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From Heartbreak to Superbowl: A Rising Star ft. XARII | Ep. 4
21 Plays1 year ago
Welcome to the fourth episode of our podcast, where we shine a spotlight on the remarkable journey of XARII, a rising star in the music industry.
Join us as we delve into XARII's path to success, from her humble beginnings in Tennessee to gracing the stage of the Super Bowl. In this episode, we delve into XARII's deeply personal journey, exploring how she channels her experiences, including heartbreak and triumph, into her music. We'll also discuss her latest projects and collaborations, giving listeners an inside look into her creative process and upcoming releases.
Whether you're a music enthusiast or simply curious about the life of a rising artist, this episode promises to be an inspiring and insightful exploration of XARII's extraordinary career. So tune in and discover the magic behind the melodies with XARII.
About XARII:
XARII, born Ann-Aryn Parish, is a rising star in music, blending pop and R&B influences. From performing for family to co-hosting "Tea Time" podcast, she captivates with her authentic voice and compelling storytelling. Recently, she wowed audiences with a performance during Super Bowl weekend. With nominations at ISSA and as a finalist for the Homegrown Music Awards, XARII continues to shine in the industry.
To see the video version of this episode subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thezainabkhan
Website: https://thezainabkhan.com/
Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/zainabkhanpodcast/
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Transcript
Introduction to the podcast and guest
00:00:00
Speaker
Hi, I'm Zainab Khan, your host, and I welcome you all to the podcast where we explore incredible stories of people from different industries.
00:00:16
Speaker
Absolutely, Zainab.
00:00:17
Speaker
Today we have a very remarkable guest, Zari.
Zari's musical journey and achievements
00:00:21
Speaker
Zari, born Anne Arvin Parish, is a rising star in music, blending pop and R&B influences.
00:00:28
Speaker
From performing for family to co-hosting Tea Time podcasts, she kept it with her authentic voice and compelling storytelling.
00:00:36
Speaker
That's right.
00:00:37
Speaker
Recently, she wowed audiences for the performance during Super Bowl weekend.
00:00:41
Speaker
With nominations at ISSA and as a finalist for the Homeboard Music Awards, Zari continues to shine in the industry.
00:00:48
Speaker
Let's welcome Zari.
00:00:49
Speaker
Hi.
00:00:49
Speaker
Hi, Zari.
00:00:51
Speaker
Hi.
00:00:53
Speaker
How are you?
00:00:54
Speaker
I'm good.
00:00:55
Speaker
How are you?
00:00:56
Speaker
I'm doing great.
00:00:57
Speaker
Good, good.
Balancing personal experiences and privacy in music
00:00:58
Speaker
Let's kick things off with the heart of your creative process, Zari.
00:01:01
Speaker
Your music often delves into personal experiences and emotions.
00:01:05
Speaker
How do you strike a balance between sharing your authentic self through your art and maintaining a sense of privacy?
00:01:13
Speaker
Honestly, my only private things that I really actually keep private are my day-to-day things like, you know, my routine at home, what I do with my dog.
00:01:26
Speaker
Everything that I put, like, in my music is, like, what I've been through, like, with my life.
00:01:31
Speaker
So, like, basically, like, just, like, my morning routine, my showers, things like that are the only things that I don't really share.
00:01:39
Speaker
So I'm pretty much an open book.
00:01:41
Speaker
Yeah.
00:01:43
Speaker
That's great.
00:01:44
Speaker
That's very nice.
00:01:45
Speaker
Considering your involvement in various genres, how does each genre contribute uniquely to expressing different aspects of your identity as an artist?
00:01:57
Speaker
Well, pop and R&B, I usually do that the most.
00:02:02
Speaker
So I just put all my feelings into those.
00:02:06
Speaker
But with what I listen to on a day-to-day, basically, I go from everything to metal and alternative.
00:02:16
Speaker
It's not really my mood.
00:02:18
Speaker
It's just my whole playlist, I guess.
00:02:21
Speaker
So I just listen just to listen,
Zari's songwriting process and influences
00:02:24
Speaker
I guess.
00:02:24
Speaker
It's not really...
00:02:26
Speaker
that deep necessarily but awesome since i'm also a musician so i would like to know your creative process how do you go about writing a song like does it come to you random or you pick up the pen and you just start writing or you have to have a certain mood to write a song how does it how do you go about
00:02:53
Speaker
sometimes I go online and like listen to instrumentals and then I'll be like, hey, this sounds good.
