Marlia Rae: Expecting the Unexpected and Meaning Every Note

By Young N’ Loud Magazine

A Dream Whispered Before It Was Spoken Aloud

Marlia Rae has been singing for as long as memory allows, carrying a dream that lived quietly long before it ever stepped into the light. As a child, she imagined herself as a pop star, though the reality around her suggested that such a future was reserved for others. That belief shaped her early relationship with ambition. Music was present, persistent, and deeply personal, but her aspirations remained mostly private.

There were moments, however, when the world briefly glimpsed what she carried inside. School talent shows, plays, and a particularly defining experience performing at the Royal Albert Hall as part of a group chosen from her town all hinted at something greater. Still, these moments felt like exceptions rather than promises. For the most part, Marlia kept her dream close, unsure whether it could ever be pursued seriously.

That changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the stillness and uncertainty of that period, she experienced what she describes as a wakeup call. Time suddenly felt finite in a way it never had before. The thought of reaching a point in life where she physically could not try was more frightening than failure itself. In that moment of clarity, Marlia made a decision that would redefine her path. She chose to try. Whatever the outcome, she would no longer silence the part of herself that had always known music was her calling.

Roots, Community, and the Sound of Belonging

Marlia Rae is from Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom, a place she speaks about with genuine affection. More than geography, it is the sense of community that has shaped her journey. Within the local music scene, she found people who offered real support rather than empty encouragement. Venue owners, musicians, and listeners became collaborators in her growth, forming a network built on trust and shared belief.

That foundation gave her confidence. Knowing she was supported by people who understood her vision allowed her to take creative risks and grow without fear of isolation. Oxfordshire did not just give her a starting point. It gave her a sense of belonging.

Musically, her upbringing was shaped by what drifted through the house when she was young. With an older sister ten years ahead of her, Marlia was immersed early in the sounds of the early two thousand. Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé in her first solo era, and Christina Aguilera became part of her musical vocabulary before she even understood their influence. As she grew older, her listening expanded across genres, eras, and moods, and that openness continues to echo through her work today.

Learning How to Begin

The earliest days of Marlia’s professional journey were defined by uncertainty rather than confidence. Like many emerging artists, she faced the daunting question of where to start in an industry that often feels impenetrable. Guidance arrived through a producer who became an early mentor, helping her navigate those first steps and offering both direction and reassurance.

Around the same time, Marlia began uploading covers to YouTube. What started as an experiment quickly gained momentum? Views accumulated. Engagement grew. One particular milestone still feels surreal to her, watching a cover surpass two hundred thousand views. The number itself was staggering, but more meaningful was the realization that people were choosing to spend their time listening to her voice.

That online community became a cornerstone of her confidence. Many of those listeners have remained with her since the beginning, forming a loyal audience that grew alongside her artistry. About a year later, live performance entered the picture. Connections with guitarists developed naturally and have endured to this day. By 2025, Marlia found herself working with her own band and performing her own songs live. Seeing audiences listen, connect, and dance to music she had created marked a turning point. It was not just affirmation. It was magic.

Identity Without a Mask

Marlia Rae’s work is rooted in honesty and openness. The music is shaped by her personal experiences, with no constructed persona between the artist and the listener. That transparency flows through her sound, her lyrics, and her connection with listeners. She shows up fully present and unfiltered.

Eclectic by Design

If there is one word Marlia uses to describe her music, it is eclectic. Variety is not an accident in her work. It is a deliberate philosophy. She believes there is too much beautiful music in the world to be confined to a single sound, and her songwriting reflects that belief.

One release may arrive as a stacked vocal ballad, refined and emotionally direct. The next may lean fully into disco dance energy. Elsewhere, funk grooves coexist with piano led arrangements and sweeping string sections. No two songs sound alike, and that unpredictability is intentional. Marlia wants listeners to approach each release with curiosity, wondering what shape the next song will take.

In an industry that often encourages emerging artists to find a formula and repeat it, she resists sameness. As both a listener and a creator, repetition does not excite her. Surprise does. Her music offers entry points for fans of many different sounds, united not by genre, but by emotional truth.

Music as Shared Shelter

At the heart of Marlia’s work is a simple hope. She wants people to feel less alone. Her songs are rooted in personal experience; written from moments she knows intimately. She understands that many listeners have felt the same emotions but lacked the words to articulate them.

In a world shaped by curated images and filtered realities, her music aims to cut through illusion. Whether through her songs or her ‘behind the song’ series, where she openly discusses lyrical meaning, Marlia invites listeners into the stories behind the sound. Music has always been an escape for her, a place of honesty and release. Through her work, she hopes to offer that same refuge to others.

