A Chat with Aliza Li (29.09.25)
With her new EP TRU, Aliza Li takes us on a soulful exploration of authentic living and emotional freedom. Inspired by the healing power of music, her artistry is rooted in truth, growth, and catharsis. We chat with Aliza Li about all things music below.
OSR: What inspired the creation of your latest EP, TRU, and how does it differ from your previous work?
ALIZA LI: Life! As time goes by, I’ve been thinking about what I truly want in life, and I came up with this: I want all aspects of my life to be aligned, and I only want the things that are meant for me going forward.
OSR: The EP explores themes of self-alignment and emotional healing. How did your personal experiences shape the songwriting?
ALIZA LI: The great thing about music is there are no rules! This EP, I allowed myself to get back to what makes me…me! Writing TRU, I threw out basic song structure and just wrote each song with raw emotion.
OSR: Can you walk us through the story behind the opening track, ‘Call Tru’?
ALIZA LI: ‘Call Tru’ is track one for a reason, it’s the first song I started writing without knowing this journey would lead to an EP. In the song, I repeat “I just want tru” because I’m manifesting TRU in all aspects of my life. Musically and personally, the journey to develop who I am today has not been easy, and I’m just at the point now where I can do without the distractions or energy that doesn’t serve a purpose in my life.
OSR: ‘Glow’ has a radiant energy. Was that song meant to capture a specific moment in your journey?
ALIZA LI: ‘Glow’ is what happens when things are aligned in life, when things are “TRU”, you glow! It’s peak higher vibrational energy filled with self-love and peace. It’s that radiant energy that only attracts and emits positivity.
OSR: ‘Occasionally Telepathic’ closes the EP on a haunting note. How did you decide to end the project with this track?
ALIZA LI: ‘Occasionally Telepathic’ is a nod to my previous release ‘Healing’. Healing is a process of highs and lows for me and ‘Occasionally Telepathic’ is where the process starts all over again where I need to set a new goal in order to move to TRU.
OSR: Your vocal style blends neo-soul with contemporary R&B. Who or what have been your biggest influences?
ALIZA LI: I love all genres of music, but neo-soul sparked my love for music and has the biggest influence on the way I write and sing. No matter what type of song I’m working on, that soulful sound will always be in the background.
OSR: How do you approach the balance between lyrical honesty and musicality in your songs?
ALIZA LI: My songs are pieces of me and lyrical honesty is all I know how to do. I use music as an outlet, so the balance comes naturally.
OSR: What role does spirituality or personal growth play in your creative process?
ALIZA LI: Evolving as a person plays a big part in my creative process. The more I evolve, I see things differently and with new experiences comes new inspiration.
OSR: How do you hope listeners will feel after experiencing TRU?
ALIZA LI: I hope listeners will feel empowered to keep going and to spread positivity in the world. I hope they will feel inspired to embark on their own journey to TRU.
OSR: Looking forward, are there new directions or collaborations you’re excited to explore next?
ALIZA LI: I’m just excited to keep going musically and to see where TRU takes me.
Many thanks to Aliza Li for speaking with us. Find out more about Aliza Li on her Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Spotify.
