Kaleena Zanders Releases ‘V I B R A T I O N’ And Speaks On Representation For Vocalists In The Dance Music Community

Powerhouse vocalist Kaleena Zanders is known for her gospel house sound that captivates audiences worldwide. Today, January 20, the artist releases “V I B R A T I O N” with Shift K3Y via Helix Records.

The track boasts Zanders’ powerful vocals, funky sounds, bouncy basslines, uplifting feelings, energetic sounds and nostalgic rave vibes. Indeed, “V I B R A T I O N” is a summer festival house heater. The gospel house artist’s soulful vocals combined with lyrics such as “Gotta work to find the frequency / It’s calling out for you and me,” are a resounding call to move our bodies on the dancefloor. According to Zanders, the song offers a powerful message “that makes the dance floor a sanctuary” as opposed to the “booty shaking” and heartbreak songs in the mainstream.

“Listeners can benefit from listening to more positive music, I think, because if you think about music, a vibration, music of different frequencies, if they’re positive, I think generally they’ll have a better effect on people’s spirits, their brains, their body and their scientific makeup,” she says. “I think being able to access and turn on a song and have it lift up your vibe and your whole being…I think that’s beautiful to be able for that to happen. I think ultimately at this point in my life, I’d like to continue to spread that kind of energy as much as possible, especially with how the world is and how it’s very strange and chaotic. My intentions are to put as much high vibrational energy out into the world.”

Ahead of Black History Month, Zanders says she’s thankful for the visibility of the resilience of Black people who have endured unimaginable suffering. As a Black artist and a member of the LGBTQI+ community, she says it’s important to listen.

“Listening and inclusion are key,” she says. “People [who] are allies…they really need to start having friends who are Black. I think that’s where the disconnect comes in. Some people don’t have these people in their immediate friend group, so they’re always looking at Black people…and they feel like they can’t connect. We can all connect because we’re all humans. We all go through a lot of the same stuff regardless of our sexuality or our color.”

When it comes to her favorite song that’s made, Zanders says it’s her collaboration for “V I B R A T I O N” because it represents what she wants to put out into the world. She adds that the studio session also felt effortless with Shift K3Y and Alex Mills.

Without music, the producer says she would have been a journalist, a host for a television show or an actor as a superhero for a movie. She adds that she dreams about being in a Marvel movie. The character that she has created for herself is her wearing all-black clothing, having super strength, being skilled at hand-to-hand combat and having weapons stored in places one wouldn’t expect. Zanders adds that she would opt to keep her legal name as her superhero name.

The singer says that one of her missions with being a vocalist and deejay is to get more representation for vocalists in the dance community as they are often not seen as equal creative contributors to the music.

“Sometimes I feel like vocalists are always just pushed to the side, even though sometimes we are the ones that make the hit songs. My goal is to be seen as another artist. [Artists] are relying on people like me, whether it be a Black vocalist, a sweet top liner or whatever,” Zanders says. “[Artists] are relying on these things but not seeing us as equal competitors. We haven’t like blown up and made careers off all the songs we’ve made. That’s a goal of mine: keep spreading that visibility for other vocalists.”