“From near-fatal hospital rooms to millions of streams, the British singer-songwriter opens up about her health battles, her bond with Rynellton, and her upcoming album, FREE-SPIRITED.“
The Phoenix of Indie Soul: TaniA Kyllikki’s Unbreakable Journey to Artistic Freedom
In an industry governed by manufactured algorithms and fleeting viral moments, British singer-songwriter TaniA Kyllikki stands as a magnificent anomaly, an unapologetic monument to authentic survival, raw vocal genius, and sovereign artistic freedom. Boasting a spectacular, old-school five-octave vocal range that effortlessly pierces the whistle register, TaniA does not simply perform; she channels a lifetime of profound physical and emotional warfare into breathtaking musical pieces.
From her very first breath, TaniA’s existence has been an uphill battle against the impossible. Born prematurely alongside her twin sister who tragically passed away at just four months old, TaniA inherited a lifetime of complex medical challenges, beginning with being born with Atypical Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome,(KTS) a rare congenital condition affecting her blood vessels. Her medical history is a harrowing gauntlet: navigating severe asthma, complex autoimmune diseases, the painful realities of lipedema, and enduring an astronomical 51 severe urinary tract infections. This lifelong struggle culminated just this month in a terrifying, near-fatal crisis when she contracted a rare type of silent urosepsis, after her immune system was temporarily suppressed from steroid pills for her lungs, this resulted in a medical emergency that brought her to the literal brink of near death.
Yet, where the physical body should have surrendered on many occasions, TaniA’s spirit engineered an empire. Rather than waiting for a major label rescue, she joined forces with her husband, co-writer, and virtuoso producer Rynellton (Garry D. Hairston) to launch Awe Inspiring Records. Operating in total creative autonomy, this independent powerhouse duo has shaken the foundations of the global indie scene. Her first heartfelt debut album, Why Chapter One, flew to the top 3 and then stayed in the top 100 for a month at #25 on Amazon’s Hot 100 Pop Albums. Following that success, her intimate, self-directed video for the masterpiece ballad “I Struck Gold With You” caught fire, amassing over 2.1 million views on YouTube. She has also charted in the top 10 euro indie charts multiple times, and been featured in hundreds of magazines and blogs worldwide since the pandemic, when she broke out independently shining her bright light with the world.
Now, preparing for the release of her highly anticipated sophomore album, FREE-SPIRITED, TaniA Kyllikki is still going full speed ahead, even with her chronic illness she is a force of nature who is shining her way into the global spotlight. Written and tracked during her most agonising physical flare-ups, the album is a masterclass in resilience. TaniA Kyllikki is not just a survivor; she is a leader, an innovator, and the definition of a free spirited soul.
Exclusive Interview With The UK’s Songbird TaniA Kyllikki
HIPHOPSINCE1987: Fresh off a harrowing medical emergency that nearly claimed her life on June 5th this year, TaniA Kyllikki sits down with HipHopSince1987. There are no corporate filters here, no public relations handlers, and no scripted answers. Alongside her husband and sonic architect, Rynellton, TaniA opens up her heart to pull back the curtain on pain, independent ownership, and the spiritual fire powering her upcoming album, FREE-SPIRITED.
The Interview:
The Sovereign Soul & The Physical Gauntlet
HipHopSince1987: TaniA, your life story reads like a script on ultimate human resilience. You recently survived a near-fatal crisis with Urosepsis, you were born early with a rare condition called Atypical Klippel-Trenaunay, and you live with lifelong complex autoimmune conditions, asthma, and lipedema. When your physical body is at its absolute weakest, how do you locate and pull that massive, five-octave vocal range out of your soul to record?
TaniA Kyllikki: We have all heard the saying, “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” For some of us, our bodies face greater weaknesses than others, but that is no reason to stop fighting for your dreams. You can be anything you want to be.
“God doesn’t make mistakes, he puts gifts in all of us, it’s up to us to utilise those gifts to their full potential.”
And God never said any of our journeys would be easy. But there is always a way around the struggles you face; you just have to think outside the box, hold on, and carry on. Ultimately, for me, it is my faith that gets me through, with God’s good graces he holds me up in every storm. I thank Jesus for never giving up on me. And that’s why my spirit is strong and determined to never give up.
For me, music is not just a sonic pleasure to pass the time. Singing and songwriting are beautiful gifts given to me by God.
“Although I was born prematurely with a weaker immune system and a long list of complex illnesses, it is beautifully ironic that I possess this big, powerful voice.”
Music and I are one. Even when my body has many moments of illness, the gift remains untouched. I am a living, breathing musical instrument, and my soul is strong.
