With one of the boldest, brashest, turn-your-day-around vocals in music, soulful singer/songwriter Katie Kadan is back with another original track, “I Do.” The hopelessly romantic new song released for Valentine’s Day is giving fans a another taste of what to expect from her debut EP set for release on May 9, 2025. Listen to “I Do” HERE.
Written by Kadan with Thomas “Tawgs” Salter and Johnny Reid who also serves as producer, “I Do” captures the undying optimism of the heart for what is sure to be an instant classic wedding song.
For the forthcoming EP fans can expect Kadan to keep pulling big emotions from simple, self-penned songs and delivering them with a blowtorch of a vocal. Kadan set the tone for the EP last year with her first release, "Without You.” Pairing a rich swagger and almost-spiritual self-confidence with a propulsive rhythm and stadium-sized vocal, Kadan calls it her “women's anthem” – a much-needed message of freedom.
She followed that release with the sultry, “Unless I Fall In Love,” where she finds the self-worth we all need … waiting within. “Sometimes life can be like ‘If I'm not this certain way, do I have value? Am I ever going to have purpose?’” she says. “’Am I ever going to be worthy of love, or will I keep falling short?’”
A classically-inspired soul diva for a brand-new age, sharing her growth toward self-respect through the empowering joy of music has become Kadan’s calling – her sense of purpose. A born entertainer and the youngest of four in a church-centered, deeply-musical family, it took Kadan her whole life to find her purpose. But now that she has, it seems almost inevitable.
Praising her “big, loud family,” the vocal phenom learned to harmonize as soon as she could talk and delivered her first performance in front of her church congregation at 3 years old. Homeschooled by a songwriting mother who loved the ‘60s folk revival, and with a father whose taste kept Otis Redding, James Brown and the giants of soul on repeat, music was embedded in Kadan’s daily life – so deep that when she couldn’t concentrate on her studies, the fix was to play some piano and quiet her mind.
Obviously talented, her parents helped a teenaged Kadan join one of Chicago’s top choirs, and they even scraped enough money together to send her to conservatory. But feeling like she had no shot at a career, she dropped out, taking odd jobs and teaching vocal lessons instead. “I was unhappy,” she admits now. “That's not what I wanted to do, but I had no idea how to get into the music business. And honestly, I didn't think I would have a place … because I'm a fat lady.”
Needing some joy in her life, Kadan knew where to turn. She found her way to the female owned and operated Underground Wonder Bar and got herself a life-changing gig. Thrilling local crowds with her dynamic voice – an explosive, all-natural mix of raspy soul and gospel power – she made a point to go her own way, performing original songs right from her first night … and people took notice. A producer from NBC’s The Voice soon got in touch, but still feeling unworthy, Kadan turned them down.
“I didn't want to do it. I thought, it's kind of a sellout,” she says with a laugh. “I was going to go back to school actually, because I was tired of the hustle. I was going to go for psychology, and I'm like, ‘Music to me is the healer. And if I can't be a singer, I’ve got to help people in a different way.’”
Eventually, though, Kadan changed her mind. Determined to give herself just one chance – and feeling like she had nothing to lose – she showed up for The Voice and stood out immediately, taking third place on Season 17 in 2019. Impressing judges and fans alike with her big style, big voice, and ability to leave her heart on the stage each night, Kadan’s joyful personality and clear comfort in her own skin tore through countless stereotypes. She became an inspiration to millions.
“I Do” follows Christmas release “Hey, Mr. Santa” as well as “Without You” and “Unless I Fall in Love,” which will both be featured on her forthcoming, debut EP to be released May 9, 2025. For more information and to stay updated on the latest news and tour dates, visit katiekadan.com and follow along on Instagram @KatieKadanOfficial and @KatieKadan on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.
