One of my favorite things about Tik Tok is that it has exposed me to so many great rising musicians. It has been my go-to place to find up-and-coming artists who are starting to go viral but still deserve more attention. Someone who I discovered in this way a couple of years ago and who has become one of my favorite new Pop and R&B artists is Genia. I initially came across Genia a couple of years ago when her single ‘Introducing’ went viral. I dug this track so much that I immediately went and reviewed her debut EP, 4 PM In The Ville. I was so into this EP that I even went and got my mom to review it with me for the Eastside Vibes YouTube page almost as soon as I posted my blog on it. This project had shades of artists like Rihanna, Beyonce, and even Alicia Keys as an influence, but still sounded modern and unique for sure. After dropping a couple of singles in anticipation, Genia followed up that project with her second EP, 4 AM In The Ville, in the spring of 2024. Once again, I loved this project, and it ended up being one of my favorite EPs of last year. Whereas those two EPs(and pretty much anything else she had released before that point) had more of a Hip Hop and R&B sound, Genia closed out the year with a different theme to her music. Genia’s final three singles of 2024, ‘Give,’ ‘Damage,’ and ‘10 Out Of 10,’ all had more of a Pop sound to them than R&B. Particularly, these songs have a Y2K Pop energy that totally stands out. A couple of weeks ago, Genia dropped her first single of 2025, ‘Crush,’ which I wanted to give a few thoughts on below. Please let me know in the comments what you think of Genia and her new single ‘Crush,’ and also comment the names of any other Independent or any other artists on the come-up that you think I should check out. 

‘Crush’ is a song that definitely sees Genia stay on the Pop music kick that she has been on for her last few tracks. This one does see her depart from that Y2K-influenced sound though; instead, Genia goes down a pretty different sort of Pop route. The guitar riff that drives ‘Crush’ has a warm Country twang to it that immediately made me think of Taylor Swift. This track totally has that bubbly sort of Country sound that particularly makes me think of early career late-2000s Taylor Swift in particular. This is a trend I have seen pretty heavily in Pop over the last year(other artists who have gone down this route recently are Rosie and Sabrina Carpenter), so it is not surprising for Genia to put her spin on it as well. There is a bit of a grooviness to this one that makes the melody that does make it stand out and gives a tint of an R&B element. The beat for this track completely fits the Country feeling of the instrumental, as this beat has a knee-slapping tempo that will get anyone bouncing along to it when it plays. Genia’s tone honestly sounds really great on this little Country-Pop track. Genia does not flex her range as much as she has on some of her previous releases, but she does hit some high notes that add life to ‘Crush.’ The delicate yet sort of emphatic way in which she sings this one makes the song feel so full and bright, giving ‘Crush’ such an inviting feeling. ‘Crush’ is a sweet little love song that shows yet another side to Genia’s artistry. It is clear that she has no limits to the kind of music she can make, and I can not wait to see what other directions she decides to go in.