Get to Know Rakiyah: The Celestial Singer Changing R&B

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a celestial queen and a singer at the same time? Well if you have, look no further than to R&B singer-songwriter Rakiyah for the answer. Entranced by space and STEM since she was little, Rakiyah became an aerospace engineer but always managed to be involved in the arts in various ways at the same time. Once she decided to take the leap into music, she went the less traditional route. Inspired by her time living in South Korea, she wanted to incorporate part of the culture into her music. Thus followed collaborations with Korean R&B singer J.Cob, and occasionally incorporating Korean lyrics into her own songs. Next, her space identity began to shine through the musical world she's created with the EP Into the Cosmos and album The Cosmic Queen.

For her latest single, "Crash Landing on You," Rakiyah comes back down to earth. In stark contrast to her previous project, on her album The Cosmic Queen, Rakiyah delicately sings of falling out of love with all the emotion of a fresh heartbreak.

In order to learn more about "Crash Landing on You," her identity as an artist and more about her background, we sat down with Rakiyah to hear everything from the Cosmic Queen herself.

Sweety High: You have such a unique presence as an artist. You've been an aerospace engineer, a YouTuber and a singer, so how do you identify yourself? Do you see yourself as a singer or an engineer or possibly all three? 

Rakiyah: I feel like I'm a unique blend of all of them. My background in science and engineering bled into my creative process, so I still do a lot of thinking in science and engineering. Just to be creative, I bring all the visuals to my music, so that's why you see I started my branding in space. I feel like I'm more of an artist than an engineer, though. Science and engineering have always been some of my first loves ever since I was a little girl, but it was always meant for me to be within the arts. No matter what I was doing in science and engineering, even as a little girl, I was always still doing something in the arts. In high school, I went to a trade school, so my major in my last years was film and TV production, hence my love to incorporate that in editing. It's been in my background, and when it came to what I wanted to pursue, I wanted to go into film production, but my parents unfortunately, at that time, thought I should do science and engineering. They felt like it was a promising career, so I ended up going into engineering, but I guess it was meant to be because here I am now. I'm back full circle pursuing the arts again, so I think I'm mostly an artist, but I think the science and engineering side of me will never go away. It's embedded in my everyday practice, even within my music.

 

SH: You're such a unique type of artist. Would you rather be known as an artist who sometimes sings in Korean or recognized as a more traditional R&B artist, or do you not want to be put into a box at all?

Rakiyah: Over time, I've noticed that society tends to want to put you in a box because it's comfortable for them to know who you are and what you do. I understand that, but I think it's limiting to be put in a box. Even when I started to sing in Korean, and I loved it, I had the whole experience of living in South Korea and going to college there. For a few years, that became a big part of my life, so I took that big part and put it into my musical journey, but when I did that, I noticed it was like a double-edged sword. I started to be seen as a Black K-pop idol, but I don't consider myself K-pop or an idol. I'm primarily R&B, so I started to subconsciously shy away from Korean lyricism. I look back now and wish I hadn't and just stayed true to who I was, and eventually, people would understand who Rakiyah is, but I started to be put into a box and it felt overwhelming. I didn't know what to do in those stages, so I slowly stopped singing in Korean. That's why the "sometimes" is so crucial to me. I want to be known as an artist who has many different facets about them. There's a piece of me that can be reflected in a lot of different audiences. I love so many different things, and I refuse to be stuck in one box.

 

SH: Do you think it's important for Black artists to experiment more with their music and venture into new genres, or should they stick with what they know? 

Rakiyah: I am always going to be an advocate for exploring. Being curious is part of human nature, and I don't think we are curious enough, including Black people, which is not our fault. I do believe that there are limits that have been put on Black people that we have carried throughout generations. I hope that I'm just another artist who shows that you can do a lot of different things or just do one thing differently sometimes. I think Black artists should be unapologetic if they're interested in exploring different sounds and genres. It pushes your limits of who you are, and I think you find yourself more when you step outside of your comfort zone, which is what I've done with Korean, and I'm glad I did it. I think it made me a stronger individual, and it's shown me that I can do anything. That's why I think it's important that Black artists should give it a shot and explore different sounds and genres because it'll show you what you can do and you'll realize you literally can do anything.

 

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SH: "Crash Landing on You" is the first breakup song that you've released. Why did you want to release a breakup song as opposed to your romance-focused songs? 

