Aziya
BBC Introducing StageSaturday8:15 pm
Since emerging with the alternative indie smarts of searing debut single ‘Slip!’ in 2021, and vibrant, varied first EP ‘We Speak of Tides’ shortly after, 23-year-old London artist Aziya has been cementing herself as a musical triple-threat. Influenced by the multiple talents of childhood hero Prince, she’s an artist with naturally powerful vocals, but also a deft and enviable mastery of her guitar and an increasingly independent grip on production.
Having posted a series of covers online throughout 2020, her talents have already been recognised by Grimes, US megastar H.E.R, Anderson Paak and Florence & The Machine, who invited Aziya to support at her The O2 arena shows. Over a series of independent and largely self-produced releases, Aziya has been working to firmly establish herself in a world not bound by genre or restrictions and one in which she can “become the artist that I didn’t get to see growing up.”
Heading into a summer that will see the multi-hyphenate musician embark on a spring and summer festival dates, a headline tour and a mixtape release, what’s brilliantly clear is that Aziya firmly knows who she is and how to make the magic happen within her own mould. “My ambitions have always been pretty high – my aim is to play the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury and sell out Madison Square Gardens and that’s not really changed. I’ve always set those big goals, but the next steps to getting to those goals have become a lot clearer,”.