As more and more, once niche, pop stars break into the mainstream, the more people are asking: What the hell is a Khia?
The term Khia has left its digital imprint and has been popping up more and more across pop culture. But where did it come from? And what does it mean?
The answer is… complicated, as the lore is as silly as it is deep. So here’s an explainer. But don’t take offense if it gets a little shady towards your favorite artists. These terms were made up by the chronically online, largely bored kids looking for digital connection and aging gay men who take pop music as seriously as heterosexuals breaking their TVs over a football game. All tea, all shade, but no disrespect.
So let’s dive in…
Who is Khia?
Khia, in fact, refers to a real person. Khia Shamone Finch (formerly Chambers) is a rapper who rose to fame with her 2002 hit single, "My Neck, My Back (Lick It)." Following the hit, she faded to relative obscurity and lives a relatively normal life, occasionally performing on stage but goes largely unrecognized by the general public in her day-to-day life.
So what is a Khia?
Created by stan Twitter, the term Khia began being used to describe a pop star whose career either never really took off or stalled out after their first breakthrough.
The slang term is traced back to 2014, when someone on Twitter made fun of a Khia fan who cried while meeting the rapper: “This gotta be photoshopped. Ain't nobody crying when they meet Khia in 2014.” It began to be used to refer to this realm of lesser-known stars. They might even have a hit or two on the Billboard Hot 100, but something’s stopped them from becoming a household name.
A Khia is an unknown. A civilian. A local. A regular person. In the cruelest sense, it refers to pop stars whose music and careers have flopped.
There are a few lifetime Khias, like Bebe Rexha and Ava Max, who have had mainstream pop culture moments but are still largely unknown by the general public. While they have had influence over music and pop culture, most still consider them obscure artists. It’s shady, yes, but it is still an honor to be known as a Khia among pop music’s most dedicated fans.
And what is a Khia asylum?
A Khia asylum is the liminal space where all of the Khias are trapped. The term evokes an image of being crazy and locked up, as well as the pop star’s supposed inherent desperation to get out of the asylum. In some ways, the Khia asylum is the general public, and a Khia is someone who’s fighting to rise into the upper echelon of pop stardom.
Most inside the asylum haven’t had their breakout moment yet (think new pop stars). Rising pop star Eli jokingly refers to herself as a Khia as she gets her pop career off the ground, desperate to get out of the asylum for her mainstream moment.
A select few have entered the asylum after their careers began to fade. There are ongoing and intense debates over who’s in and who’s out, like Demi Lovato and Katy Perry. For some online, it’s all in good fun. For others, the pitchforks come out, and debates turn into real-life arguments and hurt feelings.
While quite shady, many artists have begun embracing the term, making them in on the joke alongside their fans. Earlier this year, Rexha posted a screen recording of a voice note titled, “Khia asylum day 3051,” where she said, "It's hard here. They make us run on the treadmill every day with the heels on. I heard Sabrina got out. Zara, Charli, they never looked back, and my fatass, flop ass is still in here.”
XCX also joked about the asylum during a screening of her music film The Moment. “Who says I’m not going back there? The doors to the asylum, I hear they keep them open. And I’d love to pop back in there, see all my cool friends.”
The term went viral again just this week, in the case of Chappell Roan v. Brazil. Last week after her Lollapalooza performance, Roan’s security was accused of being aggressive towards the 11-year-old stepdaughter of soccer player, Jorginho Frello. The internet quickly turned the alleged moment into a meme, taking sides. The mayor of Rio de Janeiro went on to ban Roan from the city. Roan later came out and denied that the altercation had happened at all, but the moment quickly became a meme.
One Twitter user wrote, “worst part is chappell was counting on that kid being a khia that girl momma went straight to her husband and said get her.” The post has over 39,000 likes. A reply with 22,000 likes reads, “chappell calling the khia preschool and finding out the kid wasn’t enrolled.”
With its popularity as of late, perhaps the term Khia is about to break out of the asylum? We wouldn’t be surprised if it's listed in Merriam-Webster by the end of the year.
