'I'm fighting my way back': Kiesza stages a comeback after brain injury
CBC Radio | Posted: August 12, 2020 4:41 PM | Last Updated: August 12, 2020
Calgary-born singer is set to release first album since getting into 2017 car accident
Kiesza shot to international stardom after releasing her 2014 hit song Hideaway, which sold more than one million copies, garnered 175 million views to date on YouTube and spawned tons of copycat tribute videos.
The Calgary-born, Toronto-based singer won three Juno Awards for her debut album, Sound of a Woman, toured the world and showed no signs of slowing down — until a serious car accident in 2017 left her with a traumatic brain injury that forced her to take a break from her music career.
"I was unstoppable, and then suddenly I couldn't even get out of bed," Kiesza, born Kiesa Rae Ellestad, told q guest host Talia Schlanger.
"It was the hardest thing I ever had to go through, but also pretty eye-opening. I realized that I didn't even know how to stop.... That's how I came up. That's how I hustled the industry. I just kept going."
WATCH | Kiesza's 2014 breakthrough hit Hideaway:
Kiesza was riding in the back seat of an Uber when it was T-boned by another car at a downtown Toronto intersection. Suddenly, day-to-day life became very difficult for the pop singer.
"I had lost the balance on the left side of my body. I lost the ability to digest most food. I lost the ability to fall asleep for a long time. I would sleep for 18 hours a night and wake up and feel like I still hadn't fallen asleep yet."
Kiesza's condition got progressively worse for six months and then stayed that way for a year. Tests revealed that electrical pathways to one side of her brain had shut down, which meant the following two years in recovery would be grueling.
By the time the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the singer was already used to feeling isolated, which is why her latest album, Crave, is more than a comeback — it's a major milestone.
WATCH | Kiesza's new single Crave:
The 1980s-inspired upbeat dance album, which releases on Friday, is a huge feat for Kiesza who had to re-learn how to use her body again after her brain injury.
Crave is her first full album since releasing her debut, Sound of a Woman, six years ago. She released a single, called Sweet Love, last summer, two years after her accident.
Kiesza said there was a time when she felt she had to "surrender to the unknown" and accept that she may never make a comeback — but ultimately, her determination won out.
Somebody once told me to trust the confusion. You don't know where it'll go, or where it's leading you, but just trust it. Don't be afraid of it. - Kiesza
"Every time I set a goal and reach it, and I think that that's the limit, I always get to that point and realize I have new dreams. I have new goals. New aspirations. New heights that I want to reach," said Kiesza.
"I'm going beyond all of my wildest dreams. I'm fighting my way back."
As the world continues to face greater uncertainty due to the pandemic, Kiesza shared some reassuring words of wisdom.
"Somebody once told me to trust the confusion. You don't know where it'll go, or where it's leading you, but just trust it. Don't be afraid of it."
Written by Vivian Rashotte. Produced by Vanessa Greco.