On The Rise: Rilan

Rilan would take his mother’s Walkman and listen to Madonna and David Bowie for hours when he was a child back in New Orleans.

The 21-year-old singer now lives in Los Angeles, but his passion for synth-pop and glam-rock has not faded. He released his first EP “Chemical” in 2015 and is currently working on a single titled “Money Talk”. Rilan said he uses his music as a way to express his personality and thoughts about the world.

“There aren’t a lot of men in pop music who are androgynous and reminiscent of that ’80s new romanticism,” Rilan said. “I have a voice as an artist and … it’s what’s going to set me apart from other people.”

Rilan grew up singing and acting in performance spaces, such as dance recitals and plays. He said he felt the most comfortable on stage because others didn’t understand him off it – in high school he would sometimes get bullied for how he would dress.

Theatrical musicians also inspired Rilan’s desire to perform pop music in a theatrical, performance-based way.

As he got older, he realized he wanted to break away from the technical aspects of being on stage and delve into the bright aesthetic of pop that is prevalent in his and other people’s daily life, he said.

After high school, Rilan went to Belmont University in Nashville to study songwriting, but he wanted to take his passion of singing further, he said. In 2014 he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams of singing. He was soon cast on “Glee” as a Dalton Academy Warbler for its sixth season, which ran in 2015.

2015 marked another monumental moment for Rilan – it was the year in which he released his first EP “Chemical” with producer Dallas Austin. Rilan said he enjoyed working with Austin because he understood Rilan’s musical style, creating a productive working environment.

Rilan’s EP is filled with strong synthetic sounds that contrast with rhythmic beats and Rilan’s smooth vocals. Dance beats from some songs add energy to the album, even though the lyrics Rilan sings can have darker and more personal notes to them.

While his style and his music may not be mainstream or trendy, Rilan said his separation from mainstream culture is what motivates him. By expressing himself in non-mainstream ways such as performing ’80s inspired synth-pop and wearing eyeliner, he said he is able to stay true to himself and to connect with others who don’t fit in with mainstream guidelines.

Rilan said he has felt the pressure of staying true to himself, especially when he has worked with people in the past who have tried to change his style.

“It was a lot of ‘You need to get away from the glitz and the glam and the makeup’ and the stuff that people thought was a mask,” Rilan said. “But it’s not a mask, it’s just who I am.”

Naz Tokio, a singer-songwriter in Los Angeles originally from Maryland, has been Rilan’s writing partner for the past three years. Tokio and Rilan worked together on the song “Blindfolds” in 2016, which combined both of their styles, Tokio said.

Tokio’s use of color was present throughout the music video, while Rilan’s eccentric style was seen through the makeup he wore and a long ponytail worn in one part of the video.

“(Rilan’s music) is what David Bowie would be doing if he was in 2017,” Tokio said.

Richy Jackson, Rilan’s choreographer and creative directer, said he thinks people relate to Rilan’s music because of its honest topics.

“Once he gets exposed and more people learn (about) his music and appreciate him, he’s gonna create a revolution,” Jackson said.

Rilan’s project “Money Talk” talks about Rilan’s experience with staying true to his own musical style even if it doesn’t fit in with popular trends.

“I’ve finally realized that this ’80s synth-pop-meets-glam-rock world is where I kind of belong, and I’d like to invite people into it and make something for fellow weird kids to come and enjoy instead of being like everyone else,” Rilan said.