Catching up With Tatiana Hazel

Check Tatiana Hazel's Instagram stories on any given day, and you'll likely find her working. Whether it's modeling her own designs, producing a new record, or performing live —Tatiana seems to be in a constant state of infatuation with creating.

Yet due to significant changes in her life, particularly a move to L.A. earlier this year, Tatiana kept her musical releases at bay for most of 2019. Apart from the two loosies, "Let Me Go" and "Persistent," fans often had to satisfy their desire for new music through 15-second snippets on I.G.

Now, fully recalibrated and settled into her new home, the multi-faceted Chicago artist is ready to start sharing new material. There's an E.P. on the way, but first, she's releasing two standalone singles to end the year.

The first one is "Mi Amor," a bop firmly rooted in Tatiana's Latinx influences. She sings in Spanish about letting a fleeting partner know that to keep her love, they must respect and reciprocate it. And it's incredible to think that this is technically just a throwaway, seeing as it could easily turn into a charting single. But that only means that the E.P. and its subsequent album will be extraordinary.

Last week we got the chance to catch up with the rising star. She was back home for a great cause: to perform at the National Mexican Art Museum's Fiesta! Day of the Dead. It was an event with "the purpose to destigmatize HIV/AIDS, promote testing, prevention and normalize this issue within the Latinx community" and Tatiana brought the house down.

But before she got on stage, she quickly talked to us about "Mi Amor" and her upcoming projects. Read our quick Q&A below.

What can you tell us about "Mi Amor?"

I made it last year or a few months ago at least. I didn't have the time to put it out [before] and it's just a good way to end the year because most of my new EP is not in Spanish. I wanted to do one more song like that for people that have been keeping up with my Spanish singles.

Did you make this one in L.A.?

No, I made it before moving. So, yeah it was probably a year ago. Me and Papi Beatz made it and this producer named Mark Nilan added production to it later. We weren't really going to put it out, but Mark liked it, re-did the production and I liked it a lot.

What would you want the listener to take away from "Mi Amor?"

I feel like only accepting love that really makes sense for you and that you deserve. Some people are stuck in toxic situations because you get comfortable or used to it, but you should know your worth and only accept the person that will match that.

This is one of two singles you're going to release before the actual rollout of your next EP. When is that process going to start?

Spring. So, March or April.

Is there a connection between the EP you're about to drop and 2018's Toxic? Or is it two separate moments of your life?

All my music is really honest and a story of my life. It's all connected just because it's like "this is where I was at" and "this is where I'm at now." I already started working on the next one after this. They're all a part of the same story and a continuation. Toxic was all about toxic relationships and dynamics in life, this (upcoming) one is getting over it and the next one will be about being over it.