There’s an old saying that goes, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you’ll land among stars.” But why settle for stars when you can have your own Universe? That’s the question St. Paul singer, rapper & songwriter Ka Lia Universe must have asked herself before she started tearing up speakers & stages across the US.

Born the daughter of Laotian Hmong immigrants, Ka Lia would first discover her love for music participating in the school choir & jamming Britney Spears & Alicia Keys records in her free time. But after receiving a positive reaction to a video she posted online, she realized music could be more than just a fun hobby. Soon she was sneaking into her brother’s room while he was away to teach herself how to play the guitar & piano he kept there. At only 14 she was composing original songs & playing talent shows & events around the metro. After releasing two albums of completely original material under her birth name, she decided to step away from music for a bit.

But when music’s in your soul, you can’t stay away for long. Back with a new name, stronger vision & newfound reverence for her heritage, it wasn’t long til people took notice. The singer would release a genre-bending self-produced, written & engineered album “So Good” that mixed pop, hip hop, r&b and language barriers alike! Her special brand of Hmonglish has led to over 4 million streams/views & mainstream radio play. She encourages listeners to step outside their box & into a new, well… Universe.~JL