20 Reasons Why Pia Mia Is Giving Rihanna A Run For Her Money

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Now, we all know that Rihanna is a certified super star. She has ruled the radio for years with major hits like “Pon de Replay,” “Umbrella,” “Disturbia,” “SOS,” “Work”...look, you get the idea. We could go on about all of her hit songs for hours. But in addition to her music, Rihanna has also revealed her creative talents in many other areas. For example, she has released fragrances, launched a beauty and stylist agency, has collaborated with other designers for fashion collections, and even released her own line of beauty products called Fenty Beauty. Clearly, she is not going anywhere any time soon—Rihanna will leave a legacy as being one of the biggest pop stars of this generation.

But there is another up and coming pop star in Hollywood who might just take Rihanna’s place one day. Meet Pia Mia Perez, who usually goes by “Princess Pia Mia.” And make no mistake, Rihanna and Beyonce might be the current queens of pop, but Pia Mia is a true pop princess, and one day, she might take the throne—you’ll want to keep an eye on her. Here are 20 reasons that Pia Mia is giving Rihanna a run for her money.

She Dropped Her Long-Awaited EP, The Gift 2, In December

Ever since coming to prominence in 2013, Pia Mia has been slowly releasing new EPs and singles while working on her first album (but we’ll talk more about that album later). If you’re already a fan of hers, or if you’ve just heard some of the buzz about her rise to super stardom, you might already know that she got her start by posting videos of her singing on YouTube—you know, the “Justin Bieber” route to Hollywood. According to The Daily Mail, Pia just began posting videos of her singing for fun, never knowing what could happen—and the next thing she knew, she was living her dreams!

Pia dropped her first EP, The Gift, back in 2013, shortly after she came to the United States from her native island of Guam and began officially working in the music industry.

And you know what proves that she’s in this business for the love of it, and not the money? She released her EP completely for free, so that anyone could enjoy her music. How awesome! She dropped the highly anticipated The Gift 2 in December 2017, and her fans are already begging for her to drop her long awaited album!

She Has Been Teasing New Music For The Summer

So, as we just explained, Pia has been taking her time crafting her debut album and working hard on her EPs over the past few years. After all, her career took off very quickly and unexpectedly—she never realized that she could actually make it as a pop star, but suddenly, she was on a plane to Los Angeles, and record labels were begging her to sign a deal! However, it’s clear that she is putting some serious work into the album right now, and she should be dropping some new music this summer—if her Instagram posts are any indication.

Back in March, Pia posted a short sample of a time that she said will be called “My Best Life.” In the caption, she said that the song was not released yet, but her fans are clamoring for more.

She also said that she was working on this particular track with Trev Case and producer Timothy Williams (also known around the music industry as “No Name Tim”). Hopefully, this means that a summer release date will be announced shortly. There’s no better time of year to jam to Pia’s music—we can’t wait to hear it blasting from every radio.

She’s Got That “Island Girl” Vibe

You probably already know that Rihanna is from Barbados, but there’s another island girl on the Hollywood scene who is winning hearts and hitting the charts—yup, it’s none other than Pia Mia. And that’s why she’s specifically giving Rihanna a run for her money! As we mentioned earlier, Pia is originally from the island of Guam, which is a United States territory. However, Guam is actually quite far from the mainland US, so Pia was nowhere near anyone with connections to the music industry—you could say that she was off in the middle of nowhere!

According to Allure, Pia said that life in Guam was very family-oriented. She spent lots of time with her parents and siblings, and they didn’t always have access to the same things that people in the mainland US did.

For example, she said that if she wanted to look fashionable, she had to get very creative with her clothing choices, go to thrift shops, borrow from friends, and try to put together cute outfits with pieces from stores like Walmart! It definitely seems like Pia’s background has inspired her to always make the best of whatever she has and always express her creativity.

Her Music Is Similar—But Her Sound Is Fresh

Now, we all know that Rihanna has what it takes to put out not only a major radio hit, but an entire album that will sit at the top of the charts for weeks. She has experimented with her sound over the years, but no matter what, she’s always Rihanna—and that’s not a bad thing! Trust us on this one, we are not saying that Rihanna’s sound is boring—far from it. If she was putting out uninspired songs, she would not be nearly as successful as she is! However, Rihanna has been cranking out catchy pop hits for about a decade, and Pia is a newcomer to the scene. Maybe people are just ready for something a little different?

Maybe the reason that Pia’s sound is so fresh is because she didn’t really have anyone to teach her about music back in Guam. According to Nylon, she taught herself most of what she knows—her only real “mentor” was her music teacher at school.

She says that one reason she got started on YouTube was because she learned so much from watching YouTube videos of famous artists that she might as well take a shot at recording her own!

