Fusing Latin language and rhythms with R&B indulgence gives you the unique sound of riela. Debuting in 2020 with her lockdown project ‘Tranquila y Tropical’, riela gave us a taste of her diverse style and dreamy voice. This EP saw the birth of ‘mala maña’, a song which has since gone on to receive over 500,000 streams on Spotify and a place on SoundCloud’s Repost Rewind. Through her honest and relatable lyrics, riela has become a voice for those of us who are going through turbulent relationships.
With another EP in the works, riela introduced us to this chapter through her latest single ‘lyu2’ with marcos g. The song is rich and melancholic, detailing the turning point in a relationship where you start to see changes in your partner’s behaviour. The lyrics are bittersweet, leaving you reminiscing the sting of unrequited love. Despite this, you can’t help but sway along to the infectious Latin American style beat and enjoy the velvet like vocals from both marcos and riela.
Voir spoke with riela to discuss her latest single, unique sound and love for men’s style.
Can you explain the backstory, and the inspiration behind your latest single ‘lyu2’?
I was talking to someone I really liked on the regular and out of nowhere he just stopped. Switched up on me completely. And when I went into the studio with marcos g we just happened to talk about it and he just said “you don’t hit me up like you used to” would be a cool line & it all went up from there.
How was collaborating with marcos g? The music video looks like so much fun!
Honestly, he is SO nice and just genuinely himself. As my mom would say “me cae súper bien” which basically means ‘I like him a lot/he’s super cool’. We actually were meant to get more shots at the skatepark but it started POURING out of nowhere and we did an impromptu car shoot.
Did growing up in Miami influence the direction of your music?
Absolutely. On one end, I was surrounded by such a deep-rooted Cuban culture within the city itself and on another end, I was listening to Power 96 where they’d play Usher, JLo, Ja Rule, Ashanti (and all my other favs).
Your music is very fluid, and seems to celebrate elements of the Latin Genre, yet using elements of R&B and Hip Hop. Is blending genres a goal for you or does it come about naturally?
Thank you 🙂 It’s something that came about naturally with my go-to producer Sebastian Torres. He was born and raised in Torreón, MX, but went to high school in the US so he also has such a wide range of influences. At least for me, I grew up speaking Spanglish. Everyone in my family blends the two because if a word is forgotten in either language, we use the other to replace what we’re trying to say.
It’s apparent that you’d prefer for your music not to be labelled as one specific genre or category, how would you best describe your style?
I would describe my style as “genre-fluid”, a term coined by my brother/creative director, Danny. At times it can feel like a musical identity crisis, but I think perfecting that fluidity will give me a lot of room to do whatever I want as I grow as an artist. Listeners can go back to the beginning of my career and be like oh okay yea she’s done this before it just sounds like a more evolved version of it.
Your lyricism is very honest and relatable, where does this honesty come from?
I tend to idealize things and kind of ignore reality in my personal life. So the way I face it is within my writing. I think with honesty comes empathy and understanding that’ll turn into relatability. I want my listeners to be like “Shit, I was in that SAME exact situation.” At the end of the day, we all go through similar things especially with intimate relationships because of how fickle people can be — just with tiny little differences.
Out of the songs you have released so far, which is the most special to you?
To me, “MOVE!” is the most special. I made it with Sebastian and one of my good friends/co-writers, Angela Rodriguez. It actually wasn’t really meant for me, it was meant for a pitch but never got picked up. The energy in the room and in the moment of recording was just so powerful and it translated. People really liked it and it meant a lot to me that it resonated with them while also showcasing musical growth since releasing my first project ‘tranquila y tropical’.
How do you find living in Los Angeles compared to Miami?
I actually JUST moved back to Miami and honestly, I miss LA A LOT. Of course, the grass is always greener where you water it and I’m just planting seeds here in Miami, so I’ve just gotta be patient with the changes. LA is faster-paced, but I’ve found, musically, people are a bit warmer with the personal side of things – a lot less interactional if that makes any sense.
When looking through your Instagram, there is a noticeable array of quirky hats! Do you have a favourite brand or style?
Honestly, I just love menswear. I’ve never been super feminine in my style. I’ll throw in a little I AM GIA to spice things up, but for the most part I love experimenting with androgynous style (I steal a lot of my brothers clothes lol) and adding fem details with makeup and accessories.
Can you sum up your upcoming EP in three words?
diverse, vulnerable, emo (‘:
Listen to ‘lyu2‘ by riela now.
Words by Nadia Clasper
Photo Credit: Myai Anthony
