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ON THE RISE
Mia Rago is a classically trained opera singer who makes music that on the surface is completely unrelated to that genre: indie pop. However, there is more overlap than one might realize. On her new single “The Shower,” Mia challenges all sorts of musical norms by crafting a break-up song that’s not sad but upbeat and 100% uniquely written and composed. Written from multiple personal experiences, Mia describes the song as a “big run-on sentence.” Post break-ups can be wrought with emotions and Mia aimed to capture all of them in a song that remained pleasing to the ear.
“I kind of wanted to capture that craziness of how love can make us feel insane sometimes.”
This single comes from Mia’s upcoming album Wishing We Could Dream which chronicles multiple situations throughout her life. By reflecting on them through her lyrics, she was able to craft a song that she hopes is relatable for listeners who’ve been through break-ups of their own. Connections like these are one of her favorite things about songwriting because individual experiences actually become shared experiences. And, while the experience may not have been the best, there's a certain comfort that comes from not going through it alone.
“I want people to be able to sing along with it because it is an upbeat song.”
The music video for “The Shower” releases on August 19th. Directed by Lindsey Torres, the video is simplistic yet still concept driven. Conceptually crafted through a joint effort between Mia and Lindsey, they wanted to depict situations that one might go through post-break up. This keeps the relatability factor Mia was going for intact.
Sonically, Mia aimed to make the song “playful.” After bringing the melody to her producer Megan McCormick and working with musicians, they created a song with prominent guitars and just enough drumming to give the song a uniquely light tone. The verses are the highlight of the track, with uniquely written lines where what sounds like the end of a sentence is actually the continuation of one.
As surprising as it may seem, Mia’s background in opera singing helped her sing this indie pop song. The various vocal techniques she learned from one world still applied to this one.
“...I was able to experiment with some of my vocal training…it was a lot of fun to sing really high in the chorus…my technique has helped me to be able to sing that chorus much better than I would have a few years ago.”
Mia hopes to continue bringing her two worlds together through her music. In the future, she plans to incorporate more classical and opera based elements into her music and bridge the gap between the two to expose more people to the beauty of the genre of opera.
“It's really all around us and I just don't think people pick up on it all the time. I would want to kind of show it to people and then they could connect it with something that they've seen. And then it kind of becomes more relevant that way. I feel like everyone could enjoy it, they just aren't looking in the right places.”
Mia’s previous single “All of My Scars” is a deeply personal and vulnerable story and is also available on streaming services now. She’s got even more singles on the way before releasing her album, Wishing We Could Dream, in 2025.
You can keep up with Mia on the following platforms:
ON THE RISE
Clinton Brand III – better known as CBIII – is a California-based rapper. His new single, titled “I Won’t Quit,” is a motivational and relatable message for everyone “going through it.”
The track, with a beat by Tunna Beats, has a Blurry Face vibe. It starts with a violin and the soft “ahh”s of featured singer Alex Brinkley. When the beat drops, piano, bass and drums enter along with CBIII’s lyrical meditations on “overthinking, contemplating, and debating” why he “won’t quit.”
As the final line makes clear, the song is a study in contradictory mindsets. There’s the fear of failure – what if I’m not good enough? – and then the contrast of relentlessness as stated in the title.
The lyrics of the song’s final quattrain are especially strong. Beginning with an example of CBIII’s wordplay (phenomenal and astronomical anomaly), the final message is one of inspiration: I’m tired of this, so I’m going to make it better.
This struggle with nagging self-doubt and overthinking makes “I Won’t Quit” very relatable. In the end, CBIII wants listeners to be inspired, to not give in when they find themselves in similar circumstances.
Brand’s inspiration for “I Won’t Quit” was intensely personal. Following the death of his parents at a young age, he was raised by his grandmother and then was placed in foster care. A recent visit found his grandmother’s memory fading; this was painful, considering that she had once been his biggest supporter.
This episode left him feeling abandoned, in a dark place.
He says, “I wrote the song ‘I Won’t Quit’ because at that time I was suicidal. I didn’t have nobody else to turn to because my grandma didn’t really care anymore.”
The vulnerability expressed in the lyrics made CBIII unsure if he wanted to release the song at all. He says, “I actually sat on the song for like five months before even thinking about releasing it because it’s so close to home that I wasn’t even sure if I was going to have the courage to share it.”
Now that the song is out, its vulnerability is its strength. Brand’s struggle is real, and the general contours – missing family support, doubting yourself, knowing you need to persevere – will be familiar to many.
In addition to his personal desire to live up his dream of greatness, Brand has another reason not to give up: his younger brother, who is currently in foster care. Knowing his brother looks up to him, he wants to remind him that giving in to doubt is the easy way out.
Brand says, “I want to encourage him, to show him that if you set your mind to it, bro, there’s nothing you can’t do.”
In the end, CBIII wants listeners to learn from his pain, to ask themselves, “What if I don’t give up?”
Stream “I Won’t Quit” now, wherever you listen to music.
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