Exclusive Interview with Lyia Meta

Artist Spotlight: Lyia Meta

Lyia Meta is a singer, songwriter, and visual artist from Malaysia who sees her music as a painting. Her colors are her words and the musical arrangements around them, ensuring each element flows and blends together to form a complete musical picture. Her latest single, “Raging Halls,” finds her in the rock lane, with intentional elements from other genres creating a cinematically captivating atmosphere.

We had the privilege of sitting down with Lyia Meta for an intimate conversation on music, meaning, and evolution.

BH Review: Who are your biggest musical influences?

Lyia Meta: My earliest influences came from rock and blues. Growing up, I was drawn to artists who knew how to tell stories through music and convey genuine emotion. If I were to name the artists who shaped me as a child, the list would include Black Sabbath, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Deep Purple, Elvis Presley, and many others.

Of course, there was also the radio, which was constantly playing whatever was popular at the time. I listened to everything. For the most part, I could not tell you who sang the songs or what their titles were, but I knew the music. I absorbed it without even realizing it. If one of those songs came on, chances are I could sing it right back to you. Those songs became part of the soundtrack of my childhood and were just as much a part of that chapter of my life as the artists I actively followed.

Over time, my influences expanded to include jazz pop, traditional pop, soul, Motown, country, Americana, and orchestral music. Regardless of genre, I have always been drawn to artists who prioritize emotional connection over technical perfection. For me, music has never been about showing people how well you can perform. It has always been about making people feel something.

BH Review: When did you first realize you wanted to be a musician?

Lyia Meta: Well, I am not a musician. I am a storyteller and my pen is my voice.  I think the earlier part of my life shaped my love for music, but the real turning point came when I realized that no matter how far I tried to run from it, music always found a way of leading me back.

As a child, I did not have a particularly romantic view of the music industry. My father was both a visual artist and a musician, and he lived very much like a free spirit, sometimes from hand to mouth, always in the moment. For a long time, that was what I thought the life of a musician looked like, and it was not something I aspired to.

The real test came when people close to me encouraged me to give the stage a chance. They felt I was wasting my talent. At the time, I did not see it that way. I simply loved to sing but not the stage… so I decided to give it a go. I have not looked back since.

In a nutshell, music has always been part of my life. I cannot point to a single moment when I decided to become an artist... It was more of a gradual realization that music was the language through which I understood myself and the world around me.

BH Review: What’s the story behind your favorite song you’ve written?

Lyia Meta: That is a difficult question because every song represents a different chapter of my life. However, if I had to choose one, it would probably be "Slumber" from my debut album, THIS IS LYIA.

That album holds a special place in my heart because I worked so hard to even give myself permission to write, let alone record it. Long before that and along the way after it’s released, I faced opposition, skepticism, and more than a few people who humored me as though I were a child chasing a passing fancy. If anything, it only strengthened my resolve.

"Slumber" emerged from a deeply personal place. It gave voice to feelings I had buried for a very long time. The opening line, "Deep inside I feel, a darkness creeping in," says almost everything that needs to be said about where I was emotionally when I wrote it.

For years, I was reluctant to admit that many of my songs were autobiographical. I was afraid of being judged by people who preferred comfortable narratives to honest ones. Over time, however, I learned to claim my own story and embrace it without apology. That acceptance was hard-earned, and in many ways, it still is.

BH Review: What legacy do you hope to leave with your music?

Lyia Meta: I would like people to remember me as someone who finally became who she was meant to be. Someone who pursued her calling wholeheartedly without losing sight of the things that truly matter, integrity, compassion, authenticity, and the people who walk beside us through life.

As cliché as it may sound, I hope the message I leave behind is timeless. Not just in the lyrics themselves, although I certainly strive for that, but in the emotions and truths they carry. If my music encourages someone to be a little braver, a little kinder, or a little more accepting of their own story, then I would consider that a legacy worth leaving.

More than anything, I hope people see that it is never too late to become who you were always meant to be.

BH Review: How do you define happiness and fulfillment in your life and career?

