Interview: Ridi, Singer
Singer, student and anti-bullying activist Ridi found her calling switching from opera studies to pop music. For her new single “Top Guy,” she felt creating the song “pushed me into using all my musical training,” promising herself to sing only her own lyrics when possible.
What is the overall look visually and otherwise for your first music video?
Top Guy is an extremely personal song to me. I went through a difficult time when I was expelled from the school in which I had spent the past six years of my life, only because I stood up for myself and spoke out against the harassment I faced. The music video is actually set in a court room in Paris and is like a metaphor for law. I really found it cool to juxtapose the place of law for an adult (the courtroom) and for a young person (school) and show how injustice can spark at any place of law no matter how well established it is.
Are you someone who loves writing music in the daytime or at night?
Whenever it comes to me. Sometimes in between a class, sometimes at 1 am. I can’t really keep track.
Olivia Rodrigo is a young artist like you who was forced to change songwriting credits on several works over plagiarism accusations, whether that was true or false. How do you tread the line carefully between appreciation of other songs and copying so you don’t make this easy mistake of people thinking you took too much from the source material?
In my opinion, any song is a product of inspiration. No one can ever make a song from scratch, and that can be thought of as a really beautiful thing. How music can be transformed in so many different ways. Defining a line between appreciation and copying is super tough, it’s after all, not a science where things are really well defined, obviously taking inspiration from songs can mean a lot of different things to different people. Some people like to listen and note down structural elements they like, or maybe feelings ( in my case I simply get either really angry or mad and then start noting down feelings lol and go from there) . But copying I feel is more an intention of wanting to plagiarise something, if the intention wasn’t there I feel it’s simply inspiration. And to be completely honest, there will always be people who feel a song sounds similar to another song, and they’re probably right, but that’s why a song is such a complex thing, it’s like it has many parents ( many sources of inspirations!)
This past week, Kanye West’s Donda album became his 10th #1 hit on the Billboard 200 chart. What amazing feats do you want to accomplish in your career?
Oh wow that’s awesome! I have no idea! hopefully people will like my future music, and we will see where it takes me. I hate talking about what I want to happen - it gives me anxiety. I just want to do my best and hope my spirit reaches the people that listen to my music.
Nelly is another person with new material out. I remember first hearing about Nelly when I was about 12 years old! What do you think the secret to a long career is, from the outside looking in? Outside because you’re only now starting.
I honestly have no idea at the moment what the secret is to a long career is. I just want to keep working as hard as I can and I hope my music inspires people and they want to keep listing to my music, and I respect every artist who has craved out a long career and I hope I can do the same.
How do you pick yourself up to work again when you don’t feel like creating music?
Just being dedicated to what you love and even when times get tough just keep going! That’s so cliché, but most of the best advice is lol. Also, don’t force yourself to make/do anything that annoys you, unless it’s for a wider goal!
Camilla Cabello is starring in a new version of Cinderella. Which acting role would you love to have?
AHH Camilla Cabello is amazing. Personally, anything that’s adventure based and promotes loving yourself! Sometimes I feel certain TV shows make young people over think themselves too much, and I actually have aN anti bullying channel StopTheB where one of the things we talk about is appreciating ourselves cause we don’t need to change ourselves for anyone and sometimes TV/movies may make you feel like you do have to. But no one is perfect. It’s not scientifically possible to be perfect! Unless you are a bar of chocolate…but that too has its flaws I guess.
