Kataria On Returning To Music On Her Own Terms

I think one of the hardest parts of building a career in music is accepting that the amount of work you put into something doesn’t necessarily determine what happens afterward. You can spend years developing your voice, working on your songwriting, and doing everything you believe an artist is supposed to do, only to discover that the industry has its own ideas about who deserves an opportunity.

And when those opportunities don’t arrive, it’s easy to start questioning decisions that might have been perfectly reasonable in the first place. I’ve had plenty of conversations with producers about separating their creative ambitions from the approval of labels, promoters, and audiences, but I think that becomes especially complicated when somebody enters the industry at a young age and develops their expectations before they’ve had much experience outside of music.

For singer-songwriter Kataria (@xokataria), that relationship with the industry began under circumstances most young musicians could scarcely anticipate. Born Nisha Kataria, she attracted the attention of Michael Jackson’s team while performing as a teenager, eventually spending time living and recording at Neverland under his mentorship. She went on to perform internationally before stepping away from music following Jackson’s death, spending the intervening years building a family and pursuing other professional interests.

Now recording under the name Kataria, she’s returned with Born Again, her six-track debut EP, released October 22, 2026. Written with producer Abdullah Siddiqui, who also handled production, the record explores self-worth, identity, personal relationships, and the decision to return to something she had spent years believing might no longer be part of her future.

What interested me about this conversation was how much Kataria’s understanding of success has changed since those early experiences. We talked about what she imagined a professional music career would look like when she was performing at the Arizona State Fair, which expectations she eventually had to reconsider, and why she chose to open Born Again with “I Earned It.” She also discussed the years she spent away from recording, including becoming a mother and opening a business, and how those experiences changed what she wanted to communicate through her music.

I think there’s something particularly interesting about an artist returning after such an extended absence without feeling obligated to recreate the career she originally imagined, especially when she still has considerable ambitions but no longer wants those ambitions to determine how she values herself.

Interview With Kataria

You performed at the Arizona State Fair as a teenager before your career took you to Europe. What did you think a life in music would look like at that age?

I imagined a life in music would be pretty straightforward. If you have talent, dedication, and a good work ethic, the sky is the limit! I truly believed my voice would take me wherever I wanted to go. At that time, I didn’t yet understand how so many other factors could shape my path in the industry: race, gender, and even my willingness or unwillingness to compromise could influence which doors open.

Talent is very important, but it isn’t always the only way in. I eventually learned that I have to be just as creative in navigating the industry as I am in making the music itself. I never lost my belief in my talent, I just gained a new perspective.

Is there anything you learned early in your career that you had to question or leave behind when you started making music again?

I left behind the idea that I need approval or permission to have a spot in the music world. I have left behind the girl who was waiting to be chosen and have now become the woman who chooses for herself. I have a much stronger sense of self now and a desire to share my stories and music in hopes to inspire anyone out there who is reaching for a goal that is difficult and seems impossible. There is more than just one road to success.

“I Earned It” opens the record with a direct statement of self-worth. Why did you want listeners to hear that song first?

“I Earned It” establishes the mindset behind this chapter of my life. It is about knowing how much you have put into something and being unapologetic about claiming it. It’s about self-worth, resilience, and understanding that you don’t need permission to take up space. I wanted listeners to hear that confidence in the very first note.

After Michael Jackson’s death, what led you to step away from music?

I needed to figure out who I was outside of music. In stepping away, I got to fall in love, get married, become a mother, and even step into the business world by opening up my own dog boutique.

But what is interesting is, I never stopped being a singer. Music was still there, just waiting. I have gotten to live a life and have something much deeper to now sing about.

What do you hope someone who knew your earlier work understands about who you are as an artist now?

I’ve learned that the industry isn’t always a reflection of your talent or your worth. Sometimes, doors don’t open and that doesn’t mean you’re not good enough. I’ve learned to approach this industry with more grace. Nothing is owed to any of us. Talent doesn’t guarantee any particular outcome. You can work hard as hell and still have to accept that sometimes things are out of your control. I’m not coming back to prove that I was good enough all along, I’m coming back because I have still something to say and I have a genuine undying love for music and singing.

After spending years away from music, what does a sustainable career in it look like to you today?

I don’t measure success the way I did when I was younger. Of course, I want my music to reach bigger audiences and have my music heard all around the world.

Those ambitions have never gone away. But I understand that a career cannot be built entirely around external validation. For me, sustainability means making music that feels authentic and working with people who respect the artist I am. I create from a place of joy rather than desperation, and that is incredibly liberating, and a huge blessing that I don’t take for granted.

About Kataria’s Born Again EP

Released October 22, 2026, Born Again is the six-track debut EP from Kataria, who previously performed and recorded under her full name, Nisha Kataria. Written by Kataria and Abdullah Siddiqui, with production from Siddiqui, the project documents her return to recording after an extended period outside the music industry and addresses themes of personal identity, ambition, relationships, and self-determination.

The EP opens with “I Earned It,” a pop recording concerned with recognizing personal accomplishments without waiting for outside approval. The track was released as a single earlier in 2026 and introduces the confidence that Kataria describes throughout this interview.

“Trophia” follows with a synthesizer-focused arrangement and lyrics addressing the relationship between public image, personal relationships, and maintaining confidence when confronted with opposition.

The title track, “Born Again,” takes a different musical approach, presenting a comparatively restrained pop ballad concerned with vulnerability and understanding your identity during a period of change. “Substance” continues examining authenticity and the distinction between how somebody presents themselves and what they genuinely value.

The final two songs, “The Tip” and “Couch,” are connected through their treatment of power, vulnerability, and relationships. According to the release materials, “The Tip” addresses abuse of power and its psychological consequences, while “Couch” revisits related circumstances within a relationship built around trust and mutual consent. That relationship between the recordings gives the closing portion of the EP a specific progression from harmful experiences toward the possibility of defining personal boundaries differently.

Together, the six songs introduce Kataria’s current musical direction through pop songwriting, electronic production, and material informed by her experiences over the years.

Rather than concentrating exclusively on her earlier career, the record gives her an opportunity to address subjects she considers important now, particularly the relationship between personal confidence and the expectations placed on artists.

Listen to Kataria’s Born Again EP