Neil VazquezAre you familiar with what's being called the '90s sound? It's a blend of genres, including smooth R&B, teeny bopper pop, and New Jack Swing.
Though it has a lot of underground buzz, so far contemporary pop stars have not been able to channel it effectively.
Enter Tarzana-based songstress Liz, who is signed to Diplo's Mad Decent label and has been making waves on Tumblr with her unique, '90s throwback sound.
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“When I was little I just wanted to be Britney,” says the blonde chanteuse. Her parents had been introduced to a producer, who was putting together a girl act called No Secrets.
“I didn’t fit in with them,” she imparts. “All the girls had belly button rings, and Juicy sweats. I really looked like a boy, very straight, narrow and just little.”
Just Like You EP Album Artwork; Credit: Courtesy of Mad Decent
Though she didn't end up in the group, the now 27-year-old crooner met her first batch of writers and producers during the audition. And now, she's recreating the magic of that era for modern fans.
After the release of her EP Just Like You earlier this year, she lit the internet ablaze. “I’m really proud of the EP, I played around with a lot of different sounds and aesthetics,” she says.
The album artwork, fittingly, features internet memes. But, that said, don't mistake her for a cyber maniac. “I’m not one of those people that’s on the internet every day. So it was more tongue and cheek, even though people take it seriously.”
All of this comes on the heels of signing with the Diplo's label Mad Decent; she met folks from the label after attending last year's Mad Decent Block Party downtown — as a fan. She's the only female.
As for the future? Liz is hard at work with London based producer Sophie. They're working on a sound that fuses trap and house with her own stylings.
And, of course, they're bonding over a love of all things Britney.
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