From Utah Roots To LA Pop: Chelsea Klein On Finding Her Voice And Releasing “Karma”

Welcome to the replay of Blonde Intelligence, I am your host Ms. Roni and I always seek to give you exquisite cranial repertoire. What happens when a lifelong singer stops hiding? We sit down with LA-based artist Chelsea Klein to trace the path from secret songwriter to confident performer—and the four-year journey behind her new single “Karma.” This is a story about craft, courage, and knowing when your voice finally matches the song in your head.

Chelsea opens up about moving from Utah to Los Angeles, rebuilding her vocals with coach Nick Cooper, and the identity shift that followed. She explains why her releases lean pop while her heart beats to classic R&B, and how lockdown reshaped her writing more than any tour ever could. We dig into the realities of live performance after COVID—safer seated pods, better sightlines, and venues that treat comfort as part of the show—along with the surprising geography of her fans, from London’s steady streams to a second home in Brazil.

Then we get to “Karma.” Co-written years ago and held back until it was right, the track channels a calm person’s wish to feel powerful without becoming cruel. Chelsea shares how a perfectionist announcement-then-pullback became one last studio recut, a first music video with spooky charm, and finally a release that felt true. We also cover practical strategy: why Instagram is her engine for discovery, how playlists create unexpected U.S. hotspots, and when to drop singles fast versus pausing for cultural moments that demand sensitivity.

If you’re building a music career—songwriting, vocal development, release timing, audience growth—this conversation is a field guide. And if you just need a reminder that care and confidence can coexist, Chelsea’s fan-first email community and measured approach will resonate. Listen, share with a friend who needs a push to ship their art, and leave a review to tell us what part sparked your next move.

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Intro

SPEAKER_02 0:07

Hello everyone. Welcome to today's Blonde Intelligence with me, Miss Ronnie, where I always seek to give you exquisite cranial repertoire. We have a special guest straight out of Los Angeles, California, Miss Chelsea Klein. Hello, Miss Chelsea. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 0:26

I'm doing all right. Trying to stay sane through this weird election week, but you know.

SPEAKER_02 0:32

Right. Well, we're going to start out with letting you tell everyone a little bit about yourself.

SPEAKER_00 0:39

Sure.

Chelsea’s Hidden Start In Music

SPEAKER_00 0:40

So I'm a singer and songwriter. Um, and I kind of have been closeted from that my whole life. Like no one knew that I sang, no one knew that it was even what I wanted to do, except like my very close family, um, until about five years ago.

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SPEAKER_00 2:27

And have just been trying to work hard on it ever since.

SPEAKER_02 2:31

Okay. So tell me this. Do you think that, because I know you told me uh earlier that you moved from Utah? Do you think moving from Utah, moving to Los Angeles has helped your music career?

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SPEAKER_00 2:46

For sure. Um

Moving To LA And Vocal Breakthroughs

SPEAKER_00 2:48

so when I first started, I started with working with a vocal coach, Nick Cooper, um, and he has like changed everything for me. My voice is completely different than it was. And I also just like he's very good at like just building your confidence as a person too. So I think I've just kind of changed as a whole, and just even like in social situations now, I feel like I carry myself so much differently, which also obviously helps as an artist. So yeah, it definitely, I don't know where I would be right now if I had tried to do it for me, Tom. Hopefully would have figured it out. But yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:24

So what do you consider your job?

Genre Shift Toward Pop And R&B

SPEAKER_00 3:27

Right now, if you listen to what's out, it's definitely pop. Um, and I probably will always be in the pop realm, but like my influences and what I'm actually currently working on are a lot more like kind of RB and like trying to pull from like some old school stuff that's like mainly what I listen to, but I hadn't really pulled from for my first few releases, so yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:50

Okay, so tell me this. I know that a lot of the revenue for musical artists come from live performances. How have you or have you made the crossover to live stream in the place of live performances during COVID?

SPEAKER_00 4:10

I mean, I know I should be doing more, but I haven't. I kind of paused um live performances when that hit and just kind of super focused in writing. I feel like my writing's changed tremendously. I've been kind of, and that's where like my shift of genre is kind of coming from. So I think I've been focusing a lot on like where I want to

COVID’s Impact On Live Shows

SPEAKER_00 4:33

go, and so that I have more to sing as well once I do start doing live again. So I haven't really put it into practice, but I definitely know that streaming is gonna have to be the new shift. So yeah, I need to. How long do you think? I mean, at least this next year, right? I think for a while, and I feel like for a while, even once there's vaccines, whatever, people are more scared now to go into crowded places like that. So I feel like for a while.

