In a world where social media music artists can plummet as quickly as they rose to stardom, 19-year-old indie rock artist Solya has built herself a music career unlike any other. Born and raised in West Texas, Solya has been making alternative music from as young as 16, and has since then went from an artist based entirely in her bedroom to performing at sold-out venues. Now, with over 300,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, her career is only gaining traction, with tracks such as “We Say Goodbye” and “Tear Me Apart” becoming viral on social media.
Her first release, a 3-track EP titled “Fever Dream”, is easily my favorite in her discography, particularly the track “Will You Return??” because of Solya’s uniquely powerful, yet ethereal vocals. Almost melancholy in a sense, but the deepness of her vocals rings so deep that it almost feels rejuvenating and freeing. It’s like her vocals emit feelings of mine that are impossible to put into words.
Solya’s most recent addition to her discography, “Movie Star”, was released in August of 2025, and has since then quickly climbed up to the #3 spot on her top 10 trending songs. Staying true to the classic grunge, western-style genre of her music, while also capturing that Old Hollywood atmosphere, Solya’s “Movie Star” fits perfectly into her discography. This track takes feelings of inadequacy and inferiority in the face of heartbreak and expresses them in such a delicate manner, through both her lyrics and her lyric video. Her lyric video draws footage from 1920s cinema, ranging from teary-eyed flapper girls to emotion-laden dancers. If I’m being completely honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of the track at my first listen– and it remained this way for quite some time– but once you truly search between the lyrics and take in Solya’s message, the track obtains such a unique beauty to it, making it an incredible bonus to her repertoire.
Before “Movie Star” came “19”, my personal favorite of the two. “19” marks a significant point in Solya’s music career, as this was her very first studio recording, recorded at Club Sound Machine in Lockhart, Texas. I particularly loved her more exaggerated, rich vocals on this song, melting into her psychedelic instrumental backdrop. The bridge on this song is incredible, and I always find myself going back and relistening to that stanza over and over again. The lyrics for “19” are a little more superficial compared to the rest of her songs, but her vocal delivery certainly makes up for it.
Solya’s career has come a long way since the start of her music journey, and fans suspect her popularity will only continue to skyrocket. From her creative independence to her authenticity and passion for music, Solya has potential to hold one of the most compelling indie voices in alternative rock music.
