leyla Blue
{{Short description|American singer-songwriter}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Leyla Blue
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = leyla Blue Aroch
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2000|9|13}}
| birth_place = New York City, United States
| occupation = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter}}
| years_active = 2019–present
| label = Island (2019–2021)
| website = {{URL|leylablue.online}}
| module =
}}
Leyla Blue Aroch, professionally known as Leyla Blue, is an American singer and songwriter from New York City.{{Cite news |last=People |first=Kids |date=December 6, 2019 |title=Kids These Days: Leyla Blue |url=https://tribecacitizen.com/2019/12/06/kids-these-days-leyla-blue-aroch/ |access-date=March 26, 2025 |work=Tribeca Citizen}} She rose to prominence with her debut EP Songs for Boys That Didn't Text Me Back (2019), blending elements of pop and 2000s-inspired R&B.{{Cite news |date=November 23, 2019 |title=NYC Singer-Songwriter Leyla Blue Releases Her Stunning Debut EP "Songs For Boys That Didn't Text Me Back" |url=https://dopecausewesaid.com/dope-features/nyc-singer-songwriter-leyla-blue-releases-her-stunning-debut-ep-songs-for-boys-that-didnt-text-me-back |access-date=March 25, 2025 |work=DCWS}} Her music is characterized by emotionally raw lyricism, feminist themes, and genre-bending sound that channels influences such as Amy Winehouse and Lauryn Hill.{{Cite news |last=Olman Scholars |first=Abe |year=2018 |title=Leyla Blue |url=https://www.songhall.org/scholarships/view/leyla_blue |access-date=March 25, 2025 |work=Songwriter Hall Of Fame}}
Early life
Leyla Blue Aroch was born and raised in Tribeca, New York City, to Israeli father Guy Aroch and Icelandic mother Anna Palma, both renowned fashion photographers.{{Cite web |last=Thomson |first=Zangba |date=November 10, 2022 |title=Leyla Blue releases an appealing lyric visualizer for her "Jane Doe" single |url=https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/leyla-blue-jane-doe-visualizer/ |access-date=March 25, 2025 |website=Bong Mines Entertainment |language=en-US}} She is the eldest of three daughters, with younger sisters named Sunny and Coco. Raised in a creatively driven household, Blue developed an early fascination with music and began writing songs and singing in her bedroom by age 13. Her musical influences included Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse, and early 2000s pop and R&B artists, which helped shape her confessional and emotionally raw sound.
She initially attended Beacon High School before transferring to the Professional Children's School to better accommodate her growing interest in music. Blue later enrolled at New York University's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, where she honed her songwriting and vocal abilities.{{Cite web |title=Leyla Blue is one of the most exciting new voices in pop [Interview] – EARMILK |url=https://earmilk.com/2020/01/30/leyla-blue-is-one-of-the-most-exciting-new-voices-in-pop-interview/ |access-date=March 26, 2025 |website=EARMILK |language=en-US}}
Throughout her adolescence, Blue has spoken candidly about experiencing mental health challenges, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, and an eating disorder. She credits music as a therapeutic outlet and a means of finding purpose, saying it helped her feel less alone and gave her the motivation to pursue a career in music.
Career
= 2019–2020: Career beginnings and debut EP =
Leyla Blue signed with Island Records in 2019, releasing her debut EP Songs for Boys That Didn't Text Me Back later that year. The EP showcased her signature blend of emotional pop and 2000s-inspired R&B, drawing comparisons to artists like Amy Winehouse and Lauryn Hill. The project included the breakout single "What a Shame", which gained international recognition after going viral on TikTok—a moment highlighted by Paper magazine as a major catalyst in Blue's rise to prominence.{{Cite web |last=Moran |first=Justin |date=January 27, 2022 |title=Leyla Blue on Her "Hot One" Video With Rei Ami, Baby Tate |url=https://www.papermag.com/leyla-blue-hot-one#rebelltitem9 |access-date=March 25, 2025 |website=Paper Magazine |language=en}}
