Aaryan Shah's 'Anti-Pop' masterpiece against Hollywood

Born and Raised in L.A. the 22-year-old independent luminary Aaryan Shah first rose to prominence after the overwhelming viral success of his 2018 single "Renegade" which would explode in popularity a second time -to even greater heights- this year thanks to TikTok and Instagram, where it would reach Billions of views combined.

At age 15, Aaryan made a choice that few people willingly dare to make, and fewer still don't end up regretting. He dropped out of school and started focusing on music, both believing and knowing there was something special he needed to create with no time to waste. As it turns out, he was right to pursue his musical dreams in full, as the rising star has already more than proved himself both through streaming platforms and on stages across the world, including appearances at Paris Fashion Week and the GRAMMY museum, where he would debut his song "Once Upon a Time in Fucking Hollywood"— a "Nirvana-esque single touching on exploitation and the life of a modern artist." - This ambitious single is an innovative blend between grunge music and R&B unlike pretty much anything you've heard before, and Aaryan's premiering it for the entire world today.

"Once Upon a Time in Fucking Hollywood" comes loaded with a fittingly-cinematic music video that seems to depict a nightmarish glimpse into the underbelly of the music industry, where nothing truly is what it seems and adoration often comes with the price of Isolation. Aaryan's dark, moody sound harkens to many a tragical artist, and he even goes so far as to mention Kurt Cobain and Lil' Peep as inspirations for this track which he also describes as being born out of turmoil.

His deep, dense downtempo R&B-infused sound, unique vocal style and mysterious persona have set him up as one of the most intriguing and exciting artists that are coming up in this era. Aaryan's mystique first came from his Anonymity. He erased all traces of his persona from the online world and began hiding his face behind a mask to keep his music completely front-and-center when it came to fan interactions and expectations. This would take a turn in the summer of 2021 with a much-awaited face reveal and the start of a new phase in his music.

Fans have been waiting for his return for about 9 months now, and I can't imagine the wait being anything but well worth it given the stunning quality of this new song, especially as it heralds the release of an upcoming full-length album (the fourth in his catalog) waiting to be officially announced.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Samuel Aponte is Venezuelan-born raised and based. 

I joined Rival Magazine after a few years of doing PR work for independent musicians of all stripes; understanding their struggles to be heard in a sea of constant  ADHD noise and paywalled access to platforms, I now bring a willingness to always appreciate and encourage the effort and creativity that artists put into their work . Can also find some of my writings on LADYGUNN and We Found New Music.