Meet The Neo-Pop Soul Of Liyah Bey
Liyah Bey is an L.A. based singer-songwriter and internationally in-demand singer. Born in Israel, she rose to national prominence as a teen during her extraordinary two year run in the celebrated review, “Lady Soul, A Tribute to Aretha Franklin.”
Israel is known for its dedication to family, giving hearts, and generosity to those in need. Family is the core of Israel life. Parents focus a large part of their lives on raising their children. Their love and passion for life live in the heart of Liah Bey’s soul and is indelibly reflected in her music. Growing up in a culturally rich environment, Liyah’s mother, Chana, encouraged her natural talent as she imparted the love of music to her daughter. Chana owned over 500 vinyl records, inundating Liyah’s home with the magic of multiple styles of music.
Liyah fell in love with American rock artists and at the age of 1 ½, she shocked her parents by singing a Carole King song from top to bottom- in English no less! At age 10, Liyah gave her first major performance before a crowd of thousands at a Ben Gurion University’s Student Day Celebration. This performance created the spark that ignited a lifetime love affair with music and made her dreams a reality.
As Israel applauded this great talent, Liyah’s obsession was with American musical artists. From Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder to Led Zeppelin, Prince, and Michael Jackson, they were all ingrained in Liyah’s musical heart and style. She yearned for commercial success in the states and quickly, as destiny would have it, her future manifested right before her eyes.
Following the success of her Aretha performances, she received a call from a producer in New York regarding a performance that would affect her career in recording. Liyah knew in her heart it was time to go to the source. She moved to New York City where she was embraced by many generations of talented musicians and songwriters. Liyah recorded with Kool and the Gang and received multiple offers from several major pop producers. Liyah seized the opportunity and quickly fell in love with the magic of the city. Entranced from the moment she arrived, it was no surprise that Liyah followed her passion and immigrated to the epicenter of the performing arts. In 2005, Liyah found herself immersed in the club scene in The West Village.
Liyah: “You learn a lot by listening to other artists. Living in The West Village was like a big family. For five and half years I wrote songs and performed. The music scene in The West Village was like going to a music school! I wrote, performed, recorded, and most of all- listened to some amazing talents. Those five and a half years were like going to Julliard! I knew music was going to be my life and I got my musical “street smarts” in the trenches…things you cannot possibly assimilate from academics…The West Village was the training ground for my entire career.”
Freya: “How did you make the transition to L.A.”?
Liyah: “While I was performing in The West Village, I was offered a production deal in Los Angeles. The second I landed; I fell in love with the beauty- the peace- the ocean- it just spoke to my soul. After the highly intense training ground of NYC, I decided to relocate to L.A. I needed peace and more laid-back energy. It calmed my spirit and infused my songwriting with a new fire. Recording was to become my full time focus and passion: L. A’s music scene offered limitless possibilities”.
The music industry is a tough road. An artist needs to be prolific and unique and needs to be commercial-not an easy bill to fill! However, Liyah’s songwriting fulfills a record labels’ dreams as she blends her love of classic R&B with pop and blue-eyed soul, creating a powerful production for her extraordinary vocal excellence. Her sultry warmth and vocal range create a passionate performance and style-uniquely her own. Listening to Liyah is hypnotic- you just can’t stop listening! When asked what inspires her to write, she says: “For me, it’s all about emotional resilience in the face of everything life throws at us. And sometimes, it’s just about having fun and wanting to dance- it’s all about dancing in the rain.”
As she entered the tumultuous L.A. music scene, Lyiah was determined to follow her own path; she was going to focus on her writing. She amassed a publishing catalog while developing her own sound as a recording artist.
Liyah’s songs are message based and carry her soul to the listener’s soul: “I love writing. One of my favorites is John Lennon’s “Imagine.” THAT’S how I want to influence the world through my music- through the message of positivity. If the “world would live as one,” we would be happy, and at peace. There would be no violence and craziness. It might be simple- but the message is profound- and it works! Those great songs of The Beatles; they will live forever! Great songs become classics, and EVERYONE loves them! Music carries a great power for communication between people. Pour a glass of Cab and sit down to dinner with a great song…such magic- all because of a great song”!
“From a business standpoint, having success in the music industry can be life changing. Look at Paul McCartney! He’s the wealthiest musician in the world! Look at Mariah Carey and Adele! They write classic songs that will last forever. A great singer is as good as a great song. Back in the day, the greats like Whitney Houston recorded countless demos, until they found “the one”- the sound of a hit”.
“We need to go back to basics. The recording studio to me, is like a good addiction- I would live in the studio. Look at the movie Stars Wars- what a message! Good against evil! I think we all need to decide to be a Jedi- not Darth Vader! I believe we can change the world through music. We need to always be positive- no matter what circumstances we experience. I need to create. God created us with that spark and that musical spark is a little bit of God. God likes to create and therefore WE like to create! I honor the gift God graciously gave me and honor the opportunity to make great music that inspires, uplifts, and speaks to people’s hearts. I guess you can say I AM music”.
“I have to create to be happy and I am happy when I can love and give. Music is my ultimate gift. I am so grateful and excited about life. I am grateful and blessed to do what I love. After all, what is life without music”?!
New single and video release: “Million Dollar Girl”, Liyah’s second release as a solo artist.Her first release, “Can’t Stop Loving You,” is a heartbreaking ballad showcasing Liyah’s expressive vocal power and fluid emotional range. “Can’t Stop Loving You” has garnered 1,000,000 likes on Facebook and has primed her rapidly expanding fanbase for what is to come: The fierce, playful, neo-soul-pop of Million Dollar Girl.
The American National Anthem Performed by Liyah Bey
Singing “Hello” in San Francisco in a concert for the “Freemasons”