Lyrics & The Lab: Hana Canhasi

Crave the Wave- Hana Canhasi is the NEW DIVE.

A splash of STARPOWER. A mist of MUSICAL MAGIC. This dripping diva has the quality to quench our ear’s delight. Gifted with vocals and vision, Hana Canhasi delivers a refreshing new vibe of sound to her listeners. I chat with the singer after her photoshoot at south St. Louis’ artist hub, The Kre8 Place.

Kosovo/Albania born artist Hana Canhasi, spent her youth submerged in family, arts, talent shows…and “Hannah Montana”. “I loved Miley Cyrus. She inspired me to be authentic. I get inspired by artists who don’t follow the rules. They know their own path.”, shares the Columbia, Missouri native. That early acquired confidence and itch for “the edge” was the mixer needed for the founding of this blooming artist.

During the COVID 19 epidemic and quarantine, Canhasi says she began to take her talents and aspirations more seriously. “I feel like we were able to sit with ourselves a lot more and figure out what we really wanted to do in life.”, she says. “The hardest part was just starting.” Hana credits her loving parents and family for inspiring her to shoot for the stars. “The way I was raised, and my culture played a huge part in who I am now.” The vocalist credits her musical inspirations to R&B singer, H.E.R., and disco-pop singer, Dua Lipa. “My taste in music changes all the time, but I love H.E.R. and her voice and sound. I love Dua Lipa because she’s also Albanian.”, smiles Hana.

Hana released her first love ballad, “Deserve”, in March of 2020 on streaming platforms. “I wrote it about a bad breakup I was going through.”, she explains. “It was one of those relationships that you realize you didn’t really want in life, you know this person is not your person, but it’s hard to pull yourself away. It was an honest journal entry I had to myself, just telling myself that I deserve better.” In April 2021, Canhasi released her second single “With You”, and “Dagger” in June of the same year.

Hana Canhasi- “Wet”

In 2022, the singer released single, “Sip” in March, and her “Let Them Talk” project with songs, “Pom” and “Antique” in October. “Love Again” was dropped in June of last year, and her latest single is “Wet”. Hana describes her style as “vulnerable but confident”. “I think a lot of my lyrics explore a range of emotions. I think my ability to explore that, and not pretend like I’m always so confident is a good thing.”

Hana Canhasi is currently sending waves through the local music scene with new music and performances. She is currently promoting and increasing her fanbase. Excited to see what’s next from our Albanian song bird.