SA music star, Micaela Kleinsmith, is the winner of Apple TV Plus music competition series, My Kind of a Country. The show is executive produced by Reese Witherspoon and Kacey Musgraves. It sets out on a mission to diversify the country music scene, and offer talented artists around the world a chance to showcase their talents.
12 artists from across the globe, competed under guidance from music pioneers, Mickey Guyton, Jimmie Allen and Orville Peck.
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Peck was Kleinsmith’s mentor during the competition. During an interview with People Magazine, he said watching Micaela’s confidence grow over the course of the competition ‘felt profound’:
From the moment I met Micaela, I knew really, truly, genuinely, that Micaela was definitely going to the finale because I think there’s something very beautifully authentic about her…All of us, the scouts, we just became completely blown away by her talent
Coincidently, both Kleinsmith and Peck are South African natives. Peck admits that he felt that connection with Micaela from the beginning:
Seeing the progression each week, each episode, of Micaela gaining more confidence and showing us all these different sides to her? I remember at my workshop when Micaela did her original song, I knew then. I was like, ‘Well, this is someone so special.’ It really was undeniable at that point
Who is Micaela Kleinsmith?
South Africans will remember Kleinsmith as she made it to the group stages of Idols SA in 2016. Her passion for music and songwriting emerged at the young age of 14.
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Micaela says she grew up watching singing competitions and shows – dreaming of performing on a stage. By immersing herself in these shows, she taught herself about vocal range and attack!
Kleinsmith admits she was heavily bullied as a child and found an escape through music. She used her newfound talent to make friends and started songwriting during her early teens. Series winner, Micaela Kleinsmith:
This competition has been such a blessing and I’m just so grateful to have been able to learn from so many other talented artists on a global platform like Apple TV+
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She tells People Magazine that she grew up with a diverse ensemble of music inspirations. From Carrie Underwood to Adele, she says South Africa bursts with a diversity that matches her many influences:
There were so many South African artists [on the show], but all of us were so different. The languages we speak, the cultures we come from — and we all come from one small little country on a huge continent…So, it’s very diverse in culture, and I don’t think people quite understand how diverse it actually is
Micaela’s EP Butterfly will be released via Platoon on Apple Music. It includes three original songs: Butterfly, Eternity and Raise A Cup. She also released her over of The Band Perry’s If I Die Young.
