Kristina Menissov has built a career on themes of power and identity, but her latest single, “Anyway You Want,” marks a pivot toward radical transparency. In this intimate Q&A, the singer-songwriter discusses trading complex metaphors for the “safe love” she is currently living. Moving beyond the warrior-like armor of her previous hit “Crown,” Menissov reveals how her collaboration with Andrew Lane helped her document a chapter defined by stability rather than chaos.
From the vulnerability of a happy heart to the heavy responsibility of her upcoming social justice project, “Her Story,” Menissov proves that true artistic strength lies in the courage to be soft. Join us as she explains why devotion is the ultimate form of emotional maturity and why, for her, strength and softness have always been partners.
WELCOME TO WORLDAUTHORS.ORG, KRISTINA MENISSOV, AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. FOR OUR READERS WHO SEE ARTISTS AS STORYTELLERS FIRST, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THIS NEW CHAPTER IN YOUR CREATIVE LIFE WITH “ANYWAY YOU WANT”?
For a long time, my writing explored power, ambition, duality, identity. With “Anyway You Want,” I’m not searching, I’m learning to enjoy a comfort zone.
As a storyteller, that’s a big shift. It’s less about proving something and more about honoring what is. This song reflects a woman who isn’t negotiating her feelings anymore. She’s choosing them.
YOU’VE SAID YOU WROTE THIS SONG BECAUSE YOU’RE IN LOVE AND DIDN’T WANT TO HIDE THAT FEELING BEHIND METAPHORS. WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE HONESTY AND SIMPLICITY OVER SYMBOLISM THIS TIME?
Because sometimes symbolism is a shield.
I’ve written songs layered in metaphor before, and I love poetic storytelling. But this time, I didn’t want distance between the feeling and the listener. Love can be profound without being complicated.
There’s bravery in simplicity. Saying “I love you” plainly can be more vulnerable than wrapping it in fancy words. I wanted the emotion to feel direct and conversational.
“ANYWAY YOU WANT” FEELS LIKE A CONFIDENT LOVE LETTER. WHEN YOU WERE WRITING IT, DID YOU BEGIN WITH A SPECIFIC LYRIC, A MELODY, OR JUST A FEELING YOU NEEDED TO EXPRESS?
It started with a feeling, you know that moment when you realize you are in love… you start planning your life with the person, even if it’s too early… maybe even a little irrational.
But it’s soft. Not chaos. Stability.
I remember thinking, “This is what safe love feels like.” From there, the lyrics came naturally. I had the best co-writer, Andrew Lane who helped shape and organize all those emotions. The words followed almost like affirmations.
It didn’t feel forced. It felt like documenting something real.
YOU WORKED CLOSELY WITH ANDREW LANE ON THIS TRACK. WHAT DOES YOUR SONGWRITING PROCESS LOOK LIKE WHEN YOU’RE COLLABORATING, AND HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE YOUR VOICE STAYS AT THE CENTER OF IT?
Andrew understands emotional structure. When we collaborate, I usually come in with a strong emotional direction and we build around that.
For me, collaboration works best when I’m very clear about the feeling I want to preserve. Production can elevate a song, but the emotional truth has to remain untouched. I’m very protective of that.
So even in collaboration, the heartbeat of the song always comes from my lived experience.
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THE IDEA OF “CHOSEN LOVE” RUNS THROUGH THE SONG. DO YOU THINK WRITING ABOUT STABLE, SECURE LOVE IS MORE VULNERABLE THAN WRITING ABOUT HEARTBREAK?
In many ways, yes.
Heartbreak has drama. It has narrative tension. Secure love is quieter, which means you can’t hide behind intensity. You have to expose contentment.
There’s vulnerability in saying, “I’m happy. I’m committed. I’m choosing this.” Especially in a culture that often glamorizes chaos.
YOUR PREVIOUS RELEASES LIKE “CROWN” SHOWED STRENGTH IN A DIFFERENT WAY. HOW HAS YOUR VOICE AS A WRITER EVOLVED BETWEEN THOSE SONGS AND THIS ONE?
“Crown” was about self-empowerment and resilience. It carried a sexy-warrior energy.
“Anyway You Want” is softer, but it’s not weaker. The evolution is in understanding that power doesn’t always need armor. Sometimes power is surrendering to something beautiful and not being afraid of it.
As a writer, I tend to react to what’s happening in my life and in the world. My music reflects the chapter I’m living in.
YOU’VE SPOKEN ABOUT DEVOTION BEING A STRENGTH. IN TODAY’S WORLD, DO YOU FEEL ROMANTIC STORYTELLING IS SOMETIMES UNDERESTIMATED?
Yes. I think romance is often dismissed as naive or overly sentimental.
But devotion requires discipline, emotional maturity, and consistency. That’s not weakness. That’s depth.
Romantic storytelling isn’t about fantasy… it’s about commitment to feeling. And that’s timeless.
YOUR UPCOMING SOLO VERSION OF “HER STORY” HONORS WOMEN LIKE ALESIA THOMAS AND SANDRA BLAND. HOW DO YOU EMOTIONALLY PREPARE YOURSELF TO WRITE AND PERFORM SONGS THAT CARRY REAL-LIFE WEIGHT?
When writing about real women and real injustice, of course I approach it with conscience.
I research. I sit with the stories. I allow myself to feel uncomfortable. Songs like that aren’t about performance, they’re about responsibility.
Emotionally, I ground myself before and after. I remind myself that art can hold both joy and grief. As artists, we don’t have to choose one emotional register. We can carry both.
WHEN SOMEONE LISTENS TO “ANYWAY YOU WANT” YEARS FROM NOW, WHAT DO YOU HOPE THEY UNDERSTAND ABOUT YOU AS A WRITER AND AS A WOMAN?
I hope they hear a woman who wasn’t afraid to love fully.
I hope they understand that I wasn’t writing to impress, I was writing to express.
And maybe they’ll hear that strength and softness were never opposites in my story. They were always partners.
You can connect with Kristina Menissov through Instagram @kristinamenissov, TikTok @kristinamenissov, YouTube @kristinamenissov, and Spotify