00:03:00
Speaker
And I'll just like start writing something down just about like, I'll just think of something that happened with my family or like an ex-boyfriend.
00:03:09
Speaker
And I'm like, oh, I can just put that in there.
00:03:12
Speaker
Or like I have some instrumentals that I
00:03:15
Speaker
still listen to.
00:03:17
Speaker
Sometimes I'll just put it on in the car and something I haven't written to yet.
00:03:21
Speaker
And it'll just come to me or I'll look at a sign and I'll just be like, oh, got to get my notes app out.
00:03:29
Speaker
And I'll just write it down.
00:03:31
Speaker
And sometimes I'll be in the shower and I'm like, I got to get my notes app.
00:03:35
Speaker
So I don't know.
00:03:36
Speaker
Things just come to me like that.
00:03:38
Speaker
Right.
00:03:40
Speaker
You are so young and you mentioned metal music.
00:03:43
Speaker
Do you listen to metal music?
00:03:45
Speaker
And like, how do you relate to it?
00:03:47
Speaker
Because that's a pretty heavy stuff to listen to.
00:03:50
Speaker
Well, my cousin got me into that.
00:03:54
Speaker
So I was like, well, I like this.
00:03:57
Speaker
And so I honestly just listened to it.
00:04:01
Speaker
And I've had some hardcore friends when I worked at a couple of fast food places.
00:04:07
Speaker
So, you know, that's all the other thing that ties into that.
00:04:12
Speaker
So, yeah.
00:04:13
Speaker
That's really awesome.
00:04:15
Speaker
Can you name some artists that sparked your inspiration?
00:04:21
Speaker
In which genre or just like metal?
00:04:25
Speaker
Well, I mean, I listen to like, I don't know if like Ghost Mane is considered metal or like I listened to him and I can't.
00:04:40
Speaker
Poya, I think his name is.
00:04:42
Speaker
I can't remember.
00:04:43
Speaker
But I just listened to like a playlist too.
00:04:47
Speaker
So I just saw a bunch of different artists.
00:04:50
Speaker
So I don't know exact names, but I just... Whatever is playing you in your playlist, you go through that.
00:04:59
Speaker
Yeah, sometimes my brother's like, what are you listening to?
00:05:01
Speaker
I'm like, what do I want?
00:05:05
Speaker
Writing songs since the fourth quid, your journey with music is deeply rooted.
00:05:10
Speaker
How has your songwriting evolved and how do you approach translating personal experiences
Music as therapy and its evolution
00:05:15
Speaker
into relatable and universal themes?
00:05:19
Speaker
When I was younger, I would like, obviously I watched like Disney Channel.
00:05:24
Speaker
So I would be like, this is all I got right now.
00:05:27
Speaker
So I'd like stem from that.
00:05:30
Speaker
So it'd be like more just like PG songs be like, I woke up and I did this or like Selena Gomez, like in the scene type song and things like that, like victorious.
00:05:44
Speaker
But now, like since I've grown up and like been through like,
00:05:49
Speaker
Some things like basically my songs have matured and actually like became real instead of like fragments of or like stemming from something else.
00:06:03
Speaker
So they're actually like not from a quote or not from like Disney channel.
00:06:10
Speaker
So it's like actually like from experiences that I've been through.
00:06:14
Speaker
So everything's like written by me.
00:06:16
Speaker
So, yeah.
00:06:18
Speaker
awesome okay mental health is a recurring theme in your music how do you view the role of music in addressing mental health issues both for yourself and your listeners um my music is basically like therapy for me so i don't go to therapy so i just write and that's like me letting everything go so mental health is very important to me and so this is me
00:06:49
Speaker
basically just letting everything just go the past is the past yeah basically my music is therapy for me and just like letting everything go so if people have been through like the same things or something similar they can relate to that if they're not able to you know speak out about it
00:07:13
Speaker
Because some of the things that I've been through, other people that I've told, they'll be like, that's not true.
00:07:21
Speaker
And I'm like, what are you talking about?
00:07:23
Speaker
That literally happened to me.
00:07:25
Speaker
So if other people have tried to speak out about the things that they've been through, that if others don't believe them or if they physically can't, that I can kind of be that person to voice that situation.
00:07:41
Speaker
Right.
00:07:42
Speaker
So most of your music is like based on your real life experiences.
00:07:46
Speaker
Like, do you try to incorporate some fantasy in your music or it's all about reality and the harsh truth of life?
00:07:55
Speaker
Well, some of the ones that aspect more love is fantasy because I usually stem from the hardship.
