RILEY Drops New Single "BGE"

Amber Patrice Riley is an American singer/songwriter, actress, activist, and author. She grew up in Compton, California, and was born on February 15, 1986. Her mother, Tiny Hightower, and Father, Elwin Riley, were born and raised in Compton; her mother is a talented singer and was her vocal coach growing up.

Tiny Hightower would take Riley to buy instrumental cassette tapes, and she would listen to them for hours, trying to figure out which one she liked, and learn. Riley fell in love with Gospel music at a young age, one of her favorite artists was Yolanda Adams, and she loved singing Just A Prayer Away (also the first song she sang in public). She also loved Country music, and the twang country artists had when she was little. Once she started getting older, her mother told her she should be classically trained, so Riley was classically trained along with singing in church, chorus, and choirs. Throughout that time of being surrounded by so many talented singers, Riley thought to herself, “I don’t want to sound like just anybody,” and her voice developed into the unique soul filled vocals that is RILEY. After attending open mic nights, performing, and being cast on the hit show “Glee” as Mercedes Jones, she found herself. Tons of people wanted to put Riley in a box and stereotype her talent, but she wanted to showcase her own skills and break out of that box, so she dropped Amber and now goes by Riley. Riley prides herself on being a tenacious and persevering person, so no matter how many times people tried to hold her back, put her down, and try to define her, she always finds a way to break free. All of these struggles, challenges, and her original sound can all be heard on her latest self-titled EP ‘RILEY.’

In October 2020, Riley released her self titled EP ‘RILEY’ produced by Sons of Sonix (SOS). The EP features 6 songs (BGE, Temporary, Creeping, Ride, Hood Living, A Moment). She recently dropped the music video for BGE, which stands for Big Girl Energy, and it is on another level. The vocals in the song alone are magnificent, but the lyrics co-written by Riley and Kes Kross make it one of the top songs off the EP. Riley says the song's background is that she basically just wanted to talk her sh*t; she faced many people who underestimated and put her down/thought she couldn’t achieve certain things. She calls them all out with “I got that big girl energy, I got that hood, that's still in me, That's why he hates, hates to love me, You tell me I'm warm, yeah, But nigga, when you're leaving, You're gettin' too comfortable, Tears would flow, you'd, Watch me while I'm asleep, Let it go, that's life, But if I give my heart to you, You gotta love this masterpiece, You gotta love every part of me, Not what you're thinkin', Put back on your clothes, I got that good, good, hood, baby.” Riley’s vocals are just effortless on the uplifting and groovy beat, and the video only adds to the song.

The video is just stunning and gives west coast 90’s vibes. It opens with a wide shot of Riley standing in a doorway; her friends and her newly engaged fiance, Desean Black, can all be seen throughout the video. She sings in numerous locations, from in a house, a car, and on the patio in a backyard while performing some chill and groovy dance moves.

This song is the feminist anthem of the year; girls all over the world need to hear this song and feel empowered. Girls can do anything they set their minds to and don’t let anyone tell you something different. If you haven’t heard this song and the rest of the EP yet, don’t fret; it is available on all musical platforms now.