ALINA BARAZ

    BORN IN CLEVELAND, OHIO TO RUSSIAN PARENTS, ALINA BARAZ HAS BEEN AROUND MUSIC ALL HER LIFE. WITH BOTH PARENTS HAVING CLASSICAL TRAINING, SHE WAS DESTINED TO FIND HER VOICE THROUGH MUSIC, CITING D’ANGELO, DANIEL CAESAR, AND AMY WINEHOUSE AS SOME OF HER MAJOR INFLUENCES. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RELEASE OF HER FIRST SINGLE, “ROSES DIPPED IN GOLD,” AT AGE 19, BARAZ AND HER FAMILY MOVED TO LOS ANGELES TO PURSUE HER CAREER AS A SINGER/SONGWRITER.

    IN 2015, BARAZ RELEASED HER DEBUT PROJECT, “URBAN FLORA,” A THOUGHTFUL EXPLORATION OF A PAST RELATIONSHIP, MADE ENTIRELY OVER THE INTERNET WITH DANISH PRODUCER, GALIMATIAS. THE ACCLAIMED PROJECT WAS PRAISED BY HARPERS BAZAAR, NPR, THE HUFFINGTON POST, THE GUARDIAN, AND MANY MORE. IT SAT ON BILLBOARD’S TOP DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUMS CHART FOR OVER 125 WEEKS, PEAKING AT #2.

    2017 AND 2018 WERE PIVOTAL FOR BARAZ. IN JANUARY OF 2017, SHE RELEASED THE HIT SINGLE “ELECTRIC” (FT. KHALID), WHICH HAS BEEN STREAMED OVER 130M TIMES AND COUNTING. THE SINGLE WAS FOLLOWED BY AN ENTIRE EP OF REMIXES, PUSHING STREAMS AROUND “ELECTRIC” TO OVER 160M WORLDWIDE. FILLING THE LAST TWO YEARS WITH LIVE PERFORMANCES, BARAZ HAS PLAYED FESTIVALS ALL OVER THE WORLD, HEADLINED TWO SOLD-OUT US TOURS, AND JOINED COLDPLAY AS SUPPORT ON THEIR “HEAD FULL OF DREAMS” TOUR

    BARAZ DRAWS HEAVY INSPIRATION FROM COLOR AND DESCRIBED THE PROCESS OF HER LATEST PROJECT AND ALBUM PRELUDE “THE COLOR OF YOU AS A MAJOR DEPARTURE FROM HER ARTISTIC COMFORT ZONE. BEFORE RECORDING THE PROJECT, SHE HAD NEVER WORKED WITH MORE THAN ONE PERSON AT A TIME, LET ALONE IN A PROFESSIONAL STUDIO. ENLISTING GRAMMY-NOMINATED PRODUCER ROBIN HANNIBAL (KENDRICK LAMAR, CALVIN HARRIS, CEE LO GREEN) TO HELP PRODUCE THE PROJECT, ALINA COMPLETELY CHANGED HER SONGWRITING PROCESS THROUGHOUT THE SESSIONS. THE PROJECT IS A TIMELINE OF HER TRYING TO COMPREHEND A NEW PERSON ENTERING HER LIFE, IMPACTING IT AS INTENSELY AS A COLOR SHE’S NEVER SEEN BEFORE.

    SINCE “THE COLOR OF YOU,” BARAZ’S CREATIVE AND SONGWRITING PROCESSES HAVE GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY, PUSHING HER ARTISTRY, SOUND, AND CRAFT TO NEW LEVELS. IN SEPTEMBER OF 2019, SHE RELEASED A SURPRISE TRACK ON HER BIRTHDAY ADDRESSED AS, “TO ME,” PLACING HER ON ROLLING STONE’S BREAKTHROUGH 25 LIST OF ARTISTS. BARAZ HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS ON A DEBUT ALBUM, LEADING WITH HER SINGLE “TRUST” AS HER FIRST RELEASE OF 2020.

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