00:08:09
Speaker
So the love aspects are mostly fantasy.
00:08:13
Speaker
Very nice.
00:08:16
Speaker
So awesome.
Embracing musical roots and authenticity
00:08:17
Speaker
Growing up in a small town, how has your background shaped your artistic perspective?
00:08:21
Speaker
And how do you navigate the balance between staying true to your roots and embracing new influences?
00:08:29
Speaker
Well, there, everything was like country and like Christian music, which like I'm not dogging on that.
00:08:36
Speaker
Love that.
00:08:37
Speaker
But everybody was like, you shouldn't pursue your music.
00:08:43
Speaker
You shouldn't do this.
00:08:44
Speaker
Like, you know, there's a small chance you're going to be able to do that.
00:08:49
Speaker
So you should do something else.
00:08:50
Speaker
I'm like, what are you talking about?
00:08:52
Speaker
So even if there is a small chance, I might as well do it anyway.
00:08:56
Speaker
So even though like...
00:08:59
Speaker
we didn't really listen to like pop music or anything that was mainly my thing but like
00:09:05
Speaker
I like still love it there, love them, but I am very optimistic and basically like bring everything in with like open arms.
00:09:18
Speaker
So I love like different influences, you know, different experiences.
00:09:24
Speaker
I love to experience everything.
00:09:27
Speaker
Very nice.
00:09:28
Speaker
Okay.
00:09:28
Speaker
First of all, we would like to congratulate you on being a judge for the star power competition.
00:09:34
Speaker
And,
00:09:35
Speaker
Being a judge, what qualities will you be looking for in the emerging artists and what advice would you give to those starting their musical journey, especially the young lot of your age and the upcoming artists?
00:09:49
Speaker
Well, you know, determination, self-confidence, you know, patience, because not everything's, you know, not going to come at one time.
00:10:01
Speaker
I've been doing this like two straight years.
00:10:04
Speaker
It just like I'm not where I want to be yet.
00:10:07
Speaker
That's OK.
00:10:08
Speaker
So you have to work hard.
00:10:10
Speaker
You have to even if you get stuck, you have to keep going.
00:10:14
Speaker
Very true.
00:10:15
Speaker
Exactly.
00:10:18
Speaker
Even though everybody says this, you can do anything you put your mind to, which is true.
00:10:22
Speaker
So you can always remember that.
00:10:25
Speaker
Is there something like you're going to see in an upcoming artist or the one who will be contesting in the show?
00:10:33
Speaker
Is there any aspect you would like to highlight?
00:10:40
Speaker
Like, for example, what qualities you think should
00:10:43
Speaker
an artist has to do with the music, the lyrics, or the whole combination.
00:10:52
Speaker
Well, you have to be authentic.
00:10:54
Speaker
You don't want to be a carbon copy of everybody else.
00:10:58
Speaker
Very true.
00:10:59
Speaker
Very true.
00:11:00
Speaker
So, I mean, we already have Taylor Swift, Ariana.
00:11:05
Speaker
We don't need somebody that's exactly like somebody else.
00:11:10
Speaker
So...
00:11:12
Speaker
But I think there's nothing wrong in having some influences.
00:11:15
Speaker
Yeah.
00:11:17
Speaker
There's not.
00:11:18
Speaker
But we don't need, like, exact, like, I've seen so many people that have tried to be, like, Juice WRLD or, like, I don't know, Justin Bieber.
00:11:32
Speaker
And I'm like... Yeah.
00:11:34
Speaker
There's a whole world of Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift.
00:11:38
Speaker
There are so many copycats.
00:11:39
Speaker
Yeah.
00:11:42
Speaker
I don't know.
00:11:45
Speaker
We all heard from support from Ray Morinman.
00:11:48
Speaker
Would you like to give a shout out to someone who supported you throughout?
00:11:55
Speaker
Probably my dad.
00:12:00
Speaker
Your commitment to releasing new music regularly is impressive.
00:12:05
Speaker
How do you maintain creative inspiration and overcome challenges in the creative process to consistently deliver fresh and meaningful content?
00:12:15
Speaker
Honestly, like, I just go deep into my brain.
00:12:22
Speaker
I meditate.
00:12:23
Speaker
I go outside.
00:12:24
Speaker
I just, like I said earlier, I just go and do things.
00:12:28
Speaker
I...
00:12:30
Speaker
Shower.
00:12:31
Speaker
I do whatever I think I need to do.
00:12:33
Speaker
Things just come to me.
