Rising pop singer-songwriter Bella Rios chatted about her new single “I’m the Man,” sophomore EP “Right Now” and being an artist in the digital age.
How did you approach the song selection process for Right Now?
Whenever I’m putting together a release, whether it’s a single or an EP, it’s always my taste.
Where I am as an artist and where I am as a person is always changing and growing, so I just choose the songs that are speaking to me the most, feel the most authentic, and that I think an audience would connect with the best.
At the time of picking these songs, they were especially close to home. That’s kind of the guiding principle.
The EP is a conglomerate of my recent experiences and feelings, but I tend to write — even when I’m writing about dark things – about the hope of overcoming them and new beginnings.
Whether that’s independence from a relationship, whether its finding indifference after a bad experience with friends.
I think all of the songs on this EP have that, even if it’s just the emotion of it or a way you have presented yourself or held yourself. I think growth is a new beginning.
What is your personal favorite song on there?
“I’m The Man” definitely holds a special place in my heart because I write a lot of aspirational songs, especially after breakups, about wanting and trying to embrace independence and freedom – even when someone’s given it to you when you don’t want it.
I wrote “I’m The Man” the first time I was actually able to achieve that, so the lyrics feel extra special because I meant them and I was able to live them in a way that I haven’t previously.
The music video was a way for me to continue embracing what I was writing and singing as well. Everyone that worked on the shoot was so patient, so kind, so sweet, but my face was melting off. It was so hot.
I had maybe five pounds of setting spray on top of my makeup, but it was really fun. Everyone there was so supportive.
I’m not an actress first, so that was definitely stepping out of my comfort zone and every time I got insecure or got in my head, the director, Karen, and the cameraman, Curt, were like, “You’re the man. What are you doing?” They weren’t wrong!
What was it like driving the race car in the “I’m The Man” video?
So fun and, honestly, a bit of a flashback. I grew up around cars because of my dad and I still use him as my personal mechanical encyclopedia whenever I need help.
I grew up going to the Autobahn in Joliet to watch him race while my siblings and I drove karts, woke up to him watching live F1 qualifying before anyone was up on weekends, and learning how to change my own tires.
He always insisted that I shouldn’t have to ask a guy to do that for me Getting in the car and driving on the track in the “I’m The Man” music video felt nostalgic and empowering, in large part because of my dad’s pride in his “badass” little girls that he tried to include in anything and everything auto related.
What message were you trying to get across by flipping these (outdated!) gender roles in the video?
The song itself was a response of genuine shock to how poorly and flippantly a boy treated me. When that situation ended and I was able to reflect by writing the lyrics of this song, all I could think was: where do the boys I seem to attract get the nerve?
I couldn’t come up with anything else other than that it was assumed that they just knew they could do certain terrible things and get away with it just because, well, they were “the man.”
As I was finding my independence from that experience, I thought, “I’m going to embrace and live with that sort of confidence and self-assuredness” … just obviously without disregarding the emotions of others.
The concept of subverting “traditional gender roles” in the video really felt quite fitting and almost on the nose given the message I was trying to get across in the lyrics.
Were you going for a certain theme with this EP?
I don’t think I ever go into a project being that calculated, but naturally, because the songs are about my life, about real experiences, and I picked songs that feel the most relevant to me, there’s inherently a theme.
This is a time of new beginnings and growing pains in my life, and that’s definitely in this EP.
How does it feel to be an artist in the digital age?
It’s difficult, but it’s an amazing opportunity. I don’t think music has ever been so democratized, which is awesome if you’re doing it by yourself, and you have a lot of tools at your fingertips to try and put yourself out there.
At the same time, though, everyone is doing that. There’s just so much talent and so much content, so it’s that much harder to break through and find your audience and find your niche. There are definitely pros and cons, but I’m just grateful to be able to do it.
I feel like I’m always just looking for ways to engage people and connect with them. I’ve recently started a series on my TikTok that people seem to be enjoying.
I just press record every time I’m in the app and a song gets stuck in my head. People seem to enjoy that spontaneity – hopefully they continue to!
What do your plans for the future include?
Music, music, music, and all that comes with it! Performing new releases, content, music videos… anything that I can touch or get my hands on that’s music related.
I’ve recently graduated and I’m giving it all the energy, time, and grit that I have. New music is always on the way, and I’ll be announcing any live performances that I have coming up, so definitely keep an eye out.
What is your advice for young and emerging artists?
I think, first, just keep going. Just keep doing it. I hadn’t posted as consistently as I probably should have when I was in school, but I posted a lot during my four years going to college and I’ve only recently started to see consistent growth.
It’s all small increments but let those little wins mean a lot to you. Be patient. Be persistent. Keep doing it. Don’t be discouraged.
When you have wins, no matter how little they might be to other people, enjoy them. Celebrate them, use them as motivation, and, ultimately, don’t lose sight of why you do it – which is hopefully because you love it. If you have that, I think you’ll have unlimited energy to keep going.
I also think it’s natural to get a lot of input, even from people that mean well, and to get suggestions of what will help your music do well or what themes would resonate with more people.
I think the more real your music is, even if you feel like it’s a niche experience, the more that people will be able to feel it when they listen to the lyrics and hear the song.
You can’t fake or will a connection through music, so it’s especially important to remain true to what really resonates with you in your art. But aside from the fact that I think it’s more difficult to connect when you’re trying to be more calculated, I also just think you run out of stamina.
Not that you shouldn’t be worried about what other people want as its a part of the job, but you don’t want to compromise things so much that you don’t feel connected to it because then you don’t have the drive to do what you need for people to enjoy it, hear it and feel it.
What does the word success mean to you?
I think you can have multiple definitions for a word. For me, personally, in the career I’m trying to pursue and from a financial perspective, success is being able to subsist while pursuing what I love. That is what would bring me joy. Success, to me, is what makes you truly happy.
Obviously, there’s a practical element to that. I think that’s undeniable and fair to recognize – we all need to survive and make a living – but what brings me the most fulfillment is to do just enough to do that and then fill all of my other time and energy with the thing I’m most passionate about, which is music.
What would you like to tell our readers about your new EP? (What’s the one thing you want them to get out of it?)
I always say this because, as much as there’s like a through-line thematically and sound-wise in all the songs, I never want to share too much of where my own experiences have come from or my intent.
I love learning about the backstories of songs but, when I listen to music, I’m going to interpret it myself and I want to feel the music in whatever capacity I need it in at that moment. I want others to be able to take what they like from my music.
All I want people to find is comfort in it and community. I want people to feel that they’re not alone in their experiences, because that’s what music does for me.
To learn more about Bella Rios, follow her on Instagram, and check out her Linktree page.
