference with approaching music since coming back?<\/strong><\/p>\n Kataria:<\/b> The difference, I would say, is that there\u2019s nothing to lose at this point and I\u2019m unafraid to just tell the truth. And I think when you tell the truth, it\u2019s authentic and there\u2019ll be no regrets.<\/span><\/p>\n Tell me more about \u201cTrophia\u201d; I know it\u2019s a new era that you\u2019re going into. Still pop\u2014a little bit of a different vibe compared to your last single, \u201cI Earned It\u201d<\/strong>, this one\u2019s a bit more bolder. How would you describe\u00a0<\/strong>this track to people who haven\u2019t listened to it and what does this song represent for you?<\/b><\/p>\n Kataria:<\/b> \u201cTrophia\u201d goes hard! It\u2019s definitely a fun beat, it\u2019s a hard beat. Trophia [the character] is a villain, but she\u2019s inspired by change. Kataria has learned to be ruthless and to take what\u2019s rightfully hers. The only difference between Kataria and Trophia is that she doesn\u2019t hurt others in the process, but she still unapologetically takes what\u2019s hers.<\/p>\n The music video really captured that vibe. What was it like, shooting that? I know this was your first official music video that you\u2019ve done, right?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Kataria:<\/b> Yeah, my first music video as Kataria, definitely. It was so fun. I think everyone, from our director, Sam Fox, to the whole crew, they very much created this other-worldly universe that just felt like magic and it was just the perfect space to perform in.<\/span><\/p>\n You mentioned other universes and there\u2019s a lot of this fantastical element to the song. Did you get any inspiration from other stories for this?<\/strong><\/p>\n Kataria:<\/b> I think just the whole feel of what things looked like in the \u201980s and \u2018<\/span>90s, color-wise. It just looks a lot like it\u2019s from that time.<\/span><\/p>\n Hearing you sing, I feel like I get a lot of Christina Aguilera vibes with your vocals. From your perspective, who are your biggest inspirations when it comes to creating music or singing? <\/strong><\/p>\n Kataria:<\/b> Christina\u2019s definitely one of them. She sings with a lot of soul and I think I try to do the same. Growing up it was Mariah Carey, C\u00e9line Dion, Whitney Houston, and Michael Jackson. All of those vocalists definitely inspired me.<\/span><\/p>\n You mentioned Michael Jackson; I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve gotten a lot of questions about him in the past. From a different perspective a little bit, what is something that <\/strong>you\u2019ve learned from the experience of getting to work alongside him that\u2019s remained with you to this day?<\/b><\/p>\n Kataria:<\/b> Aside from his artistry, of course, the biggest lesson I\u2019ve learned is being humble. Just being nice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n And for the future, what do you have your eyes on, in terms of what you want to do next or what kind of music you want to make going forward?<\/strong><\/p>\n Kataria:<\/b> I want to keep living my truth; I want to be honest with my music and give people a relatable experience. And I want to start performing, singing live. That\u2019s what we\u2019re working towards.<\/span><\/p>\n Doing any tours, maybe?<\/strong><\/p>\n Kataria:<\/b> For sure.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTrophia\u201d is now available for streaming, with the music video out on YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/theknockturnal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026_JSeif_Kataria_B0003599.jpg\")
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