As an author with an interest in the broader creative industry, I interview others who dream big about their work and motivation. Today: singer-songwriter Aurélie.
Aurélie (28) from Belgium, also known by her stage name Lavina KL, has released a great deal of music over the years as an independent singer-songwriter. The artist sings in Dutch, English and French, depending on which language fits the message she wants to convey the best. She hasn’t had a breakthrough yet, but then again, she isn’t seeking fame in the traditional sense of the word.
An atypical artist
“I don’t dream of becoming Lady Gaga,” Aurélie laughs, “by which I mean I don’t want the whole world to know who I am. I don’t want to be performing constantly, going on tour, dancing on stage, and so on. I actually just like to relax at home in the evenings. I also have a daughter now, for whom I want to cook every day. So I’d like to keep my perfectly normal life. And yet I want to make a living with music: that’s my ideal scenario.”
That’s not the typical dream you hear from up-and-coming artists, but Aurélie does think there’s room for her path. “I think this path is possible by writing songs for other artists, something I’d really love to do. But the competition is fierce, and without a label behind me, everything is even harder. At the same time, you even hear that someone like Laura Tesoro, who does have a label, can’t make a living from her music. So it’s difficult in the music industry anyway.” Quitting her ‘regular’ job isn’t on the horizon just yet.
Turning negative thoughs into positivity
But if performing doesn’t really appeal to you, why the urge to pursue music anyway? To answer that, we have to go back to her childhood. “My grandfather was very musical and lived with our family for a while when I was little. He taught my sisters and me how to sing,” Aurélie explains. “For a long time, we sang together as a family before going to sleep. Since my dad saw how much I loved music, he gave me a beginner’s home studio as a gift so I could get started on my own.”
By that point, Aurélie already had notebooks full of song lyrics. That ability to put feelings into words actually turned out to be her salvation as a teenager. “You have to understand that I was the only Black student in my entire school. That was tough at times. Around the age of 17, everyone started getting boyfriends, and I hoped that someone would just come up to me and tell me they thought I was pretty. Not necessarily to take it further, but I didn’t even have the option to turn someone down,” Aurélie laughs.
“I try to turn my own dark thoughts into something hopeful, but by extension, I hope to have that effect on others as well”
“That did make me feel a little jealous,” she admits. “Back then, I thought all the white girls at school were so beautiful, but I didn’t think I was. By writing a song about it, though, I was able to turn that feeling into something positive and realized that I’m beautiful too. The song’s message was that there will always be someone prettier and more successful than you, but that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be here too. And to love yourself, you don’t need external validation. Because, well, people come and go, but you have yourself forever. So you might as well be your own best friend.”
That message of self-love is still strongly embedded in the music she makes today. “First and foremost, I try to turn my own dark thoughts into something hopeful, but by extension, I hope to have that effect on others as well,” says Aurélie.
A newfound drive
Music has always been a way for her to make sense of things in her own life, but suddenly things went quiet for a while. “I have to say that I put my ambitions on hold for a bit when I was pregnant with my daughter,” she explains.
Meanwhile, her little daughter has been born healthy, and the Flemish singer feels ready to breathe new life into her music career. “Now that my daughter is here, I’ve found a new drive. Especially because I want to show her that even as a mom, you can still have goals and want to achieve things. As a woman, you can be more than just one thing. Especially as she gets a little older, I want to set a good example for her. Besides, I believe that if you allow yourself to be more than just a mother, you might become an even better mom.”
This new chapter also calls for a new name, or rather letting go of the old one
Difficult evolutions
Still, 2026 isn’t the easiest year for a comeback. “One trend I’m really struggling with is how short songs are these days. PinkPantheress’s songs are only two minutes long. How are you supposed to say everything in that? Back in the day, you had songs that lasted five minutes and even twelve-minute music videos, like Michael Jackson’s.” She sees one cause in TikTok, where everything has to be short and punchy.
And then there’s AI music lurking around the corner. “Now that AI can already perfectly mimic voices, it does in ten seconds what I spend ten hours working on. That’s painful, also because any form of authenticity is then gone. While that is precisely central to what I do,” says Aurélie.
A new chapter
Still, it’s not just those changes that are getting to her. “I still struggle a bit with Imposter Syndrome. I find it hard to determine when something is finished and tend to overthink everything. After all, with music, you’re baring a piece of your soul. But for my comeback, I’m really trying to be a bit more relaxed in the process and tell myself: screw it, just do it – release that music and post that video.”
This new chapter also calls for a new name, or rather letting go of the old one. “For a long time, I was Lavina KL, which was a reference to my maternal grandmother. But in a way, it was also a way to hide myself. I don’t want to do that anymore. So yeah: I’m Aurélie. And although I still need to fine-tune exactly which direction I want to go in, I’m mostly just happy that I’ve found the drive again to dare to go after my dreams.”
You can listen to Aurélie’s songs on YouTube and Spotify.
Written by Nikita
Nikita – founder of Nikita’s World – is a Belgian author of feminist feelgood & a journalist specialized in pop culture and the creative industry.