SPEAKER_02 4:59

Well, some places I have, you know, people send me things and they'll send me parties that they had or you know, performances that they have, or whatever. And it's like packed people and only a few people have on mask. So if you did get the opportunity to perform live, what would be your personal restrictions that you would have in your rider?

SPEAKER_00 5:26

I mean, again, would depend.

Safety, Crowds, And Ideal Show Design

SPEAKER_00 5:29

Like right now, right now, I don't think I would even do it. I don't want to encourage my fans or anyone to put themselves in that position, whether or not they're comfortable with it, I don't feel comfortable. Um, I think once there's a vaccine and things start to open a little more, I would still want to be cautious. I think potentially limiting crowds, I don't know, not like capital.

SPEAKER_02 5:51

So what do you what would you consider a good crowd size? Being in LA, taking COVID into account and everything. If you had to build your own show, what would be your ideal show for this time?

SPEAKER_00 6:08

I don't know how likely this is or like how realistic, but I've seen a lot of things.

SPEAKER_02 6:13

It's whatever you say.

SPEAKER_00 6:14

That's the reason why I do. I feel like I would want to do a show. I've seen a lot of like fake drawn-up like templates of where it almost feels like everyone has their own VIP box. So there's like separate sections per party or group. So it's like you bought your together, you and your friends sit in this box. And so it's like everyone's kind of forcibly separated, has their own little seat spot, and that way whatever can be the menu, you know, and then everyone kind of feels special. They're like, oh, we have our own seats, like I can see everything. I'm not looking over crowds of taller people. It's like that almost kind of gives kind of a nice vibe anyway.

SPEAKER_02 6:54

Well, you're smaller. One of the things I have noticed when I go to live shows is I think that they make the seats for people with skinny butts. Because when you go to like stadiums and auditories and different things like that to go to shows, the chairs are so little. And if somebody has to get up and go to the bathroom, you turn it all to the side and squishing all up. And I'm like, who built this where they don't even have walk-in space for a person that they need to go to the bathroom?

SPEAKER_00 7:27

Totally. Even though, yeah, the walk-in space even is just crazy. And then you feel awkward, be like, well, I gotta go. Sorry. Yeah.

Global Fans In London And Brazil

SPEAKER_02 7:37

So tell me this where is your biggest fan base that you think in the whole world, not just in the United States. I asked you about the United States later. But as overall in the world, having global distribution and everybody having global distribution at their fingertips. And even with the Google video ads, you know, where you can get all the views on your videos. And even with uh where you have a targeted market, what they call it, geo fancy.

SPEAKER_01 8:07

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SPEAKER_02 8:24

Fancy. Where is your largest fan base in the world outside of the United States?

SPEAKER_00 8:32

I definitely looking at like streams and stuff like that, I definitely have a decent London following, and I also have a good Brazil following, which I think just comes from that being like second home to me. Like I feel like in my heart that's home, and I'll have a lot of family there. I have that was like where my first radio plays came from. So I think I have a lot of very supportive people in Brazil as well.

SPEAKER_02 8:56

Okay. Now, within

U.S. Streaming Hotspots And Playlists

SPEAKER_02 8:59

the United States, where's your biggest fan base outside of Los Angeles?

SPEAKER_00 9:06

I think I had it was like Buffalo, New York, or something. There was something so specifically random. And I'm like, I don't know why I'm saying I don't know like the playlist I'm on. It was specifically random. That's an icy moron. Like it was random that it was such a specific location instead of just New York, it like really zoned in. Zoned in.

SPEAKER_03 9:30

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 9:31

A playlist that has a big following from an area or plays in. I don't know what like may streaming like that is so random to me, and I don't really understand it, but yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:43

Okay,

Best Platform: Why Instagram Wins

SPEAKER_02 9:44

between social media, what do you think is the most or which one do you think is the most beneficial for you? Do you think that it's Instagram or is it Facebook? Is it even YouTube, LinkedIn, uh, Snapchat? Out of all of those, which one do you feel personally as an artist is the most beneficial to you?

SPEAKER_00 10:08

For me, it's been Instagram. I think just because that's what I use the most. So that's where people look for me. And then, you know, that snowballs. So now if anyone searches anywhere else, they're gonna see that's where I'm most active, so they're gonna go there. And I like that it's kind of everything. I can share photos, I can share stories if I don't feel like it's that important, but I want to share something. There's video, it's kind of everything. So that's definitely been my go-to. Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:35

Okay.

