Atlanta pop artist Siena Liggins creates music about her relationships, feelings and hopes for the future

Siena Liggins is an Atlanta-based pop, R&B singer/songwriter. (Courtesy of Victorian Prime-@victorianprime)

On WABE’s series “Speaking of Music,” we hear stories from local musicians in their own words. This edition spotlights Siena Liggins, an Atlanta-based pop R&B singer-songwriter. “I make songs that make people want to dance, about girls that I’ve fallen in and out of love with,” said Liggins.

Coming from a family less artistically inclined than she, Liggins nevertheless discovered an early passion for singing and coming up with original musical ideas. She continues the practice today, using music to crystallize and process her feelings, relationships, and future hopes.

Featured track “Girlfriend” opens Siena Liggins’ new album, “Ms. Out Tonight.” The song is a moody but high-energy, danceable production with infectious hip-hop beats and a smoky, demure vocal delivery that explores Liggins’ busy world of romance, singing, “Girls just want to have fun / So follow me but don’t fall in love.”

A longtime resident of Detroit, Liggins relocated to Atlanta in 2021, and she sees her new chosen hometown as crucial to cultural identity, not just for herself but for artists around the world. “Atlanta influences everyone’s music,” she says. “I am a firm believer that a lot of American culture, especially, is rooted in Black culture and queer culture. And Black and queer culture meets in the epicenter of Atlanta.”

Music by Siena Liggins can be found at https://www.sienaliggins.com/, and she’s on Instagram at @sienaliggins.