Digital Cover Story: The New Era of Rileyy Lanez

Interview + story by: Jada Lang
Photography: Leo Lysius

Hailing from New York, R&B songstress Rileyy Lanez is experiencing a rebirth. The 22-year-old has been making waves in the music industry with her unique blend of neo-soul and 2000s R&B. Her debut EP, Beautiful Mistakes, was released in 2020 and has been praised for its heartfelt lyrics and soulful sound.

Lanez’s authentic music vividly depicts the cycles of love, heartbreak, and finding yourself. She grew up listening to vocalists such as Mary J. Blige, Jasmine Sullivan, Etta James, and Brandy which cultivated her passion for singing.

Social media has played a considerable role in Rileyy’s musical journey as she began gaining traction by posting Facebook covers. She recorded her first cover in her high school bathroom, which went viral. She went to Fordham Highschool of the Arts, where she revealed she was a dance major. From there, she took her content to Instagram and was discovered by an A&R from Columbia Records. Now, she has gained the attention of many artists, such as Yebba, who commented on a cover she did of her song. Omarion has also expressed interest in her music and was recently spotted at her latest live show. “He’s a very beautiful and genuine soul, ” she expressed. Lanez has cultivated a fan base of over 500,000 followers on Instagram.

Her latest EP Bittersweet, was released in November of 2022.

“When you listen to my first EP, it was mainly about heartbreak. For this EP, I wanted to shed light on the good parts of love, the real parts,”

she tells us. Lanez reveals she is engaged and “never had a love like that.” She gushes about her newfound inspiration from her real-life relationship. 

So what is next for the young R&B songstress? Lanez is working on revamping herself and perfecting her craft. After ending the relationship with her previous label, she is focused on rebranding herself and writing more music. She is also set to appear on Omarion’s upcoming album. Lanez will be a trailblazer for the new generation of R&B.

Catch her next live show on April 27th,2023 at The Delancey !

You can purchase tickets here:

Check out her full interview with MusicXclusives TV.