There are so many forces in the world that make it hard for an artist to keep going. In an era where you can record, mix, and master a song and release it on your phone, the biggest challenge isn’t starting. One might argue that’s the easy part.
But what keeps an artist going after the first taste of success?
After the spotlight hits, after people start expecting more, after doubt starts whispering in your ear. How do you keep showing up for your own voice, day after day?
An artist I chat with to get the real behind this is Tiana Major9.
We meet on a rainy afternoon in downtown Brooklyn, where they’ve just planted themselves after moving from London. The weather is a perfect match for the emotional palette of their debut album, November Scorpio. Grey, reflective, a little melancholy.
Like a true Brit, they don’t open the door all at once. They’re intentional. Pausing before answers, taking a beat to make sure everything said is accurate, felt. Off-record, we trade a few laughs about astrology, what people have misconstrued about Scorpios.
They’re an artist whose songs you’ve more than likely pressed play on before. First breakout in 2019 with “Collide,” a collab with EARTHGANG for the Queen & Slim soundtrack that stayed on Billboard’s Adult R&B chart for six months and earned a Grammy nod. Between 2019 and 2022, they released four EPs with Motown. Now with +1 Records, they spent a few years quietly building what would become their debut album after years of success on the scene.
The album is just as dimensional as they are. There’s “fiiighttt,” playful but firm; “waikiki,” owning their own story; and the title track, a meditation on scarcity, desire, the weight of reflection. Plus, collaborations with Yebba and Keyon Harrold that feel like extensions of their sound, giving the record depth while keeping it grounded in their voice.
They’re part of a surge of UK R&B talent—Sasha Keeble, Kari, Natanya—but Tiana’s sound is universal. Right now, they’ve sold out Blue Note in both LA and New York, performing November Scorpio with full jazz arrangements. We talk not just about growth as a musician but about the focus, the delusion, the stubbornness that carried them from East London to both iconic Blue Note stages.
A Q&A with Tiana Major9
For those who are new to you, describe yourself and your music in three words.
Tiana Major9: Hmmmm. Introspective, intentional, emotional.
You’ve been making music for quite some time, but November Scorpio is your debut album. Why this moment?
Tiana Major9: I had a lot of changes within my team and a bit of growing up to do. The main thing is I found people who really understood where I wanted to go as an artist and what I wanted to say in this period, and they were able to execute it. I would have done a debut album a long time ago if I could have, but this is the perfect time because of how I’ve grown. It’s just time.
You obviously have a lot of heart for astrology, but why be so specific in the title track?
Tiana Major9: I really care about astrology. I think it’s really interesting. I’m on the Scorpio-Sagittarius cusp, but Scorpio is the sign I’ve always felt more connected to. I’m very emotional, very introspective, and I don’t always let people in. This album felt like a chance for me to really express what I’ve been thinking about and what I’ve been going through.
The album bares it all. You can hear the growth over the past few years. What does it feel like to put that out?
Tiana Major9: It feels like a really big sigh. Like I’ve let something out. As people are finding the album and telling me what songs they love, it’s making me realize how relatable these themes are. When you’re going through something like heartbreak, you feel like you’re the only person experiencing it. It feels really good to find my community connected through that.
You recorded in a lot of places for this project. Jamaica. LA. How did that shape the process?
Tiana Major9: I love Jamaica, so just being there and being able to be creative was a plus. I went there on holiday, but I ended up connecting with local artists and producers, which was incredible. I made a lot of songs in LA too. LA is always one of those places where I allow myself to be creative and free. Traveling gave me time in between to really hone what I was trying to say and figure out the sound.
What was the most difficult song to make on the album?
TianaMajor9: Oooh. “have your way.” It’s one of the oldest songs on the album, and I got stuck between versions. You fall in love with a demo, then everyone has opinions, and you get stuck. In the end, I had to go back to the first idea and really put my foot down.
And the easiest?
Tiana Major9: “desire.” I was feeling really good that day. Everyone came ready to work, and it just flowed.
This album has a lot of different sounds, but what would you say inspired you musically this time around?
Tiana Major9: Erykah Badu, definitely. Watching her live performances. Every show feels like its own experience. And D’Angelo. You can hear how much fun he’s having when he performs.
You’ve spoken about your confidence taking a hit at times navigating a music career. How did you push through?
Tiana Major9: I realized how much I genuinely love music. There’s nothing else I would want to do. That’s bigger than the fear of being perceived. And when I get on stage, all of that just goes away. Also just understanding that it’s bigger than me. There are other people around this album—my team, my family—and I owe it to them to do my best.
You have sold-out shows coming up at Blue Note in New York and LA. What can people expect?
Tiana Major9: A jazz experience of the album. Some of the songs are already influenced by my love for jazz, whether it’s the way I sing or the instrumentation, but these shows are going to lean into that even more. Blue Note is an iconic venue. I just want my music to live in that world, and I want people to understand that. My name is literally Tiana Major9.
How do UK crowds differ from the U.S.?
Tiana Major9: I haven’t done that many shows here yet. I supported Jasmine Sullivan in 2022 at Kings Theatre, and I did Roots Picnic, so a lot of those audiences were discovering me for the first time. In the UK, people really know how to be part of a show. I’m excited to see what New York gives, but I don’t know what to expect.
When you think about the next five to ten years, what’s on your list?
Tiana Major9: Second and third albums, a world tour. I’ve also been really into zine-making. I like making things with my hands. I’ve been thinking about publishing and putting out my own work—writing, visual things. I’m really into ownership right now.
What’s the one quality about yourself that got you here? Through all the trials?
TianaMajor9: Delusion. Not all the time, but enough. I’ve had one vision since I was about five years old. I just can’t see myself stopping.
I also stay grounded; I do my research. Like, I just went to the Lesbian Herstory Archives in Brooklyn, and being surrounded by that history—artifacts, books, everything—was really empowering.
Also just being in queer spaces and around people who care about amplifying those voices makes me feel good.
When someone’s done listening to November Scorpio, what feeling should they walk away with?
Tiana Major9: I want people to understand that it’s okay to have different moods and thoughts about things. Two things can be true. You can be deeply in love with someone who isn’t for you. You can want love, want connection, but also not want to be heartbroken. And also? Just enjoy it. Take your time with it. You don’t have to listen to everything all at once. If one song finds you, that’s enough.
Stream November Scorpio on all platforms.