Lyia Meta: For me, happiness is found in the process rather than the outcome. It comes from having a sense of purpose and knowing that what I am doing has meaning.

Fulfillment comes from creating, growing, and having the freedom to pursue my creative vision. Success is gratifying, of course, but it is never the destination. It can also be fleeting and fickle. For me….the ability to keep creating, exploring, and expressing myself is what truly sustains me. As long as I am able to do that, I’ll myself one of the  fortunate ones.

BH Review: What’s one piece of advice you wish you could give your younger self?

Lyia Meta: Trust yourself more and worry less about fitting into expectations that were never meant for you? Yep, definitely trust yourself more! I know that it may be easier said than done but you need to do it.

Not everyone will understand your path, and that is perfectly fine. Stay curious, keep learning, and do not allow rejection to define your worth. Most importantly, stop second-guessing yourself.

Listen to your instincts. They are often wiser than the fears that try to drown them out. Doing what is right for yourself is not selfish. It is necessary. When you learn to trust your own voice, you stop living according to other people's expectations and start living according to your own truth.

BH Review: Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process?

Lyia Meta: Every song begins differently. Sometimes it starts with a lyric, a melody, a title, or simply a feeling I cannot quite put into words. For example my latest release “Raging Halls” started from a composition that my collaborator EG Holmes sent me.  I wrote the lyrics and melody without a second thought.  So, hah, it did not start with me…, it literally started with Holmes and … voilà!

More often than not, melodies arrive when I least expect them, usually in the shower, where all sorts of musical ideas seem to make their way into my head. I can also be driving and suddenly hear an entire melody unfold as though it has been waiting patiently for the right moment to appear.

Lately, since rediscovering my love for writing, words seem to come more easily. Often, lyrics arrive alongside the melody. Not every idea makes it into the studio, of course, but the ones that stay with me tend to resurface again and again until I pay attention to them.

Whatever eventually reaches the studio has usually developed organically over time. There is no strict formula. I listen, I observe, I gather ideas, and eventually a song reveals itself. That is probably the closest I can come to describing my process.

BH Review: Where do you find inspiration for your lyrics and melodies?

Lyia Meta: Inspiration comes from everywhere. Life experiences, conversations, books, films, art, memories, nature, and human relationships all find their way into my work.

I am particularly fascinated by the emotional lives people carry within them. The things we do not say, the feelings we hide, and the stories we quietly carry often become the foundation of a song.

That said, most of my songs are rooted in personal experience. When I collaborate with other songwriters, I still draw from that emotional well because it is where my most honest work lives. Whether the story belongs entirely to me or is shared through collaboration, authenticity is always the starting point.

BH Review: Are there any particular tracks on your new project that hold special significance for you?

Lyia Meta: Yes. My latest single, "Raging Halls," holds particular significance for me because it is ultimately about stepping into the light.

Of course, stepping into the light is only possible after acknowledging the darkness, and darkness is something I am very familiar with. The song represents a turning point, a conscious decision to let go of what no longer serves me and move forward.

I think healing begins when we allow ourselves to face our own reflection honestly. We cannot change what has happened, but we can acknowledge it, learn from it, and choose not to remain trapped by it. "Raging Halls" is, in many ways, about giving ourselves permission to heal, grow, and embrace the next chapter of our lives. In that sense, it also feels like a doorway opening to new stories and new chapters that E.G. Holmes and I hope to continue telling together.

BH Review: What was the most rewarding part of working on your latest project?

Lyia Meta: Without question, the collaborative process!

Working with my collaborator E.G. Holmes on "Raging Halls," my wonderful producer Bob McGilpin, and a talented group of musicians from different backgrounds was incredibly rewarding. I am always grateful for the opportunity to create, but having the right people around you make all the difference.

What I value most about collaboration is the opportunity to learn, grow, and explore new possibilities. Every project teaches me something about music, creativity, and myself. I am very much a work in progress, and each collaboration helps shape the artist I am becoming. For that, I am deeply thankful.