Ria: Cat jamming to different layers of musicality

But there are gaps in the norm where something special happens that takes cultural energy into a different course. Ria is such an entity. Her versatility in music has led her to be someone well-loved across the board among lovers of different genres.

After hearing praises of Ria’s dancing by renowned choreographer CL and Erna Leong, M3‘s founder, one would be surprised to find out that she started out relatively late on the dance floor. Her big break came when Analos Music Group scouts came across a YouTube video of her self-made music video alongside her older brother. Impressed, the agency invited the two to attend an audition. Both passed, but her brother chose to complete his university education before making a decision on venturing into the world of entertainment and stardom. In retrospect, it seemed natural that a DJ and pop singer like her would pick up dance.

But singing (see: borderline rapping) and DJ-ing remains her two main creative interests. Her first experience with music was remixing pop songs to add some razzle dazzle to her school projects. Slowly, she started to create covers of her favourite songs—sometimes turning them into acoustic and acapella versions, and other times into a nightclub version of the original. She started writing short verses to inject as a “bridge extension,” as she calls it.

Ria’s sense of rhythm and lyrical interpretation is infused with an appreciation for lofi-rap. She has shared that her inspirations include Alec Benjamin, Cash Cash and Taylor Swift, but it is clear that Ria puts her own twist to her music. “Small Bites”, Ria’s debut EP, is a reflection of her growth as a singer, understanding and innovation of musicality.

Details of the album have yet to be released.