New Single “Karma” And First Video

SPEAKER_02 10:36

Tell me about your latest single.

SPEAKER_00 10:38

Yeah, I just on October 30th released a new song called Karma. And it was the first one. It was my first music video too, so I was really excited about it. We wrote this song, like me and two other writers, like four years ago. And I've just been sitting on it because I've been like very obsessed with it. It gets stuck in your head, it's so catchy. Like, I really wanted it to be right, and I feel like because my journey as a singer and like being comfortable singing in front of people, the recording process, all of that was so new to me that when we wrote this right at the start, I was kind of like, I don't know if I can sing this well enough yet. Like, obviously, I was part of writing it, like I could sing it, but I couldn't sing.

SPEAKER_02 11:23

So you knew how you wanted it to go.

SPEAKER_00 11:25

Yeah, I was like, this doesn't sound right. Like it's I feel like I'm relying on auto-tune, like it's just not what I want the song to be. So we kind of just shelved it, and I've been working really hard with my vocal coach. Like weekly, we're in even right now, we do FaceTime lessons weekly, and I just finally got to a point where so I was supposed to release it last Halloween with the video, and that's when we filmed the video. But I still again we kind of rushed recording it again because I decided last minute that's what I wanted to do for Halloween, and I just was like, it's still not right. Like I and everyone else, like my family, my friends, were like, Chelsea, you're being a perfectionist, just put it out. I was like, but you don't understand, like it's not

Perfectionism, Coaching, And The Recut

SPEAKER_00 12:08

right. So I just kind of I made the mistake of announcing it before I heard the final cut. So then I had to awkwardly backtrack, delete the posts, and kind of just forgot about it because I was so I think I just got so frustrated. I was like, is it ever gonna be right? I don't know if I even ever want to put this out. I'm just over it. I'm gonna stop. So we put it off until then this year. Um, I feel like, like I already said, during all this lockdown, I feel like I've grown more than I have in like the past three years combined. So we finally were just like, my voice coach was like, Chelsea, I I think this song will sound so different if we go back in and cut it one more time. And I was like, Oh, I'm so over this song, but okay, fine, let's try it. And then it finally, finally sounded how I wanted it to. So then I just had the people who did the video like put the right song in and was like, let's just go for it. It's very like spooky vibes, Halloween, why not? Just put it out for something fun for people to enjoy during all this craziness.

SPEAKER_02 13:13

So okay, so you held on to this song for four years, and you was a co-writer on it.

SPEAKER_03 13:20

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 13:21

What significant meaning does it have? Because it has to have some type of meaning for you to hold this song for four years and to keep I I say molding to keep molding it to perfection. So, what is it about this song?

Meaning Of “Karma” And Finding Power

SPEAKER_00 13:38

I think it just makes me feel like I I'm back in control. I'm a huge, like I'm not confrontational. I don't like to get mad at people, even when people have done me wrong, and it's like on paper, like anyone would say they wronged me and I should have stood up for myself. A lot of the time, I will just cut it and walk away. And sometimes looking back, especially the day we wrote this song, I was looking back at situations where I'm just like frustrated with myself. I'm like, why didn't I say something? Like, I wish I would have felt a little stronger in the moment to be like, hey, I don't stand for this. I'm not okay being treated like that, you know, just like a little something. But I always have been the type of person too who's like, well, karma will handle it. Like they wronged me, karma will deal with it. It's not up, I don't need to get back at them or say anything, like the universe will deal with it. So I think that day I came into the studio feeling frustrated because I felt like at least seeing the perfect Instagram pictures, like it seemed like karma hadn't helped me out. And I was like, I wish I had done something. Like, come on, karma, you're supposed to have my back. So then we were like joking around if like karma was my own personal hitman and like I could just send them out on people to like get back at them for what they'd done to me. So we kind of just wrote it from that perspective, and then I took that for the video too to be like evil without actually being evil, because that's just not me. Like, I don't feel like I need to seek revenge, but it helped me feel like maybe I was, you know.

SPEAKER_02 15:09

So you use it basically therapeutically.

SPEAKER_00 15:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:15

That's the reason why you held out.

SPEAKER_03 15:18

Totally.

SPEAKER_02 15:19

So, how do you feel about the final outcome?