00:12:35
Speaker
Like I can just pick up pen and paper and it just flows.
00:12:39
Speaker
Very nice.
00:12:40
Speaker
That's a sign of true artist.
00:12:42
Speaker
The creativity just flows.
00:12:46
Speaker
Yeah.
00:12:46
Speaker
Your grandparents played a significant role in encouraging your singing aspirations.
00:12:51
Speaker
How have their influences shaped your artistic identity?
00:12:55
Speaker
And what lessons from them do you carry into your musical career?
00:13:01
Speaker
Well, my grandparents have always sung in church.
00:13:05
Speaker
My dad sang in church.
00:13:06
Speaker
My mom sang in church.
00:13:10
Speaker
I did sing in church.
00:13:12
Speaker
So basically all of us did and their parents before them.
00:13:16
Speaker
And I have, uh, like first and second cousins that are musicians, like jazz musicians and things like that.
00:13:24
Speaker
So, um,
00:13:27
Speaker
Basically, it's just that you can do whatever, you know, if you put your mind to it, you can do it.
00:13:35
Speaker
You know, they're just like, yeah, go do that.
00:13:38
Speaker
And I'm like, but what if I don't make anybody off of it?
00:13:43
Speaker
They're like, that's fine.
00:13:45
Speaker
No, I'm just like, okay, I'm going to do it.
00:13:48
Speaker
So, you know, but I'm going to put my mind to it and I'm going to do it.
00:13:53
Speaker
So awesome.
00:13:57
Speaker
Has anyone been inspired to get into music because of you?
00:14:04
Speaker
Yes, but it's not for the right reasons.
00:14:10
Speaker
It's for revenge mostly.
00:14:15
Speaker
It's for my ex because he literally ever...
00:14:22
Speaker
Ever since I decided to bring that up to him a couple years ago, he was like, I'm going to do that instead of the military.
00:14:29
Speaker
I'm like, okay, you do whatever you want to do.
00:14:34
Speaker
changed his mind so many times and I was like sure and now he wants to be me I guess and I'm just like that's cool as long as you leave me alone that's fine so I hope he's doing well but I'm glad that I got him into that so hopefully he does well right so
00:14:57
Speaker
That's really
Themes and inspirations in upcoming releases
00:14:58
Speaker
cool.
00:14:58
Speaker
Looking ahead for the new EP, album and various singles in the pipeline, what themes or messages can your fans expect to explore through your upcoming releases?
00:15:11
Speaker
Growing up is hard.
00:15:14
Speaker
Life is a game.
00:15:17
Speaker
And the past is the past.
00:15:21
Speaker
And you can't go back.
00:15:24
Speaker
So basically, that's a couple.
00:15:28
Speaker
Yeah.
00:15:29
Speaker
But without revealing any actual stuff.
00:15:32
Speaker
So.
00:15:33
Speaker
True.
00:15:37
Speaker
Being a nominee for the Red Carpet Awards and a finalist for the Homegrown Music Awards, how do you define success in your music career and what milestones are you aiming to achieve in the near future?
00:15:51
Speaker
Honestly, every work of music that I put out is success to me because I actually end up putting it out.
00:16:00
Speaker
So I'm like, that's successful to me because I actually get it done.
00:16:03
Speaker
Awesome.
00:16:04
Speaker
Yeah, when the final product is ready, it's a big success.
00:16:10
Speaker
I totally agree to that.
00:16:12
Speaker
So I'm like, yes, now it's done.
00:16:14
Speaker
On to the next one.
00:16:16
Speaker
And being nominated for awards is also a success.
00:16:22
Speaker
And the performance that I just did for the pregame Super Bowl was also a success for me because that was the first time I ever performed my own song by myself.
00:16:34
Speaker
That wasn't karaoke.
00:16:36
Speaker
So that was pretty cool.
00:16:37
Speaker
So I'm looking forward to do more things like that.
00:16:44
Speaker
That's great.
Podcasting approach and potential collaborations
00:16:45
Speaker
Hosting the Teen Time podcast with your unique perspective, how do you choose topics that provoke thought and conversation?
00:16:52
Speaker
What do you hope listeners take away from each episode?
00:16:57
Speaker
Well, Shay and I have been best friends since like middle school.
00:17:01
Speaker
So we always have something to talk about.
00:17:04
Speaker
We're always texting each other.
00:17:06
Speaker
So we usually get our topics from like world news or like pop culture or like media or something we saw like on TikTok that we thought was interesting.