"What a Shame" became a breakout success in Brazil. The song was officially certified triple platinum and diamond by Pro-Música Brasil, the country's music industry association.{{Cite web |title=Certificados |url=https://pro-musicabr.org.br/home/certificados/?busca_artista=leyla+blue&busca_tipo_produto=&busca_tipo_certificado=&busca_pela_gravadora=&busca_ano= |access-date=March 25, 2025 |website=Pro-Música Brasil |language=pt-BR}} These certifications recognize sales and streams across all platforms, including physical purchases, digital downloads, and streaming—equivalent to hundreds of thousands of units consumed.{{Cite web |title=Tabela de Níveis de Certificação Pro-Música |url=https://pro-musicabr.org.br/home/certificados/tabela-de-niveis-de-certificacao-pro-musica/ |access-date=March 25, 2025 |website=Pro-Música Brasil |language=pt-BR}} Released under Island Records, a division of Universal Music Group, the track's resonance with Brazilian audiences marked a pivotal moment in Blue's early career, solidifying her as a rising global pop act.{{Cite web |last=Schade |first=Alessandra |date=June 22, 2022 |title=Within the glitz of Hollywood Hills, Leyla Blue is finding her voice |url=https://www.documentjournal.com/2022/06/leyla-blue-music-hollywood-hills-gen-z-guy-aroch-anna-palma-island-records-tiktok/?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=March 25, 2025 |website=Document Journal |language=en-US}}
In October 2020, Blue released "Fuck Yourself",{{Cite web |last=Thomson |first=Zangba |date=November 8, 2020 |title=Leyla Blue unveils a lovely audiovisual for her "F*** Yourself" single |url=https://www.bongminesentertainment.com/leyla-blue-f-yourself-music-video/ |access-date=March 25, 2025 |website=Bong Mines Entertainment |language=en-US}} a feminist anthem inspired by the #MeToo movement. The song received widespread praise for its unflinching lyricism, with Wonderland magazine noting its viral success on TikTok and When the Horn Blows calling it "a fight song and feminist anthem".{{Cite web |author=Wonderland Staff |date=October 23, 2020 |title=Newcomer Leyla Blue Drops New Single "F*** Yourself" |url=https://www.wonderlandmagazine.com/2020/10/23/premiere-leyla-blue-fck-yourself/ |access-date=March 25, 2025 |website=Wonderland magazine |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Freyaldenhoven |first=Laura |date=October 28, 2020 |title=Leyla Blue – 'F*** Yourself' |url=https://whenthehornblows.com/content/2020/10/28/leyla-blue-f-yourself |access-date=March 25, 2025 |website=When The Horn Blows |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Street |first=Nevada |date=February 11, 2020 |title=Leyla Blue Serenades Her Fans At The Slipper Room In NYC |url=https://theknockturnal.com/leyla-blue-serenades-her-fans-at-the-slipper-room-in-nyc/ |access-date=March 25, 2025 |website=The Knockturnal |language=en}} She performed the track for the first time at The Slipper Room in New York City, delivering an empowering message to her audience about female autonomy and creative expression.
This was followed by "Company", released in late 2020 alongside a self-edited music video filmed during quarantine. The song explored themes of loneliness and mental health and was described by DopeCauseWeSaid as a personal reflection of a girl battling her inner demons.{{Cite web |date=October 7, 2020 |title=NYC Singer-Songwriter Leyla Blue Shares Her New Single/Video "F*** Yourself" |url=https://dopecausewesaid.com/dope-videos/nyc-singer-songwriter-leyla-blue-shares-her-new-singlevideo-f-yourself |access-date=March 25, 2025 |website=Dopecausewesaid |language=en-US}}
= 2022: Independent releases and viral growth =
In early 2022, Blue released the independent single "Hot One" featuring Baby Tate and Rei Ami. The track marked her first release following her departure from Island Records and emphasized themes of imperfection, confidence, and reclaiming self-worth. Paper magazine described it as "a celebration of flaws", highlighting its empowering hook: "If I'm gonna be a mess, I'm a hot one."
She continued to build her fanbase with the release of "Jane Doe" in late 2022, a song centered on identity, anonymity, and reclaiming narrative power. The single garnered millions of impressions on TikTok and served as the beginning of a new era in her career, with plans for a full-length project and a headlining tour announced for 2023.
Discography
= EPs =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ !scope="col"|Title !scope="col"|Year |
| scope="row"|Songs for Boys That Didn't Text Me Back
|2019 |
|---|
| scope="row"|Drive Me Mad
|2025 |
= Singles =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ !Title !Year !Certification |
| scope="row"|"Silence"
|rowspan="2"|2019 | |
|---|
| scope="row"|"What a Shame"
|
|
| scope="row"|"Peppa Pig"
|rowspan="2"|2020 | |
| scope="row"|"Fuck Yourself"
| |
| scope="row"|"Company"
|rowspan="2"|2021 | |
| scope="row"|"Hot One"
| |
| scope="row"|"Jane Doe"
|2022 | |
| scope="row"|"It Still Rains in Paradise"
|rowspan="3"|2023 | |
| scope="row"|"LateNight"
| |
| scope="row"|"BuzzKill"
| |
| scope="row"|"Road Rage"
|rowspan="2"|2024 | |
| scope="row"|"Red Bull"
| |