Single Strategy And Release Cadence

SPEAKER_00 15:23

I feel good about it. I think it's definitely to, I think, a good time with my transition of my style and like what feels most natural to me. It was good to put it out now because it is different. So I think I was ready to like not part ways is wrong because it'll always be like my song, you know what I mean? But it was a good like time to finally just give it to my fans, release it for me too, to like therapeutically just be able to say my piece and now move on to the next chapter. So yeah, I feel really good about it finally being out. I don't have to worry about it, overthink it. It's just done. Like the meaning means something to me and hopefully will hit with other people as well.

SPEAKER_02 16:06

So, was it part of an album or was it just totally a single?

SPEAKER_00 16:11

Just a single, especially at the beginning, like a couple of my songs that we released were from that time as well that I released last year. And I think we just did a cut ton of singles to kind of explore what even worked for me or like what direction I wanted to go in. So none of them felt like a cohesive project. So I just

Timing Releases Around World Events

SPEAKER_00 16:31

kind of a couple random singles here and there to test out what worked, you know.

SPEAKER_02 16:36

Okay. In one interview I did, an artist made a comment to me that with COVID, that he started releasing music much quicker than what he normally would. So, with you and dealing with COVID, what do you think that is a good time frame for the life of a single before you release a next one?

SPEAKER_00 17:04

I typically in my head decided at some point, I don't know why, that it was once a month. But I do think it depends. Like normally at the the height of lockdown, I think people were constantly consuming and just wanted more. Like I don't like to look at it as like, oh, but it needs to ride out its life, especially right now as a newer artist, like it's not like trying to make the charts, like I'm not there yet, you know? So I think just giving it.

SPEAKER_02 17:32

Regiment, do you do you even register for the charts? Yes. Okay. Well then you might.

SPEAKER_00 17:40

Yeah, you don't know. You totally

Goals: Release More, Overthink Less

SPEAKER_00 17:42

never know. But I think the more as a new artist, the more sides you can show and the more content you can give people, there will be a little bit more of something for everyone. Not everyone, but you know, like I think the more the better almost. So I think if you have finished product, put it out there. Um, but then there are weird times like right now where everyone's stressed and no one's like wanting to self-promote. And like, well, election, but listen to my new song. Like it's just not the time.

SPEAKER_02 18:08

So it just kind of So you don't feel like right now is a good time to you could use your dollars other places than promotion right now?

SPEAKER_00 18:18

Sure. And just it just feels so tone-deaf. Like the last thing that I care about right now is m getting my strings up. Like, I just it doesn't matter. Like, if there's something that resonates that I feel like maybe would be an uplifting, good like resolve for people, musically and therapeutically, sure, but I'm not trying to like promote, you know.

unknown 18:41

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 18:42

So what are your plans for the future being the artist, Chelsea Klein? What are your plans? What are you what are your achievable goals that you have in place right now?

SPEAKER_00 18:56

I definitely I think one of my big things since my last single um was just your last single. My last single was in August, the end of August, and then I planned for this one. Um, I kind of I just want to start putting more out. Like I think I just overthink things and sit on songs clearly four years. I sit on them for so long,

Collaboration, Boundaries, And Business Mindset

SPEAKER_00 19:20

and it's like I just want to start creating, and if that's what I was feeling in that moment, I want to put it out so that by the time the next song comes, I can put it out instead of feeling like I'm already over the song, you know. Like I want to be excited about it with my fans as I'm putting it out. I feel like when you sit on something for too long, it's like, well, this is a song, but my head is still at my new music. But here's this one, you know? Are you a lady? I think I just want to put out a little no, I'm a Capricorn.

SPEAKER_02 19:49

And you're indecisive?

SPEAKER_00 19:52

What? I think I'm indecisive. Well, I'm so I'm all Capricorn, but then Pisces Rising.

SPEAKER_02 20:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 20:03

But I think

Dream Collabs: Whitney, SWV, Usher, Bruno

SPEAKER_00 20:04

my issue is like when I don't, when there's too many options, I don't know which one to pick. But once I have, if I have a V vision, I'm all you're gonna stick with it.

SPEAKER_02 20:15

You're gonna stick with it. Capricorn's gonna stick with it, and even if you feel like it's not going anywhere, you're gonna keep on going and keep on going and keep on going. And it don't matter what nobody else says, you're just gonna look at them and keep on going. So my mama Capricorn.

