We recently talked with rising Pop/R&B artist Acoya, a talented singer, songwriter, producer, and model based in Los Angeles. Known for his emotionally charged lyrics, smooth vocals, and undeniable charisma, Acoya is quickly carving out his own lane in the music industry. In this exclusive interview, he opens up about his journey from heartbreak to healing, how his unique sound came to life, his creative process, and what’s next on the horizon for his rapidly growing career.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your journey into music began?
My name is Acoya and I’m a recording artist, singer, songwriter, producer, and
model based in Los Angeles. I started making music at the start of college in 2018 after
I got my heart broken by this girl I was seeing. I had all these strong emotions that I
didn’t quite know what to do with, so I just started writing lyrics. I hadn’t even written a
song before, but it just kinda poured out of me in a sort of passion-fueled flow state.
After that, I just kept making music throughout college and by the time I graduated, I
decided that I wanted to pursue music as a career despite having just earned my B.S.
in Mechanical Engineering. With the support of my family, I launched right into being a
full-time artist.
What inspired you to become a singer/songwriter? Was there a moment or experience that sparked it?
I was always surrounded by music growing up, so when I first found music as an
outlet of creativity, it felt very natural to me. I loved the story-telling aspect of music
and making a song that has clear start- and end-points, so no matter what I was
writing, I wanted it to have a certain flow about it. But it was definitely that initial
heartbreak that inspired my career as a songwriter. Funny enough I actually started
making music as a rapper, except I was rapping about love/emotions, so it eventually
felt more natural to start singing.
Who were your biggest musical influences growing up?
Like many kids growing up, I absolutely idolized Michael Jackson. I had all of his
outfits and accessories, and learned all his choreography when I was a kid. I definitely
feel like that influenced my taste in music as a youth. My parents also played other
legendary artists like The Beatles, Prince, Ella Fitzgerald, and James Brown to name a
few. As I got older, I started becoming attracted to more hip-hop and R&B, particularly
artists like 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Biggie, and John Legend.
Do you remember the first song you ever wrote or recorded? What was it about?
I remember the day I got the breakup text that ignited my music career. I woke
up, saw the text, and immediately sat down at my desk and wrote about 7 songs. I
don’t remember what they were about but I remember them not being very good. The
thing is, I didn’t care if they were good or not. It was just an outlet to express how I was
feeling and it helped me get through the whole thing. It was a very cathartic experience
for me and it ultimately fueled my passion for writing songs.
Also Read: Meet Selena Victoria: The Voice Behind ‘Soldier’ and the
How would you describe your musical style or sound?
I’d consider my musical style to be Pop/R&B, with a touch of Hip-Hop influence.
I have music that you can dance to, cry to, fall in love to, or just to make you feel good.
That’s been my motive with my latest music – to make people wanna move and get out
of their bodies a bit. It’s uptempo, melodic, and often pretty sensual.
What’s your creative process like—from writing lyrics to final production?
My creative process pretty much always starts with some kind of chord round or
drum groove. From there, I tend to immediately write down whatever lyrics or melodies
that come to mind. Some people like to do “melody-passes” where you just hum over
the instrumental to find melodies that sound good, but for me I generally figure out the
words and melodies at the same time. As I mentioned before, I think good songwriting
comes in the form of good story progression, so how you start informs where you’re
gonna go too. But even greater songwriting happens when it’s somewhere no one
would expect.
Where do you draw inspiration for your songs—personal experiences, current events, or something else?
Inspiration for my music pretty much always comes from either personal
experiences or realistic scenarios. So it isn’t necessarily always beat-for-beat
something that I’ve been through, but something that I can still relate to, if that makes
sense. Drake’s older music does a really good job at both telling stories and making it
relatable, which is why people gravitate towards it.
Do you prefer writing alone or collaborating with other artists/producers?
I think when there’s something really specific and personal that I want to tap
into, I prefer to work alone or with a select few of songwriting partners. In general, I do
enjoy collaborating with other songwriters and producers. However, I also have a
home-studio setup so I often make demos on my own and then take them to a
producer who I think could refine it. I have enough producing and mixing knowledge to
get a really good demo done on my own.
How do you handle creative blocks or moments when inspiration doesn’t come easily?
Creative blocks are honestly the worst because it snowballs into the craziest
imposter syndrome ever. But I’ve been doing this long enough to understand that when
that happens, it’s not a reflection of my abilities or who I am as an artist. I feel like once
I’m able to make that realization, I’m able to get out of my own way and move onto
creating again.
What has been your most memorable performance or career moment so far?
My most memorable performance of my career so far is definitely the final
LAAMP showcase that I did in June 2024. I rehearsed so much for that show because I
was debuting this newer sound of music that I’m releasing today, and I wanted to make
a really good first impression. I had a lot of close friends and family show up for me
that night too, which made it particularly special. I also did some choreography for the
first time in a performance which made for some really fun crowd reactions, as well.
How does it feel to connect with fans through your music, both live and online?
It’s honestly the most rewarding feeling to connect with fans through my music.
It was actually during a mentor talk at LAAMP that the mentor said, “you need to
discover your ‘why’ in music,” and after a few minutes of self-reflection, I realized that it
was the connection that I make with people through music that drives my passion for
it. Before I was making music, listening to my favorite artists tell their stories helped me
and inspired me through all my endeavors. I realized that I want to become that for
others too.
