Photographed by Steven Gomillion
Amassing more than 2 million streams off of her last single, “Bedroom,” break out sensation Aiyana-Lee is back with her newest single, “Rich Kids.”
As a performer coming from a long line of musicians, including David Ruffin of The Temptations to name one of many, it’s of no surprise that Aiyana-Lee has broken into the music scene with a bang. The artist’s newest single is prelude to her full length album, _Wednesday's Child,_ which will be released later this year. Inspired by her own experience growing up being raised by a single mom, “Rich Kids” explores Aiyana-Lee’s tenacity in remaining authentic while living in Los Angeles, a city that can certainly at times fuel materialism.
Aiyana-Lee chats coming from a musical family, growing up in London and moving to Los Angeles, and her generation’s low tolerance for bullshit.
**You come from a musical family. How has that influenced your decisions to become a singer?**
I grew up with my single mother who is also a 17x platinum songwriter, and she always had musicians and singers around so I was immersed in it from a young age! I was naturally gravitated to music and found myself asking to be the one on the mic!
**What does your new single “Rich Kids” mean to you?**
This song is incredibly personal to me and really dives deeply into how it felt when I first moved to Los Angeles from London. Me and my mom were broke, struggling to make ends meet, eating canned foods and ended up losing our house in England. I felt as though the topic of being broke and the realities that come with that weren’t being touched on enough in pop music today and I wanted to shed a light on it. Especially knowing there are so many who are going through what we have gone through. The only thing that kept us going was the passion we had for music. We might not have been rich in our pockets, but we were rich in our souls, and that was enough to get us through hard times. You realize as you grow up that there’s something money can’t buy, and that is who you are.
**You turn 21 later this year. Has being a member of Gen-Z impacted the music you make?**
I think my generations’ tolerance for bullshit has depleted. The need for real change, real conversation and authenticity is something we crave. We live in a world where following a trend and chasing something has become so popular that for a long time we’ve forgotten the beauty of originality. Because of that I’ve found it incredibly important to just be who I am, unapologetically. Be vulnerable and expose myself in every way. Speaking through my music about the dark parts and even admitting when I’ve been wrong. Gen-Z cares about what you have to SAY, we pay attention to lyrics and are captivated by storytelling and through that I want to create a safe space and community where everyone feels accepted and understood in a world that feels grim and daunting.
**Your new album is coming soon, can you tell us a little about the writing and recording process for that?**
A lot of conversation, at times laughing, at times crying. A lot of digging deep into my past and what I’ve gone through. The chaos, the pain, the loss. The things I’ve overcame and realizations of who I am and what I want to say. It was a whirlwind of emotions we dug up and I felt the most naked I’ve ever been. This project is a true reflection of who I am.
**Do you have a favorite track on the album?**
Yes, the track is entitled “Miserable” and it digs deep into my unfiltered thoughts towards my father who died when I was 13. It’s the darkest song on the album and it’s a true raw, unfiltered depiction of how I feel, a result of the really intense and life threatening situations he’d put me through.
**What’s next for Aiyana? Any big plans in the works for 2022?**
I’m ready to finally release music out into the world and really sonically and visually bring to life the stories that make up who I am, and hopefully in turn, uplift and empower those who’ve been through the same situations. I know it sounds cheesy as shit but I genuinely would love someone out there to listen and feel UNDERSTOOD and know that they are not alone. I know music has helped me through some of my darkest moments… My biggest hope is that my music can do the same for someone else.
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