LA R&B Crooner Aeriel Wants Women in music to be Unrelenting
Image credit: Shakology
Starting from humble beginnings, LA R&B singer Aeriel brings innocence and purity to her vocals. Aeriel first grabbed our attention as she touches on topics based on lovers, feminism, and everything in between. She flawlessly uses her life experiences as a drive to make many women relate.
Her heart-felt new EP 'Sad Girls Club' leave listeners hooked by her realness and high-hitting vocals. Her emotions run through deep through within her music, not to mention giving you mad Aaliyah feels.
We sit down with Aeriel and yarn about why she thinks women should be relentless in the music world, how to get over a broken heart and the importance of having good girlfriends. Margaret Tra writes.
Tell us about your EP Sad Girls Club and what inspired it?
The project was inspired by real life situations and relationships. When i started off creating the project, I was mostly just trying to get the ideas down and push myself to see where it would take me. Then I started to notice the common theme was that these were all situations where I had not spoken up or felt like I was not being heard and I wanted to be able to express that. So “Sad Girls Club” represents acknowledging how you feel and not running from it.
The EP has 5 songs in it, and with this being my first project, I really focused on trying yo provide enough versatility within the project to determine where I need to go next while also keeping the project cohesive.
What do you think is the best way to heal a broken heart?
In my experience the best way to heal a broken heart is time. Which is a sucky answer but it really is the truth. I just try to occupy my mind with focusing on being the best me I can be, and remind myself that despite what may have happened I’m deserving of love and its not the end of the world.
I can tell you're an artist who wants to empower woman, who are your inspirational lady artists that you follow?
I love following inspiring woman that aren’t afraid to encourage other women as well. I love Beyonce, Serena Williams and Kehlani to name a few. On the non artist side I’m really into what entrepreneurs like Sophia Amoruso and Arian Simone are doing with the space to empower women and the next generation of leaders.
What's one thing you've encountered as a woman in the music industry?
As a woman in the industry you have to learn to speak up for yourself and stand your ground, especially when you’re just starting off. I wouldn’t claim to know everything or think I have it all figured out, but there's a lot of mansplaining and people thinking they know better simply because you’re a woman. You really have to have be steadfast and unrelenting in your vision and not let anyone who doesn’t have your best interest at heart lead you astray.
You started at a really young age, 13, could you tell us how that shaped you as an artist today?
I started really young as a performer but this is my first release, so working on my craft that long has definitely shaped me. It really forces you to look internally and answer questions about yourself you wouldn’t otherwise think about. You always get asked the question”who are you?” as an artist and as a being, and when I was younger I used to think it was something that had to be set in stone. But now that I’ve grown I’ve realised that answer is ever-changing and if its not its means your not growing. So its made me accept myself in the moment, knowing I won’t always be this way and that’s okay.
What are some kick-ass things woman can do to feel better when they are feeling down?
The importance of having good girlfriends is super underestimated, because when I’m feeling down I always lean on my best friends to do something stress free, whether it be a Netflix night, a hike, or something random.
But we’re a generation of hustlers and multi-taskers, and most people have gotten used to being super busy all the time. I think it’s so important to give ourselves permission to recover when were down and take care of ourselves first and foremost.