Rakiyah: I absolutely love the entire cosmic era, which is all about the cosmic love odyssey, learning how to love, be confident and sensual. The reason I wanted my alter ego to come down to earth is because I feel like I found myself a lot more in real life. I think it's important to share all my stories and not just the comfortable, easy love songs and stories. I think it'll be therapeutic for me to make sure that I share those stories. Everything isn't always peaches and cream. Heartache exists. It's unavoidable, so I wanted my listeners and fans to also see that side of me, and it allowed me to go lyrically deeper. I think it's a perfect way to close out the story because sometimes what feels high will come crashing down, which is why I decided to make "Crash Landing On You." I wanted to focus on the storyline and the concept but also start sharing more stories about myself and what I've been through.

 

SH: Love is one of the most complex emotions. Did you have any difficulties writing "Crash Landing on You" or expressing yourself through those lyrics? 

Rakiyah: Yes. Love is a very complicated thing, but when you know what love looks like, it's also easy. I think heartache is a more vulnerable side, so because I decided to be more vulnerable in my music, it was a little hard. It was hard at first but because I love to be a storyteller, it kind of helped me. Every line wasn't always the same situation—some of them are from different moments or situations that I experienced, so it was hard to put it out to the public, but it was comforting knowing I took that step to be more vulnerable in my music, which is what I think makes music beautiful. It became therapeutic, and I think I healed a moment of myself doing that. The public will see for my next album a lot more of that form of storytelling. I see that the Rockets love it just as much, and that was one of my concerns. Will they be just as open to the shifts and changes, because I change as a person, so that's going to show in my music. I can't be the same Rakiyah that dropped all these other songs, but I'm proud.

 

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SH: The use of space comes up a lot in your music with projects like The Cosmic Queen and Into the Cosmos. Why is space so meaningful to you? 

Rakiyah: Well, space has been a genuine interest of mine since I was a child, so it was easy to decide to go into music with what I already knew, if that makes sense. I get to be myself, which is still a nerdy STEM Black girl. It's pretty cool that I can take those pieces of myself but morph them into a visual and musical concept, which I'd never done until I dropped Into the Cosmos. Space is just all about exploration, being curious and tapping into the unknown, so it was kind of like a message to myself when I first started that the goal is not to limit myself since space is infinite. For my fans, no matter what era I'm gonna do, I'm still a Rocket, and they're still Rockets, so it's like the idea of taking off all the time is beautiful symbolism.

 

SH: You did the SFX makeup for the cover of the CLOY, wrote the song and produced it. Why is it so important that you're so involved every step of the way? 

Rakiyah: This comeback, it just so happened that I ended up making my own song and producing it myself. I'd never released anything produced by Rakiyah, but there always has to be somewhere to start. I do a lot of my own creative input for a couple of reasons. One of the reasons is because I love my ideas, so I get to literally create an idea from nothing. I love that, and I'm always going to continue doing that. Even if in the future I have other people on my team, departments and people that can be involved in my creative process to where I don't have to do so much alone, I think I'll always be on top of the idea. Another reason why I'm so involved is because I'm an independent artist, so I have to show up. Essentially, it's either I do it or no one else does. I have to wear many different hats so I can still create. Sadly, I just have to sometimes lower my expectations because I have a big imagination, but I have to work within my ability and means. So, if that means I have to do my own SFX makeup, then I'm going to do my own SFX makeup. I'm someone who loves to learn, so I'll go and find that information to learn how to do something and then execute it to the best of my ability. These early stages involve so much of me, so if you can see what I can do with where I am now, I know that I can flourish with more when the time comes.

 

SH: Are there any last messages you have? 

Rakiyah: This is me talking to Rockets and anyone else who's following— being brave is the first step in anything you want to do, anything you want to try. I know the world can be full of judgment about what it is we create, but be proud that you actually took the steps to do that thing, to create that thing and share it with the entire world to consume and have opinions on. That's a big deal and a big step to take. Stay true to yourself. I always want the Rockets to stay brave and listen to their hearts and passions. Curate your passion, coddle it like it's a baby, give it the nutrients it needs to grow, learn as much as you can and keep moving forward. Whatever we want and see in the near future, it's there—you just have to be wiling to put in the time, effort and work to get it. Also, get ready for this new version of me in my music. I'm super excited to embark on this next era of my artistry and I think the fans and the Rockets have something to look forward to. I thank them for being so patient and still being by my side and supporting me in all different forms of endeavors. I appreciate them sincerely and can never thank them enough.

 

Looking to discover new rising R&B artists? Click HERE to read our interview with Sierra Glazebrook.