UNA MIA (CA)

Biography

Toronto-born, Belleville-raised Alt-R&B/Pop songstress UNA MIA undoubtedly embodies all that it means to be your own hero. Marked by soothing melodies and intoxicating lyrics, UNA’s music encapsulates her experience as she navigates her way through adolescence into early adulthood while discovering her sense of self along the way.

Raised by her mother, a first-generation immigrant from Bosnia, UNA grew up listening to Balkan folk music woven in with blues and R&B. Artists such as Etta James, Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles proved a substantial influence on her own sonic development. After uprooting to the small town of Belleville, just two-hours outside of Toronto, UNA continued harnessing her love for music through classical voice lessons and performing theater and opera at local competitions.

At the age of 18, UNA felt pressure from family and peers to abandon music and focus her pursuits on academics, so she reluctantly enrolled at Queen’s University in Kingston where she studied English Literature. In her third year, the world slowed down due to Covid, and UNA seized the opportunity to take control of her life and get back to her passion for making music. She left school and began developing friendships across the music industry in Toronto while posting covers on TikTok. After experiencing the ups and downs of the industry, UNA yearned to make a statement through her music that would empower women to take charge of their own narrative. She has since built a powerhouse team of supportive men and women that respected her and her vision.

Embarking on her new journey, UNA has devoted herself to creating her most honest and vulnerable songs yet. Readying her forthcoming debut EP, UNA explains the project serves as a personal reflection – written in the style of diary entries – and tells an emotionally beautiful story. For UNA, her debut EP represents taking flight and launching herself into the world as she discovers her freedom and inner healing. Moody and sensitive, yet assertive and honest, the project is a “coming of age” tale centered around personal growth, fighting for one’s autonomy, navigating womanhood, and coming to terms with an unknown future. This collection of records is fully enveloped in her love for R&B and Soul and her ever-evolving music style.

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