SPEAKER_00 20:32

It's so real. I'm such Capricorn, it's so bad. But yeah, the indecisive thing, I don't know where that comes from, but yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:39

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Building A Two-Way Email Community

SPEAKER_02 21:21

Organic on Instagram at Mary Ruth Organics. Blonde Intelligence is a Mary Ruth Organic partner. Sun is Leo, my moon is Gemini, and I'm like, I am so loving, and and people say I'm so mean, but then I found out my Venus was cancer. But my rising is Leo. So I have a lot of fire, but I'm very compassionate and caring. And people try to take advantage of it. When they take advantage of it, then they get my Gemini, the Queen of Swords, and I tell

SPEAKER_00 22:00

You are yeah, that's how it'd be honestly. You got a good mix in there.

SPEAKER_02 22:08

So tell me this. I asked this question to another

Where To Find Chelsea’s Music

SPEAKER_02 22:13

person, so I'm gonna ask you, how is it for you to work on a project with somebody? Finish it to completion, but not care for the person personally, like the person I'm collaborating with? How would you handle that? Or how did you handle it?

SPEAKER_00 22:39

Luckily, I have worked with a lot of people that I really enjoy, so I've been lucky on that front so far.

SPEAKER_02 22:45

I think you know it won't always be like that.

SPEAKER_00 22:51

I think I mean my personality is just so, like I said, like I think I would just put a smile on, be nice, because that's who I am, and we would get through it. And if the music's great, then cool, thank you, on to the next now. You know, I think I would just try to get through it as best as possible and see it as like a learning experience. I also, the Capricorn in me does well with like business, so like just get it done. I'm not gonna, if that's the way it's gonna be, y'all shut off the Pisces in me and just work on the work and be done.

SPEAKER_02 23:24

Okay. If you had the chance to work with any artist, who would it be?

SPEAKER_00 23:32

That's a hard question.

SPEAKER_02 23:33

I think and they don't have to be alive.

SPEAKER_00 23:37

Oh, that changes things.

SPEAKER_02 23:40

This is this is Chelsea's world.

SPEAKER_00 23:44

I would love, I mean, I don't know what the song would be, but I would die to work with like SWV. I would die.

SPEAKER_02 23:54

Um how are you gonna do it if you're gonna die?

SPEAKER_00 23:59

I'll die after it's finished because it'll just be the craziest thing that's ever happened. Um I wouldn't want to sing on that. I would just want Whitney to do her thing and then just maybe like say one word so that my name could be on it, but just let her shine because it's Whitney. And then I also think it would be really fun to work with like Usher or Bruno somewhere in there.

SPEAKER_02 24:23

So the last part is achievable goals. Well, the first part is achievable goals. Yeah, I guess so. Well, is there anything else that you want us to know about Miss Chelsea Klein?

SPEAKER_00 24:41

Well, I have a thing that I started recently. Um, I set up my email list, but it's not just like newsletter-y promotional stuff. So when you sign up, you get my personal email address, and I want it to be like a two-way street. So my fans who have already signed up for it, like just chat, they can respond to my like behind the scenes stuff if they want to, or if they need something and want to reach out to me because they need someone to talk to. I just wanted to build a space that made people feel supported and cared about and not alone. And uh yeah, I just want people to feel like I want to lift up my fans the way they lift me up. So I kind of created a space where they can communicate with me. I felt like my Instagram DMs, like it just feels so I don't know, like not a full conversation. Yeah. So I started that. So if anyone's interested, I would the link is in my bio on Instagram, as well as just the first thing that pops up on my website, which is Chelsea Klein.com. So that's something that's been really fun that I've been working on, and just kind of like a little bit of my heart, because I want people to always feel cared about. I feel like that's one of the worst things. It's just like when you feel alone, even when you have all these people around you, you feel like you've no one to talk to. So I want people to know that I'm here if anyone needs anyone to talk to. So yeah, people just sign up for that and just my music and you know, connect.

SPEAKER_02 26:08

Okay. Where can we find your music and what's your social media handles in case anybody wants to follow?

SPEAKER_00 26:13

Yeah, um, it's Chelsea Klein Music on Instagram, and then like I said, Chelsea Klein.com. My website kind of has links to everything. Um, Chelsea Klein on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, YouTube, kind of wherever you listen to music.

SPEAKER_02 26:27

Okay. All right, I thank you for coming.

SPEAKER_00 26:31

Thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_02 26:33

All right, bye-bye.

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SPEAKER_02 26:37

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