Rising star Leah Kate is an anomaly. While artists today are lucky to have one song go viral on TikTok, she has managed to have three in under two years. The singer seems to have cracked the code on how to go from viral social media sensation to global charting artist. If you’re one who keeps up with the latest trends and emerging artists, you’ll have noticed that her most recent single, the angsty “10 Things I Hate About You,” is currently dominating the airwaves and climbing up the charts week by week.

Those who have been rolling with Kate for some time will be fully aware that she is no overnight success, despite her sudden rise. Her early material, which boasts the bops “WTF?,” “Grave,” and her first viral song, “Fuck Up The Friendship,” not only have contributed to her badass persona but showcases the progression and journey to becoming one of music’s most exciting emerging talents. Her latest project, “What Just Happened?,” released in 2021, accentuated her versatility, featuring seven energetic songs about heartbreak and fuckboys in a variety of sounds. To name a few, there are the punk-driven anthems “Shit Show” and “F U Anthem,” disco-infused “Cry Baby,” and the soft-spoken “Told You So.”

After racking up the streams and making noise on social media, it was time for Kate to branch out and embark on her first-ever tour, announcing in March that she was going to be serving as the support act on Madison Beer’s sold-out “Life Support” tour across Europe. “The tour was the most magical experience of my whole life. I couldn’t have asked for a better first tour,” Kate tells EQUATE while back home in LA. She adds: “It was a dream come true, Madison was unbelievably supportive and the best headline act I could have ever dreamed of being on tour with.”

“I was so excited but I was so nervous at the same time,” Kate says after stating she didn’t know what to expect from the crowds in all the different cities. “I wanted to put on the best show possible. So, three months leading up to the shows, I started working with my choreographer every single day to plan everything. I was nervous as shit, I won’t lie. Obviously, there’s so much pressure, I’m going on tour with a massive star who is so talented and I wanted to give her the best show.”

Fans of both singers will be glad to know the pair were able to bond, even with their jam-packed schedules every day. “Me and Madison hung out a bunch in her dressing room before and after shows. She has the best energy, she’s so humble and amazing to be around,” Kate says. “I truly love Madison, I’m so honoured I got to know her. She gave me great tips, there was one week when I was losing my voice and she helped me get through that.”

The timing for Kate to introduce herself to the European market couldn’t have come at a better time really. Her newest single, “10 Things I Hate About You,” dropped less than a week before opening night in Madrid and rapidly became what Kate considers a “cultural moment” with her audiences. “People weren’t even singing it, they were screaming it. I didn’t even have to sing it because the crowds were so loud, every time I handed the mic to the crowd, the floor was shaking,” she says. Even though Kate insists the fans gave her the best reception at each concert, she declares Paris the most insane. “I got motion sickness from them jumping and moving so much,” she adds.

Despite its punchy lyrics, catchy chorus, and relatable back story – all of which make the perfect pop song – the immediate worldwide success of “10 Things I Hate About You” is still something Kate can’t believe happened so fast. “It’s so crazy. In my head, I’m this little kid on the street begging people to listen to my mixtape. But then I’m like, ‘Holy crap, I have one of the biggest songs in the world!’ It’s a crazy feeling because it hasn’t hit me whatsoever,” she explains. “I wrote this song from my heart about heartbreak and it’s now something so many people can relate to. It’s literally in the top 100 in the world.”

With that being said, Kate knows she deserves to relish in this crazy whirlwind. “It’s literally what I worked my ass off for, for literally my whole life for this moment,” she says. As the days go by, Kate continues to be dumbfounded by the growth of the song about the growth of the song. “My song got added to KIIS-FM, the biggest station in LA, which I grew up listening to. These things keep happening and I’m like ‘What?!’ I actually start laughing every time I hear something, I’m like, ‘that’s not real!’ This song is changing my world,” she continues.

Another huge factor as to why Kate has suddenly blown up is because of the loyalty of her fans. Formed while she was on tour with Beer, her fanbase goes by the name Leah Nation. “They’re the best people I could have ever asked for,” she says with joy. “Everyone is friends and so loving with one another. They’re so passionate, I love them. I spend so much time replying to their messages, we talk a bunch and have a Twitter community. I’m trying to figure out ways to build the Leah Nation as a global community where everyone is here to have a good time.”

“On those days when I was ever homesick, they would come with thousands of the most beautiful letters and gifts. I would post something like, I’m hungry and they would come with food. The fans made me cry every single night. I wish I could re-live it every single day,” Kate continues.

While Kate has an endless love for her adoring fans, the same can’t be said about her ex-boyfriends, explaining that the guy she initially wrote “10 Things I Hate About You” about is fully aware it’s about him. “He actually commented on my Instagram saying, ‘Stop writing songs about me!’ I was like, ‘You’re so petty,’” Kate says while laughing. “It initially started about an ex I needed to get over but when I started to think of a list of things to include, I started thinking about another guy.”

To be fair, Kate has been solidifying herself as the Queen of Fuckboy Anthems for some time now. A noteworthy track, titled “Dear Denny,” was written about an ex that knows it’s about him, and admits he didn’t approve of the song. Nevertheless, it’s one of Kate’s favourites to perform, and shares it has become a favourite among the Leah Nation. “That one hasn’t had a big viral moment but it’s such a good song that it will get there eventually,” she mentions.

So, what does the future hold for Leah Kate? “I am definitely going to be putting out a project this year, it’s unclear if it’ll be an album or an EP. I have so much music that I’m really excited about but I’ve been working on another project for a while now,” she says. “Before that, probably more singles. But, a project before the end of the year that will have everyone screaming at the top of their lungs.”

“This is just the launching pad for me, music is my comfort for me, always. But, there are many other areas I wanna tap into”

- Leah Kate

Just this year alone, Kate reveals she has written around 60 songs and in total has been sitting on about 100. For this reason, she believes her next project will be “lengthy.” In the meantime, Kate has been teasing new material to see people’s reactions. “I don’t have a set song for the next release,” she admits. One song, in particular, she can envision becoming a single is “Twinkle Twinkle Little Bitch,” which has been teased in its many revisions on her social media pages.

Outside of music, Kate tells me she is passionate about fashion, beauty, health and wellness, and “a thousand other things.” “Even acting is something I’m interested in, I grew up doing musical theatre,” she adds. “This is just the launching pad for me, music is my comfort for me, always. But, there are many other areas I wanna tap into.”

With her singing career as her main focus right now, Kate is manifesting her own sell-out headline tour. “We’re planning my return to Europe so stay tuned,” she says before revealing she will be hitting the road with Chase Atlantic across North America this summer.

Stream ’10 Things I Hate About You’ below -

Follow Leah Kate - @leah

Credits:

Photographer: Jack Alexander

Styling: Anastasia

Hair: Laura Chadwick

MUA: Alaina Barba Giovanni

Art Design: Lazy Goat Club

Words: Fabio Magnocavallo