BIA, the Boston-area global star, releases the international deluxe edition of her latest EP, Really Her, today. The EP executive produced by BIA, AzizTheShake and Lil Rich, boasts seven brand-new tracks that feature top flight international acts such as Sfera Ebbasta (Italy), Giggs (UK), Tion Wayne (UK) and Luciano (Germany). The project is available now for download and stream.
[Get ‘REALLY HER (INTL DELUXE) EP’ here]
The standard edition of the Really Her EP released in July and finds BIA collaborating with a multi-generational slate of Hip Hop legends, from J. Cole and Swizz Beatz to Busta Rhymes and Timbaland, a testament to the reputation she’s built as an artist in the last few years. BIA, who raps on her Swizz Beatz collab, “Classy,” that she’s an “outstanding, international icon,” didn’t stop there. Despite the “EP” designation, she expands Really Her to 16 tracks that express the full range of her artistry and further confirm her versatility as a collaborator.
On a new version of “London,” which has amassed over 24 million YouTube views, she welcomes legendary U.K. rapper Giggs as a collaborator. For “Milano,” BIA collaborates with Italian star and rapper Sfera Ebbasta on a drill-adjacent record that also features stateside drill star Fivio Foreign. Elsewhere on the project, BIA infuses elements of U.K. grime beside Pa Salieu and genre-blending Nigerian artist ODUMODUBLVCK, and delivers a high-octane ode to “Dubai” with UK drill veteran Tion Wayne—all records that feel right at home beside much of her catalog. German-based drill artist Luciano, who scored a no. 1 hit on the German charts with BIA in 2022 (“Bamba”), delivers a boisterous chorus on “Lifeline,” another example of their proven chemistry. Though she pushes her creative bounds, BIA continues to find ways to stay true to her musical self-center and shine in each lane she occupies. “This project is a vital part of my career because it has pieces of where I came from, where I am now and hints of my new direction as an artist” says BIA.
BIA’s ascent in recent years has been captivating to witness. After independent success earned her a deal with Epic Records in 2020, BIA quickly generated momentum with the inescapable “Whole Lotta Money,” earning a remix from Nicki MInaj and a multi-platinum certification from the RIAA. Subsequently, her first EP to release on Epic, For Certain, would earn the rapper her first placement on the Billboard 200 albums chart, a clear indicator that she had arrived. Since then, BIA has been no stranger to the charts, impacting the Hot 100 singles chart again with the J. Cole-assisted “London” and notching a Top 20 mark on U.S. Rhythmic with the Timbaland backed “I’m That Bitch,” both of which feature on the standard Really Her EP.
Her impact extends beyond the numbers. Last summer, BIA was called upon to appear on Nicki Minaj’s massive remix to “Super Freaky Girl” alongside the day’s hottest young female stars. This summer, Busta Rhymes invited BIA to feature on his “Beach Ball” single, which the pair performed during the BET Awards’ “Hip Hop 50” segment honoring the culture’s past, current and future stars. She also joined 21 Savage on world-renowned Dutch DJ Tiesto’s “Both,” which is at over 7 million streams on SPOTIFY alone. She also released a solo record, “Raised Me,” as part of Google Pixel/Mass Appeal’s Hip Hop 50 campaign and teamed up with Tones And I and Diarra Sylla FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup official walkout song, “Bring It On.”
Next, the rising star is setting out on her first headlining tour, the Really Her tour along with Lakeyah and Lebra Jolie, kicking off nationally in October.
Tickets are on sale HERE.
As the Beatroute cover subject for the month of September, she tells the Canadian outlet, “I’ve been dying to pull up on my fans, see who they are, who they look like, and see them saying the words with me. I want to go hug them.”
Photo: Shaun Andru