Is there a particular song that means the most to you personally?
I’d say there are two songs that really mean the most to me. The first being “Say
It First” because it was the first ‘huge-feeling’ song that I wrote at LAAMP. I also wrote
it entirely on my own which was really cathartic at the time. The other song is
“Loverboy” because that song really defined the era that I was in during my first year in
LA. To this day, all my friends and family quote lyrics from that song and it was
definitely one of the best receiving singles of my career. It was also selected to be part
of PacSun’s Spring/Summer festival campaign, which was super cool being 1 of only 4
artists to be chosen. Those two songs aren’t necessarily the most emotional but they
are landmarks of my journey in LA so far.
What’s been your biggest challenge in the music industry, and how have you overcome it?
I think my biggest challenge is one that most, if not all artists can relate to which
is imposter syndrome. It’s so easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to others,
but I’ve been able to overcome it by focusing and finding the things that make me
unique. Whether that’s parts of my songwriting or my branding/style, finding the things
that make me stand out is a huge part of my job as an artist. Those kinds of things just
take time though, but putting yourself in environments and surrounding yourself with
people who challenge and inspire you is incredibly helpful in that process of
self-discovery.
When you’re not making music, what are some things you enjoy doing?
I’m a very avid gym-goer and have been since I was in high school. Before I
discovered music, I had dreams of being a professional basketball player, so I would
be in the gym for 3-4 hours at a time. To be honest, a lot of the habits and discipline I
built from those years carried over to my career now. But yeah I love going to the gym
and I still play basketball fairly often. I also like cooking and finding a show series to
watch while I cook. I’ll admit I spend a lot of time making music, but during the
off-hours I really just like to relax and enjoy.
Are there any causes or issues you’re passionate about and use your platform to support?
I don’t formally advocate or support it using my platform, but I’m definitely a big
promoter of working on your mental health. My mom’s actually a therapist, so I was
lucky enough to grow up in a household that valued positive mental health, but I know
that not every family and culture is like that. Everyone’s going through some kind of
battle that we know nothing about, so it’s important to practice gratitude, compassion,
and patience so it makes their journey that much easier.
What do you do to stay grounded and take care of your mental and physical well-being?
Every day I read, journal, meditate, and exercise to stay grounded and maintain
my mental fortitude. Building on what I talked about in the last question, I’ve found that
the routine I’ve built around those activities has positively affected my mental health,
which is especially important in the music industry or any creative field.
Are there any upcoming songs, albums, or collaborations you’re excited about?
I’m really excited about the next string of singles I have coming up. They all live
in this Y2k-inspired space that I’ve been operating in, but also each bring something
different to the table. I also have a feature in mind for a song that I’m working on, which
would be super sick if that gets fully executed.
What are your biggest goals as an artist in the next few years?
My biggest goal is to be working with or as a signed artist on a label. This goes
back to my ‘why’ that I talked about earlier because I feel like having the support of a
label would help me reach as many people around the world as possible. So that
would mean going on tour, collaborating with other artists, songwriters, and producers,
and connecting with fans in-person and online. I also want to be able to make a living
as an artist because it’s just what I love to do, but the tough reality is that it’s not a
financially stable career for most musicians.
If you could perform anywhere in the world or collaborate with any artist, who would it be?
If I could perform anywhere in the world, I’d want it to be at Chase Center in San
Francisco. I spent almost 20 years of my life in the city and to perform in the Warrior’s
arena would be the most insane and amazing experience ever. As far as dream
collaboration, it’d definitely be with either Justin Bieber or Chris Brown. Those two
have inspired a lot of my music and I admire them both so much as artists.
First concert you ever attended?
My first concert was a festival in Sacramento, CA called Sol Blume. It’s an R&B
festival and I saw Smino, Jhene Aiko, and a few others. It was pretty early on in my
music career too so it was especially inspirational.
One artist you’d love to share the stage with?
I would love to perform with Chris Brown but mainly just to get a close-up view
of his performance. I’ve only seen videos so far but Breezy is just an insane performer.
Favorite lyric you’ve written?
My favorite lyric I’ve written is honestly the entire 2nd verse of an unreleased
song called “D.U.I.” I wrote it with my friend and collaborator Eric Bonner (aka St. Ciré)
who’s an absolutely incredible songwriter and artist. Particularly out of that verse
though, “I’ll be your backseat lover, f***in’ on the leather/Over 90, flying down the
interstate/Burning rubber, girl I got a Mustang/5 star, GTA, right to your place”
Acoustic or studio version?
Studio versions for casual/general listening, acoustic versions for any kind of
chill setting. Like I would listen to the studio version of a song at the gym, but the
acoustic version at a campfire or something.
A guilty-pleasure song you secretly love?
“WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME” by GloRilla and SexyyRed. Absolute banger.
As Acoya continues to evolve as an artist, it’s clear that his passion, authenticity, and dedication are setting him apart in today’s music scene. With a fresh wave of singles on the way, big goals in sight, and an ever-growing fanbase, Acoya is just getting started. Whether he’s in the studio, on stage, or inspiring others with his story, one thing is certain—his music comes from a place that’s real, and it resonates. Keep an eye on Acoya—because the best is yet to come.
