Lehi People
AFHS grad Kenya Clark shines as a musical star
Brynn Carnesecca | Lehi Free Press
For American Fork High School graduate Kenya Clark, music has always been a significant part of her life. Growing up, Clark’s mom encouraged her to pursue her natural talent—her beautiful voice.
“I was introduced to it pretty young. I would say my mom definitely inspired me,” Clark said. “I grew up like any little girl and I wanted to sing and be a popstar, but my mom was convinced that I had talent and could be a singer. She put me in voice lessons very young and she was my biggest cheerleader. She wanted me to really reach for the stars.”
At just eight years old, Clark performed her first show singing the National Anthem at the Miss Utah pageant. Soon after, she auditioned and made it into the prestigious One Voice Children’s Choir.
Over the years, Clark was given many opportunities to perform at various events and venues. Today, her YouTube channel has reached over 12 million viewers through her voice and music. In spite of her success, Clark found herself experiencing burnout and confusion about her place in the music world.
“Because I was introduced to that so young, there was a time when I would second guess wanting to do music and if that was my own dream,” Clark expressed. “For a bit, I went into a stage of confusion.”
A few years after her musical confusion, Clark began to experience difficult situations in her personal life.
“It wasn’t until later that I found it again, and I realized that this is the best medicine ever. I thought that maybe this can be helpful to other people. The idea that maybe music can help someone else like it helped me is what really pushed and inspired me to start writing music,” Clark said.
Although she has sung in numerous styles, Clark’s favorite type of music is anything under the pop umbrella including indie pop, alternative pop, ballads and classic radio songs. As of today, she has released two original songs on all music streaming platforms. The songs, “Someone Who Loves Me” and “Ice Cream,” have reached thousands and pushed Clark toward the front of the music scene.
“As I’ve been trying to create this brand for myself, I have been trying to figure out, ‘Who is Kenya as an artist, and what am I selling myself as?’ I think I would say that I am the kind of artist you would listen to if you want a good cry in your car or if you want to listen to music that makes you feel something and resonates with you emotionally,” Clark laughed.
When songwriting, Clark tries to pull from real life experiences and what she is experiencing in the moment. She treats it as a sort of journal, with some songs coming out quickly and others taking a while to express correctly. She will be releasing another new song in February and hopes to release an original every month of 2025.
A year ago, Clark also had the chance to compete on the hit TV show “American Idol.”
“American Idol was one of the coolest experiences that I’ve ever had. It sounds a little cliche, but the experience really did change my life and my perspective on what I want to do with music,” Clark said. “Around the time that I found music again, American Idol was introduced as an option for me. The American Idol scouts reached out to me and asked me if I wanted to audition and I said, ‘Heck yeah, I do!’”
After agreeing, Clark embarked on a long process consisting of virtual auditions for producers and judges. She won a golden ticket and went to Hollywood, getting cut after the second round when the judges narrowed contestants from 175 to 25. Although she was disappointed to be cut fairly early on, she learned many lessons and further narrowed her musical focus.
“Throughout the entire experience, I fell in love with the people there. I met fantastic people who were all in different stages of their career. A lot of us were hoping this would be our big break so we went in with a lot of hope and excitement,” Clark remembered. “It took me a while to think about the experience and understand that it helped me realize that I wanted to go home and be better and more motivated than I had ever been.”
Throughout her journey, Clark has seen incredible support from her family and friends, especially her mom.
“My family has been so supportive. I had a lot of shows this summer. I know summer can be a busy time, but a lot of the time they would choose to come and watch my shows, and that meant the world to me,” Clark said. “I think especially with my release of ‘Ice Cream’ in November, my sisters really pulled through and helped tag my song and such. That meant a lot to me because it shows me that they not only support me because they love me, but because they believe in what I’m doing.”
After a busy year of concerts, performances and creating music, Clark hopes to continue pursuing music in the new year and to release singles. Above all, she hopes to further find her artistic voice and create music people resonate with.
For more information on Kenya Clark or to listen to her music, visit @KenyaClark on YouTube, @kenyaclarkmusic on Instagram, Kenya Clark on Facebook or listen to Kenya Clark on all streaming platforms.