Even in the face of adversity, my passion, drive, and desire are fully alive. This is a spiritual gift that aligns perfectly with my mind and body. Music is my medicine, my comfort, and a best friend that gets me through my most difficult times.
“I live by the mindset of mind over matter, and I will always find a way to do what I was born to do.”
I may have to do things my way rather than the standard music industry way, but I will get the job done. Everything I go through is real, and my music reflects every bit of it.
HipHopSince1987: You were born prematurely, and your twin sister tragically passed away at just four months old. How has carrying her missing presence shaped the emotional weight, the depth, and the spiritual urgency of your songwriting?
TaniA Kyllikki: I often wonder what life would have been like if my twin sister had survived. There is something unique about twins; it is like having an extension of your own self, and I have always felt like a part of me was missing. Though her time here was very short, I have never stopped thinking about her, which is why I decided to dedicate my journey to her memory.
“I legally added my twin sisters first name as another middle name, so she is always acknowledged and never forgotten.”
Carrying her with me helps me process the loss. She didn’t get to experience this life and journey, so I wanted to keep her memory alive deep inside my being. I felt she deserved at least that much.
I can only imagine how beautiful it would have been if she had lived and been equally gifted and talented. Beyond that, having that unbreakable closeness with a sibling who also happens to be your twin would have been absolutely priceless.
HipHopSince1987: Millions of people dealing with severe chronic illnesses feel completely unseen by the mainstream media. By openly sharing your battles with multiple illnesses and 51 UTIs with intensive care stays, directly on your social media accounts, you’ve become a lifeline for others. What does it mean to you to use your platforms for radical transparency rather than maintaining a ‘perfect’ pop star image?
TaniA Kyllikki: My transparency is about keeping it real. You can only truly understand this level of suffering when you have lived through it. No one chooses to be chronically ill, but for millions of us, it wasn’t a choice, it was the hand we were dealt at birth or at later stages in our lives.
I will be honest in saying that when you are fighting for your life in a hospital bed, your perspective shifts entirely. On my 51st infection, on 5th of June this year 2026, my body went into silent urosepsis. I didn’t have a high temperature; my body was just shutting down. My oxygen and heart rate was dropping low and I felt cold and lifeless.
This was due to a mistake made by another medical professional in emergency who ignored my complex situation with biofilm UTIs, Infact he downplayed them as just a UTI. I was there for my asthma at that time after having a serious reaction to NAC to help breakdown biofilms. I had told him I was symptomatic and may be reinfected with my chronic UTI. He said, why are you bothering me about a UTI. He never did bloods to check for infection so I went home innocently not knowing the very high dose of daily steroids called Prednisolone, for my asthma, would put me into silent Urosepsis.
This should never have been given to me while symptomatic with chronic UTIs. I’m grateful to God that he kept me here. I nearly wasn’t. And I’m grateful to my urologist and the microbiology team who had to work overtime to get the right IV antibiotics to save my life.
“Women are often ignored for their UTIs. The healthcare is failing us and it is costing lives. Standard dipsticks and cultures miss up to 70% of acute infections and up to 90% of chronic cases like mine, where deadly biofilms form. Women can still have a UTI and have a negative test. That’s really dangerous. We are relying on outdated testing to treat a condition that can turn fatal, and that has to change.“
I am speaking up now because I am one of millions of women around the world being effected by this, I’m just able to voice this to a much bigger audience being a public figure. It’s definitely changed my life in a negative way. It actually becomes a chronic disease for most women with daily fatigue. I can’t sleep at night without a ice pack on. I do try to stay upbeat and make jokes sometimes about being like Elsa from Disneys frozen, because I can’t live without the frozen ice packs lol. But this should never be something any woman should have to deal with. And it effects women mentally too. My husband noticed a huge change in me over these last few years. I’m more emotionally fragile now, instead of being the woman who laughed all the time and was full of life, I’m quick to break down. That’s not who I am.
“With all this being said, when you are surviving moments as serious as Urosepsis,, trust me, maintaining a flawless, manufactured “pop star” image becomes completely meaningless.”
So I choose to shatter that illusion because I want to be a fierce advocate for those who are suffering in silence. I want them to look at me and know they are not alone in their own health battles. By bringing these raw, hidden battles into the light, we create vital awareness and provide information that mainstream spaces ignore.
My ultimate hope is that my transparency drives better prevention and education, so we can genuinely save lives. I am about living in truth, even if that truth gets ugly at times. So no, I am not interested in being a perfect pop star; I am interested in being a lifeline.
