From Bristol to Nashville, Pop artist Ria Marie is back on BuzzMusic with her latest empowering single "Playground."
Being a distant relative of the legendary Carter Family, and daughter of an artist associated with Whitney Houston and Bob Marley, we can hear her talent exude similar to those who came before her.
Releasing a single that's a breath of fresh air with "Playground," Ria Marie challenges modern double standards faced against women and exclaims that men aren't the only players on the field. With tightly-wound pop production and a steady mid-tempo beat, we can easily grasp the balanced message that Ria Marie is revealing.
"Playground" opens as sweet as honey with bright synths, and an R&B inspired beat. As Ria Marie's vocals appear, it's evident that her musical past has drastically impacted Ria, as her vocals are incredibly pure, melodic, and mesmerizing. She begins singing about the double standard where women can't be 'players' or test the waters to find what they like without being shamed for it. The production swells into this groovy pop/R&B ride, and we're left tapping our feet along with the intricate hi-hats. Around the bridge, we're impressively met with a soulful electric guitar solo from nonother than producer Sonic Pilot (Riff Raff).
With a track that displays infinite equality, "Playground" emits strength from Ria Marie's very first lyric and showcases her continuous growth.
Listen to "Playground" here.
Welcome back to BuzzMusic, Ria Marie! Once again, you've swooned us with your original sound and message, especially through your single "Playground." What inspired you to write a song based on double standards?
Thank you so much! Honestly, this song reflects how I feel about today's dating landscape for women and the power imbalance we face. It's no secret that men can play "the game" and date around like it's no big deal but women are judged the minute they do the same thing. Here's to changing that conversation.
Around the bridge of Ria Marie's single "Playground," we're met with a groovy electric guitar solo from producer Sonic Pilot. Did he also help produce the track, and why did you want to incorporate this soulful and unexpected instrumental?
Sonic was the vocal producer for the song and he also killed it on the guitar solo, of course. I wanted to throw in something that you wouldn't necessarily expect in a traditional R&B song and I like that element of surprise.
Through Ria Marie's single "Playground," we can hear this intoxicating blend of pop, R&B, and even alt-rock. Does your sound mostly reside with R&B, pop, or a unique mixture of both?
Thanks for those kind words, they mean a lot. I would say my sound does reside within R&B but I love for each song that I work on to have pop or jazz influences. If other sounds come out, then I just run with it because it feels right and true to who I am.
Ria Marie has seen many fortunate industry experiences along the way of your career. Do you have an experience that was the most significant to you in terms of growth and knowledge?
Last year I think was a year in which I had many growth periods for my career. I had the opportunity to play some amazing shows in Nashville including playing my first music festival, and I was able to travel and perform in other parts of the country like NYC. This past February before the COVID-19 lockdown, I was fortunate enough to travel to the U.K. to meet The Producers for the first time after working with them digitally for 2 and a half years. We were able to produce some incredible new tracks while I was there and I can't wait to share them with everyone.
What's next for you?
Well, I can't say too much yet but I'm currently planning on doing a music video later this summer so stay tuned.