Lyrics First, Everything Else Follows

Marlia’s songwriting process begins without instruments. She does not rely on traditional musical tools to write. Instead, everything starts with words and melody, usually captured in rough voice notes recorded on her phone. These fragments become the foundation for collaboration.

She works closely with producer Greg Coulson; whose role is central to shaping her sound. Together, they transform those raw ideas into fully realized songs. Greg performs all the instrumentation, layering each element with precision and care, while Marlia guides the emotional direction. The result is a partnership built on trust, where vulnerability and technical mastery meet.

Inspiration often arrives at liminal moments. Just before sleep. During long drives. When the mind drifts and defenses soften. Because her lyrics come from personal experience, songwriting becomes an act of translation, turning feeling into form.

Influences That Breathe Through the Music

Christina Aguilera’s Back To Basics era left a lasting imprint on Marlia, particularly its soul infused confidence. Bruno Mars and Silk Sonic also loom large as inspirations, admired for their musicality and warmth. Yet her influences are not confined to specific names or movements.

Marlia immerses herself in different styles and eras, allowing curiosity to guide her rather than loyalty to a single sound. That openness shapes her artistic direction and keeps her work fluid. The result is a voice that feels both modern and timeless.

A guitarist she recently began working with once remarked that her singing voice is entirely different from her speaking voice, describing it as pure modern pop. For Marlia, that distinction is part of her signature. Beyond tone, her identity lives in the way she tells stories and the emotional accessibility of her songs, even as the sonic landscape continues to evolve.

Moments That Redefined Possibility

Among the most defining moments of Marlia’s journey is singing her own songs with a band for the first time. Debuting at a local festival that had supported her from the beginning, she witnessed listeners connect with unfamiliar material as deeply as they would with well-known covers. That reaction carried immense weight.

Another pivotal moment came unexpectedly through social media. Early in her TikTok journey, a comment dismissively described her harmony cover as sounding “cheap”. Rather than internalizing the criticism, Marlia responded creatively, posting a second video. That response quickly gained over five hundred thousand views. What could have been discouraging became empowering, a reminder that negativity can be transformed into momentum.

Growth Through Authenticity

Marlia’s evolution as an artist has been less about technique and more about mindset. Early on, she felt pressure to force her songs into a consistent mold, even when that shape did not reflect her truth. Over time, she learned that authenticity mattered more than uniformity.

Letting go of that constraint freed her creativity. Her discography now reflects genuine diversity, not as a strategy, but as an honest expression of who she is. That variety has become one of her greatest strengths.

Certain moments still send chills through her. Her first ever gig at a small cocktail bar, where nervousness gave way to encouragement after the opening song. Her debut band show, performing original material and feeling the warmth of audience response. These experiences confirmed that she had chosen the right path.

Presence Over Perception

As a solo artist, Marlia navigates her journey independently. Offstage, she remains grounded by maintaining perspective. She does not count success prematurely. Each performance, whether for one person or one thousand, receives the same care and commitment. If she has made even one person’s night, she considers her job done.

Preparation has become more intentional as well. Treating her voice as the instrument it is means avoiding dairy and alcohol before performing or recording. Small choices, made consistently, protect what matters most.

If her music were a color, she resists choosing just one. Each song tells its own story. Instead, she imagines a rainbow, varied yet cohesive. In flavor, she compares it to popping candy. Unexpected, playful, and full of surprise.

Connection Beyond the Sound

More than enjoyment, Marlia wants connection. She wants listeners to recognize themselves in her songs, to feel seen rather than entertained. Through storytelling and openness, she creates space for shared experience.

Sarcastic humor often threads through her work, reflecting a distinctly British sensibility. She finds joy in turning negativity into something lighter, using wit as a way to process and reframe difficult moments. Her art remains personal, but always with the hope that it resonates outward.

Looking ahead, Marlia is focused on continued releases starting in November 2025. Each song will arrive with its own identity, its own story. Unpredictability remains central to her vision.

Dream collaborations include Bruno Mars and ventures into dance music, particularly within the house genre. Success, however, is not defined by numbers. For Marlia, it is the ability to do what she loves every day and sustain a life through it.

What keeps her Young N’ Loud is faith, passion, and purpose. The drive to share her experiences and offer others the same freedom and escape that music has always given her. In that exchange, her voice continues to grow stronger, clearer, and impossible to ignore.