In Conversation With: Liyah

17-year-old singer-songwriter Liyah is an artist that brings back the creativity of R&B, the type of creativity that makes people feel the love that they felt back in 90s records. Her charismatic and infectious personality in the music video is a direct reflection of artists of past generations such as Aaliyah, Mya, and Ashanti to name a few. Although reminiscent of past generations, Liyah is holding her own and making it known that she is leading the way. The confidence she exudes from beginning to end will make any viewer smile from ear to ear. Not one dull moment, Liyah’s comfortability in her own skin is infectious, allowing younger generations to gravitate towards her.

Most recently, Liyah made major waves with the release of her video “Slide” which amassed thousands of views since its release. The record arrives on the heels of her debut “Always There,” accompanied by an acoustic rendition just months later. Now, she readies the release of her very first EP, Foreva Liyah, slated to release later this month. With this release, she looks to put her Canadian roots on display through a series of R&B interwoven songs that showcase her artistry.

In our latest interview, we spoke with Liyah about growing up, her musical inspirations, new music, and much more! Read below.

Can you break down what your experiences were like growing up? Did it shape you into
the artist you are today?

My experience growing up was heavily influenced by music. My parents always had music playing in the house, in the car, every night and day. Artists like Jill Scott, India Arie, Brandy, Musiq Soulchild and many more definitely inspired me and influenced how I create music.

What music did you grow up listening to that left a lasting impact on you?

My parents would play artists like Jill Scott, Beyoncé, India Arie, Brandy, Whitney Houston, Musiq Soulchild, and many more and those artists definitely left an impact on how I listen to music, how I understand music and how I create.

“Slide” is your latest single and it sounds absolutely amazing—what was the inspiration behind that song and how was it putting together the visual effort?

The inspiration behind “Slide” definitely came from the beat. When I first heard the beat, I fell in love with how good it made me feel. I knew that whatever I wrote had to match that feeling. What feels better than the beginning stages of a new fling? Putting together the visuals for “Slide” was absolutely amazing. I had so much fun on the day of the video shoot but to prepare for the video it did take a lot of hard work, long nights and practice!

What was the first song you ever wrote? Or a song you wrote recently that you love?

The first song I ever wrote is an unreleased song produced by T-Nyce back in November. A song I wrote that I love is a song called “Good Lovin” on my EP Foreva Liyah coming out October 11th.

How did you cultivate such a unique voice?

Growing up I listened to a lot of different singers with different singing styles. Over the years
I learn how to mimic certain key elements and how to incorporate all of the styles I’ve heard.

Thematically your album tells a story of love and self-discovery, why was it important for
you to tell this story?

It is important for me to tell this story because this is me. This is who I am coming into the
music industry as. This EP will show everyone all the different pathways my music can go.

As you continue to grow in your music career, what are you hoping to accomplish?

As I continue to grow in my career, I hope to work with GRAMMY-winning musicians and to build a long-lasting empire. I want to be worldwide!