The Independent Grind & The Golden Chemistry
“I Struck Gold With You” Official Music Video
HipHopSince1987: At HipHopSince1987, we hold a deep respect for ownership and the independent hustle. You and your husband, Rynellton, bypass corporate gatekeepers entirely through your own imprint, Awe Inspiring Records. What are the greatest creative freedoms and the toughest operational hurdles of building an international music career from the ground up?
TaniA Kyllikki: Building an international career from the ground up alongside my husband, Rynellton, through our imprint Awe Inspiring Records, is a bold and deeply rewarding choice.
“The greatest creative freedom is undeniably the total ownership of our vision. When major labels tell you that your sound or your story isn’t “popular,” it usually just means they don’t understand your purpose.”
For us, creating music is a completely organic process from scratch: I write the lyrics, arrange the vocals, and record the songs, while my husband produces the music. It is a dream come true. There is an incredibly satisfying feeling in knowing that we own 100% of our ideas, master recordings, and publishing rights. We release music on our own schedule, answer to no corporate gatekeepers, and never have to suffer through unfair label contracts where the artist receives the smallest slice of the pie. We aren’t under pressure to compete with the industry; our only competition is who we were yesterday.
However, the operational hurdles are undeniably heavy. Funding a global project entirely out of your own pocket is exhausting, and wearing every single executive hat can sometimes feel incredibly lonely. There are days when I wish I could just focus purely on the art, but we know that if we aren’t willing to invest in ourselves, we can’t expect anyone else to. True independence requires massive sacrifice, but breaking through internationally and reaching millions of listeners organically has proven that our hustle works.
Ultimately, building this independent empire is just another extension of our purpose. Our ultimate goal is to use Awe Inspiring Records to lift up other struggling artists, especially those dealing with chronic illnesses, disabilities, or age barriers who just need someone to believe in them and give them a chance to shine their beautiful light. We hope to make all this possible in the future.
HipHopSince1987: The chemistry between an artist and a producer is entirely sacred. Your track “I Struck Gold With You” became a massive breakout hit, crossing over 2.1 million views on YouTube. Can you take us inside your home studio process with Rynellton? How does having your partner behind the boards help you feel safe enough to expose your deepest emotional vulnerabilities?
TaniA Kyllikki: The musical and spiritual connection between Rynellton and me was there from our very first conversation. He is my husband, my best friend, and the person who knows me most deeply. Because of that sacred bond, our studio is a completely safe space where I can expose my rawest vulnerabilities without any fear or judgment.
“Musically, Rynellton connects directly with my heart and soul.”
My musical roots are deeply planted in R&B and Soul, and once I hand him my raw vocals, he dives deep into the tone, the lyrics, and the emotion of the track. He builds these lush, tailored sonic landscapes around my voice that perfectly complement my style. That is exactly how “I Struck Gold With You” was born.
When it came to the music video, we had to rely on pure DIY magic. I envisioned the entire creative direction myself, from doing my own hair, makeup, and photography, to conceptualising the video. Rynellton absolutely loves creating the music, but he doesn’t like being in the spotlight too much, so I came up with the idea of having his back turned to the camera. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise because it created this beautifully intimate visual narrative, making it look as though I am whispering these deeply personal lyrics directly into his ear.
The biggest challenge was figuring out how to shoot a music video with both of us in the frame when we didn’t have a camera crew. But where there is a will, there is a way. “I ended up filming the entire video using a five-pound selfie stick! I was simultaneously acting, singing, directing, and holding the stick, and later, I handled all the editing and syncing myself.”
I put my entire heart into rehearsing and creating this project as a pure love letter to thank my husband for everything he is to me and equally, a love letter to my fans for sticking by my side and supporting me as an independent artist. I never expected it to hit 2.1 million views on YouTube. I just wanted to share our real, authentic love with the world, and I hope it inspires others to keep believing in true love.
HipHopSince1987: Your signature sound beautifully honour’s classic, old-school R&B, Soul, and House, combining raw storytelling with grand melodic arrangements. How has the raw, narrative-driven nature of urban music influenced the way you construct your songs to connect with everyday listeners?
TaniA Kyllikki: Classic R&B, Soul, and House music have always been rooted in the unvarnished truth of the human experience. “Growing up, I was profoundly influenced by the raw, narrative-driven nature of urban music because it didn’t hide behind a polished mask.” It spoke openly about pain, heartbreak, survival, and triumph. That organic approach is exactly how I construct my own songs.
