Watching young artists emerge who cite artists who were themselves emerging only a decade or two ago is truly amazing. Let’s coin a phrase: The Circle of Song. Case in point, Rhea Josyula is out with her hot new single, Half of Me, citing artists like Ariana Grande and SZA as inspiration. Didn’t both of them drop their first albums, like, yesterday??
Even though her influences more recent (she is, after all, just 17), Josyula’s sound is distinct, shaped by a rich blend of pop, R&B, and Indian classical music. As an Indian-American artist, she brings a personal perspective to Half of Me, a 90s-inspired mid-tempo R&B track that explores straddling two worlds, never feeling fully seen, and the struggle of holding it all together.
“All these faces, different places, double life / Trapped in make-believe / Getting hard for me to breathe,” she sings with expressive vocals over the song’s tight production. The groove is steady but simmering, giving the lyrics room to breathe as she gets into the weight of expectations and the dissonance of living two lives. “You only see half of me / You see what you wanna see / But that’s just a half of me / That’s not the whole me.”
Josyula’s ability to translate this experience into song feels effortless yet profound. The quality of the production mirrors the illusion of perfection she sings about—the curated, polished version of herself that the world sees versus the reality underneath. The song’s controlled chaos—”Chaos in a mess that I control / No lines and no rhymes, I’m letting go”—reflects her journey toward self-acceptance, embracing both halves rather than choosing just one.
Josyula’s artistry is rooted in the belief that music can strengthen connection and cognitive health. She combines science and art to make something real to her. With Half of Me she gives you an experience that stays with you long after the song is over, and asks you to consider the parts of yourself you’ve been hiding.
