Multi-award winning singer, songwriter and exhibited visual artist Lyia Meta has an extremely rare contralto vocal range and a voice that straddles both blues and classical music, but she doesn’t stop there. While her deep, resonant vocals conjure the likes of blues pop greats Nina Simone and Amy Winehouse. Lyia has been recognized in a wide range of genres throughout her almost two decade-long career. The obvious standout pairing has been in blues and jazz, but the Malaysian songstress has worked and been recognized in pop, Country music and even the metal world.
With a musical background that reaches all the way back to childhood, Lyia’s voice has always stood out but it’s not just her range that’s unique. She blends smooth and sultry jazz tones with well-trained operatic techniques to create a signature style that’s well-loved on both sides of the Pacific: her home bases of L.A. and Malaysia.
In spite of of being a global artist originating out of a small Southeast Asian nation, Lyia has every year stepped up her game to overcome the geographic and cultural hurdles that she has faced as her musical career has exploded. Lyia has reached acclaim in the rest of the world, and especially in the United States, by sliding through a multitude of genres and styes, collaborating with producers and songwriters, earning an extensive list of awards (such as her ‘Best Album’ and ‘Best Female Vocalist’ wins at the 2022 Global Music Awards, and her ‘Performance of the Year’ Win at the 2022 Texas Sounds International Country Music Awards), accolades and recognition along the way. If Michelle Yeoh, also of Malaysia, can win an Oscar, there’s proof that Lyia, with her “rich, soulful and smoky voice”, can compete on a global basis and win a Grammy!
Lyia’s latest release ‘Always You’ continues her jazz pop exploration of her take on love, life and fun via a lyrical collaboration with songwriter Denise Dimin. The title track is a sultry, loungey and dreamy song that hearkens to the rat pack days of jazz and blues and is a beautiful preview of what’s to come with the EP’s release in mid-June and proves why Lyia Meta is so renowned in her field: her contralto vocal range makes her unique, but it’s what she’s done with it that makes her special.
Lyia shares her inspiration behind this deeply personal new album.
“In my entire career as a live circuit performer and an artist, I have found that being true to myself and my influences is what makes me the artist I am proud to be.
What is uniquely ‘ME’?
Who I am is very simply heard in my music!
With the album ‘ALWAYS YOU”, the story continues as I attempt to retell the words written by songwriter Denise Dimin through my own experiences and emotions.
ALWAYS YOU is my latest chapter as I continue my musical journey!”
“Always You” is out on streaming platforms on June 16th.
Stream the album on Spotify.
Watch the music video for the album’s title track on Youtube.
