Inside VITA’s Unpredictable, Unfiltered World of OPIA

From the press conference hosted by °1824

By Nicole Liu

If there's one thing VITA wants you to know before stepping into her world, it's to expect the unexpected. VITA recently opened up during an online press conference that took place via 1824 on August 12th, regarding the creative process behind OPIA. The rising artist went in-depth about the personal nature of this project. She discussed the personal experiences that have guided her toward creating it and the uncontrollable sense of freedom she now feels knowing she is free to pursue whatever she chooses without constraint.

VITA explained that she chose the name OPIA because of the way people describe staring intensely at another person. That description of a stare to VITA has become a metaphor for the concepts of vulnerability, self-examination, and the fear of being fully known/seen. Before working on OPIA, VITA had broken off several long-standing friendships and was dealing with some issues surrounding depression. Instead of trying to avoid these difficult emotions and the related feelings of despair, VITA decided to express many of them through song, which ultimately processed the very raw emotions they had and helped her live more truthfully.

Living with Contradictions

VITA said that working on OPIA has caused her to question exactly why she fears being "seen" and what would happen if she were to stop worrying about the way she gets perceived. Rather than fixing these contradictions, VITA allows them to coexist. OPIA explores ideas such as desiring love but wanting to be left alone, feeling confident yet feeling utterly lost, and being able to present oneself as "sexy & fun", and simultaneously, feeling "totally f*cking depressed". These contradictions are exactly what make OPIA feel so authentic. VITA is not deciding whether to identify as one version of herself or another; rather, she is finding room for all of them and acknowledging them.

Building the Visual Universe of OPIA

The same contradictions can be felt visually within the universe of OPIA. For VITA, the overall aesthetic of OPIA was just as important as the music itself. She described her approach to mood boarding (the initial stage of conceptualizing the overall aesthetic) as "genuinely psychotic", drawing inspiration from a variety of sources across multiple platforms and then taking time to create the exact world she envisions that listeners will enter when listening to OPIA.

VITA envisioned a gritty and somewhat surreal representation of New York City in the mid 50's, worn-in, messy, unpredictable, and imperfect. "I wanted it to look like I've been walking around the block for two days... I'm dirty and gross, I'm smoking a cigarette, I'm a little drunk, I have no idea if I'm on something." The goal wasn't to show perfection; rather, the intention was to capture the essence of a person who has experienced something and has nothing to lose.

VITA cites artists like Chappell Roan, Tyler, the Creator, and Jean Dawson as inspirations for her own work. VITA sees no need to limit herself to one single sound, genre, or aesthetic. As VITA continues to grow and evolve as an individual, she expects her music and visuals to do the same. OPIA is not meant to showcase one idealized version of VITA. Rather, OPIA is designed to accept the contradictions that come with being a human.