00:17:17
Speaker
Like when we talked about the Gypsy Rose when she got out of prison, something like that, you know?
00:17:25
Speaker
So we usually just talk about things like that.
00:17:30
Speaker
And everyone has their own opinion.
00:17:33
Speaker
So that's our thing.
00:17:35
Speaker
Everybody can have their own opinion.
00:17:37
Speaker
Ours doesn't always rise, so you can agree or disagree.
00:17:42
Speaker
But we're just there to talk about topics and voice our opinion.
00:17:47
Speaker
So that's our thing.
00:17:48
Speaker
Perfect.
00:17:51
Speaker
Okay, in the fast-paced music industry, especially where people have a very short attention span, there are so many music like this.
00:18:00
Speaker
There's so many music coming on the YouTube and Facebook and Spotify everywhere.
00:18:06
Speaker
People tend to forget everything very easily.
00:18:09
Speaker
So what practices do you prioritize to maintain your well-being and sustain your passion for music in the long run?
00:18:19
Speaker
Well, honestly, I've been like, ever since American Idol came out, I've been doing that thing since I was like four years old.
00:18:29
Speaker
So honestly, I'll be doing this probably since I'm dead.
00:18:33
Speaker
Because I always listen to music, I always write.
00:18:38
Speaker
So no matter if like my stuff doesn't pop off for some reason or like I'm not going to get discouraged, I'm always going to be dancing.
00:18:47
Speaker
You know what I'm saying?
00:18:48
Speaker
Very nice.
00:18:49
Speaker
Never give up.
00:18:53
Speaker
If you would collaborate with any artist living or from the past, who would it be and
Advice for aspiring musicians
00:18:58
Speaker
why?
00:18:58
Speaker
What kind of musical future or collaboration would you envision with that artist?
00:19:05
Speaker
Probably somebody like Amy Winehouse because I love the tone of her voice and just like the music.
00:19:17
Speaker
I just love her music.
00:19:18
Speaker
And I love her hair, you know?
00:19:19
Speaker
Right.
00:19:23
Speaker
Finally, reflecting on your journey so far, what advice would you give to aspiring artists who may be facing challenges or self-doubt on their path to pursuing their musical dreams?
00:19:35
Speaker
Everybody has an opinion.
00:19:38
Speaker
You know, you can tell anybody in the world that, you know, this is what I want to do.
00:19:44
Speaker
I want to do, you know, music or I want to, you know, be a DJ.
00:19:49
Speaker
And somebody can tell you, oh, you don't have the skills for that.
00:19:52
Speaker
Or you better show me, you know, you better show me that you're better than this person.
00:19:58
Speaker
You're like, what are you talking about?
00:19:59
Speaker
Like you can do anything that you put your mind to, like I said before, which it's true because it's the best advice.
00:20:06
Speaker
Like who cares what somebody else says?
00:20:10
Speaker
Like why does their opinion matter?
00:20:13
Speaker
Like, yes, they're entitled to it, but they're probably just jealous because they can't do what you can do.
00:20:19
Speaker
I agree.
00:20:20
Speaker
Yeah.
00:20:23
Speaker
Before we sign out, what are your,
00:20:25
Speaker
like any last words or any message would you like to give to the upcoming artist?
00:20:33
Speaker
Don't give up.
00:20:35
Speaker
Like, even if you don't, you know, pop off like I Spiceded or some meme song or whatever, if you don't pop off on your first time, that's fine.
00:20:48
Speaker
You know, I didn't.
00:20:49
Speaker
I'm still putting out stuff because I love to do it and it's fun for me.
00:20:53
Speaker
So if you enjoy it, don't let anybody take that away from you.
00:20:58
Speaker
Awesome.
00:20:58
Speaker
I love your passion and your enthusiasm for the music.
00:21:02
Speaker
You are amazing.
00:21:03
Speaker
And I can see you like on top of the world within the next few years.
00:21:09
Speaker
You are amazing.
00:21:12
Speaker
Thank you.
00:21:13
Speaker
You're welcome.
Closing and acknowledgments
00:21:14
Speaker
As our enlightening conversation concludes, a heartfelt thanks to Zari for sharing her wisdom and experiences with us.
00:21:21
Speaker
Until next time, this is Zainab Khan and this is Amar signing off from the podcast.
00:21:26
Speaker
Thank you so much for being here.
00:21:29
Speaker
Thank you.
00:21:30
Speaker
Thank you.
00:21:31
Speaker
Thank you.
00:21:32
Speaker
Music