When I sit down to write lyrics, I draw a direct parallel to those old-school influences by refusing to sugarcoat my reality. “Whether I am blending a heavy, soulful vocal arrangement or driving an emotional narrative over a House beat, my goal is to give the listener a mirror to their own lives.”
Everyday listeners don’t connect with fake perfection; they connect with real scars. My songs are grand and melodic, but the foundation is always pure, unfiltered storytelling. By channeling my personal battles into my music, I am honouring the legacy of the greats who used urban music not just as entertainment, but as a testimony. I write for the everyday people who need to hear that you can walk through the fire and still come out singing.
The “FREE-SPIRITED” Era
HipHopSince1987: Your highly anticipated second studio album is titled FREE-SPIRITED. Given that your physical body is frequently confined to hospital rooms or limited by chronic pain, what does true ‘freedom’ mean to you, and how does this new album declare that independence?
TaniA Kyllikki: For me, true freedom has absolutely nothing to do with physical boundaries. My body might frequently be confined to a hospital bed, hooked up to IV lines, or limited by severe chronic pain, but “my mind, my talent, and my spirit can never be locked down by a medical diagnosis”. Freedom is an internal sovereignty; it is the refusal to let your circumstances dictate the boundaries of your soul.
FREE-SPIRITED is my way of showing my ultimate evolution from my first album, Why Chapter One. It is a profound reflection of my growth, not just as a creative artist, but as a person surviving deep trauma from early childhood all the way to adulthood. “This new album is my declaration of independence because it reveals my resilience through songs and my unyielding determination to never give up on my dreams.” Going through extreme adversity definitively changes you, but you get to decide how it changes you. I have chosen to use it to become completely in tune with my purpose.
When listeners hear this album, I want them to understand that independence isn’t just about doing things on your own terms, it is about realising that your inner power is completely untouchable. Challenges will always come and go, but once you set your attention entirely on what you can do instead of what you can’t, you break free from the shackles. You stop wondering if you can endure, and you look at the world and say, “Yes, I will.” FREE-SPIRITED is my testimony that even when my body is fighting to survive, my spirit is already flying.
HipHopSince1987: From the empowering anthems like “I AM Good Enough” to the deep devotion of “I Struck Gold With You,” you cover a massive emotional spectrum. When new fans experience FREE-SPIRITED from front to back later this year, what is the ultimate revelation or feeling you want them to take away?
TaniA Kyllikki: When new fans experience FREE-SPIRITED from front to back, the ultimate revelation I want them to have is that your current circumstances do not define your final destination. I want them to feel completely liberated.
This album covers a massive emotional spectrum because life itself is a rollercoaster of triumphs and tragedies. By moving from the fierce, self-love anthem of “I AM Good Enough” to the deep, vulnerable devotion of “I Struck Gold With You,” I am showing the listener every side of my soul. I want them to realise that it is entirely okay to be broken, to be hurting, and to be healing all at the same time.
Ultimately, I want FREE-SPIRITED to leave fans feeling invincible. I want them to turn off the music knowing that no matter what hand life deals them, whether it’s illness, heartbreak, or trauma their spirit can never be caged. I want them to walk away with the absolute certainty that they, too, are strong enough to fight, survive, and live completely in their own truth. I will just say this, it’s a very versatile album and writing and producing these songs with my husband / music producer Rynellton, was the best experience of my life. I can’t wait for the world to finally hear it.
HipHopSince1987: You’ve survived an immense amount of darkness, from childhood abuse and severe trauma to the devastating loss of six angel babies with your husband Rynellton. Yet, your music carries a radiant, healing light of positivity and strength. If you could sit down with that little girl resting in those early hospital rooms, what would you tell her about the visionary leader and musical force she has become today?
TaniA Kyllikki: If I could sit down with that fragile little girl resting in those early hospital rooms, I would gently take her hand, look into her eyes, and tell her: “Your pain is not the end of your story; it is the birthplace of your purpose.”
I would tell her that every ounce of darkness she is enduring, the trauma, the abuse, the hospital walls, and even the devastating heartbreaks that lay ahead, like losing our six angel babies, will not break her. I would tell her that the massive, powerful voice inside her small, premature body is a divine shield. I would let her know that she grows up to become a visionary leader and a musical force who refuses to be silenced.
I would tell her that she and her husband, Rynellton, will stand together through the heaviest storms, turning their shared tears into anthems of hope. Her music will become a radiant, healing light for millions of people fighting their own silent battles. I want her to know that she doesn’t just survive; she conquers. She becomes TaniA Kyllikki, a living, breathing musical instrument, a fierce advocate, and a literal lifeline. Her story doesn’t end in adversity; it triumphs in truth.
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