November gave us a taste of Rielaās upcoming EP āLlorar y Perrearā, with relationship heavy tracks steeped in confessional prose. āIf You Let Meāā¦the second single, effortlessly fuses both language and genre culminating in Rielaās distinct style. In the wake of the release, and with another project coming out early next year, this particular EP references a trilogy of tarot cards debuting in sequence. A Latina vocalist with both Cuban and Panamanian roots shares with us exactly what makes her tick.
Howāve you been since the release?
Pretty wellā¦I’ve gotten a lot of support from my friends and family and itās been great. People have received it well and Iām happy about that.
How do you think that this single compares to your previous ones?
I think this one is a bit different because my other songs have a little bit more production, this one is a little bit more stripped down. Everything is a lot simpler, and Iām using more of my vocals rather than melodic syncopation. A lot of other ones are very reggaeton inspired which arenāt quite as much vocal production.
How would you describe your current sound?
I donāt knowā¦I would say that my current sound is a little more blue. I think itās more melodic and Iām finding better ways to showcase my voice. There are some songs that are coming out that are a little more on the slower sideā¦a little more on the vocal performance side. I think I have similar sounds from the old one, but Iām bringing more elements in.
Spanglish?
I speak like that with most of my friends and my familyā¦ those that understand it at least! Mostly because people are ESL, and in Miami we donāt really have a grip on either language sometimes. The same thing happens to me when Iām writing songs, sometimes if Iām missing something or I donāt know what to do I turn to either language, and I just find a flow from there.
Is there one language that you prefer writing in?
Not really, I think that just depends on what Iām writing about and how Iām feeling that day. Some days I speak Spanish just as well as I speak English, but other times itās like I learned it a month ago (giggles)!
Tarot cards?
I have three EPās that represent aĀ trilogy. The first EP is based on the fool, and each card from the deck starts in order from the fool to the magician with everything in between. The first card is the fool and it’s basically someone that is bright eyed and bushy tailedā¦an optimist. The second EP which comes out in February is the star…someone that can process emotions and do with them what they will but continue moving on. The third project is based on the last card of the deckā¦ which is the magicianā¦basically an evolved fool!
Which one is most meaningful to you?
As of right now itās the second one because the sound is so evolved and itās different from what Iāve been doing. It came together quickly so I’ve just been waiting patiently for it to come out.
How do you plan to celebrate once itās out?
Cook dinner with my family and friends. Or go to the beach.
What do you like to cook?
Arroz con pollo if Iām feeling it, or arroz con picadillo, but sometimes I like making Korean food. My sister loves Korean!
Breakfast?
I donāt usually eat breakfast! Iāve never been a breakfast person, I was t that kid that would go to IHOP or Dennyās and everybody would be eating pancakes or French toast or eggs, and Iād be like ācan I have chicken nuggets please.ā
Who have you been listening to most lately?
Iāve been listening to a lot of Dijon lately. Heās amazing!
Your style?
It really rangesā¦it can be very fluid. Some days I dress super femmeā¦I like going in between femme and androgynous. I have a horrible time making decisions!
Your special spot?
For a full song I really like being in a studioā¦it makes me focus. I have the attention span of squirrel, so it really helps me a lot. I would say a studio is my favorite spot.
Plans?
Thankfully Iām very excited. I havenāt been to Panama since 2019 and Iām going to Panama this year to see my family for NYās. I also have an EP coming out in February. Iāve had the full EP since December of last year, so Iām really excited for that to come out!
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