By Erin Jones
If you haven’t heard of Emerson Azarian, you are missing out. The up-and-coming pop artist has become a viral sensation and her catchy singles will soon dominate the music industry.
Azarian rose to fame after she posted a TikTok this past July that featured one of her unreleased songs. This video currently has over one million views. TikTok has been valuable in launching her career and helping her gain an audience.
“I will admit, I was a TikTok hater to start,” Azarian said. “I was like, ‘I’m an artist. I'm not a content creator.’ But once I realized it's actually a tool to connect with my fans, that's when the whole thing shifted.”
Instead of releasing a full album, Azarian plans to release singles every three weeks as she continues to use TikTok to expand her fanbase. Her two most recent releases include “If It’s Alright,” which was released on Jan. 25, and “Face Card,” which was released on Feb. 15. Her next single, “That Energy,” will be released on March 7. Azarian’s influences come from the music she listened to with her mom growing up, which included Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Destiny’s Child.
“Some of my earliest memories are sitting in a car seat in the backseat and listening to all of that kind of music. I heard the beat for ‘If It's Alright,’ and me and my writing partner were like, this is an awesome opportunity to show how I grew up and lean into the influences of all my inspirations,” Azarian said.
Azarian’s go-to artists currently include Beyoncé, Kaytranada, Tyler the Creator, Anderson .Paak and Raye. If Azarian could collaborate with any artist, she would choose Travis Scott.
“I just think people wouldn’t expect it and that’s why I like it,” Azarian said.
Azarian overcame many challenges to get where she is today. She had to learn how to stand up for herself to ensure her ideas were taken seriously. Although she acknowledges many women in the music industry are treated without respect, she believes that the industry is changing.
“Women are winning a lot,” Azarian said. “That's awesome to see. I mean, watching the Grammys, it's like, it's all girls and that's so inspiring.”
Azarian’s advice for listeners interested in a career in the music industry is to stay consistent. She sees her own improvement when she compares the songs she writes now to the songs she wrote when she first started.
“Just write music,” Azarian said. “Write all the time. You really do get seasoned with it.”
Azarian’s new singles, “Not My Fault” and “Face Card,'' are on Spotify, Apple Music and other music streaming platforms. You can listen to the full interview with Azarian here.