6 Things We Learned from Our Conversation with Rayana Jay

05.22.20
6 Things We Learned from Our Conversation with Rayana Jay
On How Quarantine Has Affected Relationships With Fans:

Because we can’t do what the fans would expect from me,  but what this is doing is giving me and other artists a chance to show the fans who we are outside of music. You have to make content that shows I’m more than music and you guys can still like me even if the music is at a slow pace. I’m still enjoyable, I’m still relatable, I’m just not in the studio like that.

On Collaboration:

I’m really grateful we’re going through this in the age of technology, you can DM or FaceTime, iPhones have voice memos. I’m still writing to beats and sending emails, so collabs are still happening.

On Creativity During COVID-19:

Sometimes inspiration will hit me but one thing I have noticed is that my creativity is coming very different during this time. Writing feels like a task, which sucks because that’s what I love to do but, it’s hard these days. I’m not out in the world…I’m not doing what usually inspires me.

On Advice To Younger Self:

I wish someone had told me all those parts of you that people say are weird or that you need to tone down…don’t. Stay weird, stay on temp, those weird spots are our true creative selves.

On Influence:

I’m inspired by love; falling in love or out of it. I found inspiration in a lot of older music but as I got older and started listening to music for myself, Amy Winehouse was the one. I still count her as my biggest influence.

On Bay Area R&B Music:

We have so much work to do when it comes to the women singers [from the Bay Area], it shouldn’t just be Kehlani, H.E.R. and me. I am trying to create a platform for young girls who wanna sing and show them this is how I did it and you can do it too.

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