Her Fans Might Be Even More Dedicated

You only need to spend a couple minutes scrolling through Twitter to see that Rihanna’s fans are super dedicated. Seriously, they just love and look up to everything Rihanna does. And come on, even if you don’t buy her albums, everyone is sort of casually a fan of Rihanna. Who hasn’t blasted her music in the car while driving around with friends, or retweeted a funny moment when she said something sassy to a reporter? Yup, we all fall into that category. And when Rihanna came out with her Fenty Beauty line, her fans went crazy for it—everyone was super supportive of this new venture, and women everywhere were excited to try her products.

But Pia’s fan base is completely different—yet just as passionate about Pia’s music as Rihanna’s fan base is about hers. According to Idolator, Pia decided to leave her former record label, so she chose to self-release The Gift 2 and handle all of the distribution and promotion details on her own.

Her fans were still super excited and totally understood why she had made this choice. Her fan base truly appreciates when Pia has full creative control over her work without a label in the way.

She Is Basically An Expert On Social Media

We all know that for anyone in a creative career, social media is basically a business tool these days. Even if you’re the type of person who would rather not spend a single minute scrolling through Instagram, we all have to admit that it is very difficult for an artist in any field to “make it” without mastering the art of social media marketing. Plus, social media makes it much easier for artists to connect with their fans—no more sending fan mail, you can just tweet at your faves, and if you’re respectful, they probably will respond! The future is here, and it’s amazing.

Rihanna may be super popular on social media, but so is Pia Mia, and she’s just getting started. Let’s take a look at her massive following for a moment. She has nearly 5 million followers on Instagram, 703,000 on Twitter, and just over 3 million on Facebook. Honestly, it seems like one of the reasons that Pia has been able to grow her social media following so quickly is because she understood the importance of these platforms right from the beginning. After all, she would never have gotten her foot in the door without YouTube!

She Went Multi-Platinum Before Even Dropping An Album

Pia Mia had her first big hit back in the summer of 2015. When she released the single “Do It Again,” a collaboration featuring Chris Brown and Tyga, it instantly shot up the charts. This one single alone was enough to qualify her as a multi-platinum artist, which is an extraordinary feat for a brand new artist! According to her personal website, Pia Mia Music, “Do It Again” went multi-platinum.

Unfortunately, some of Pia’s later singles did not chart as high, but as we mentioned earlier on, Idolator reported that she was having some struggles with creative control at her label, and this is one reason why she chose to move on and release new music on her own. With her hinting at some new music to be released this summer, it’s only a matter of time before she manages to get another big summer hit at the top of the charts. This was only a small taste of what she is capable of doing—as she grows as an artist and learns the ins and outs of the industry, we have no doubt that she will probably have a multi-platinum album to accompany that single! Just wait and see.

She Has Already Worked With All The Biggest Names In The Music Industry

With an emerging artist like Pia Mia, you wouldn’t necessarily expect that she would get the opportunity to work with so many famous artists and producers right off the bat. But honestly, she is one of those pop stars that just exudes serious star power, and when she arrived in the US, people who were looking to work with a fresh face in the music industry were practically knocking down her door. As we mentioned earlier, she already had the chance to work with both Chris Brown and Tyga on the massive hit single “Do It Again.” But the list doesn’t stop there!

Pia has also worked with Drake’s producer, Nic Nac—according to Nylon, they have also been dating!

Furthermore, she worked with Chance the Rapper on the song “Fight for You” for the 2014 science fiction film Divergent. She also released a single with G-Eazy, who is definitely having a major moment in the spotlight right now. In addition, she has released a single with Jeremih, titled “I’m a Fan,” and she was featured on will.i.am’s single “Boys & Girls.” Not to mention, as early as 2011, she also collaborated on a single with Bella Thorne called “Bubblegum Boy.”

She Is Slowly Becoming A Style Icon

Pia Mia has said that her unique style comes from her experiences growing up on Guam—according to Allure, she could not buy fancy designer clothes or go to the big department stores that are all over the place in the US. Instead, she had just to make the best out of what she had, so she always got creative with her clothes! She is now known for a couple signature pieces that she seems to wear everywhere she goes: tight jeans, thigh high boots, cute baggy sweatshirts, and most importantly, that unique red bandana that she always has on! Her awesome sense of style is what inspired Madonna to choose her as the first ever fashion director for the Material Girl clothing line.

According to InStyle, Pia was absolutely ecstatic when she heard that Madonna, the queen of pop music herself, wanted to hear Pia’s creative input.

She said that Madonna was one of her musical role models, and she could not believe that she was going to get the opportunity work with her in the fashion world. It would be amazing to see Pia come out with her own clothing line one day—red bandanas would be everywhere!

She Is Taking Her Career Solo Without A Record Label

If you’re not already a big fan of Pia Mia, it might surprise you to hear that she is only 21 years old. Yup, we know, it’s hard to believe that a girl with her level of confidence, talent, and experience actually just entered her twenties. But this just goes to show that she has a long career ahead of her! Now, when Pia entered the crazy world of the Los Angeles music industry, she was only a teenager—she had to figure out how to stand up for herself when record labels started calling. According to her website, Pia Mia Music, she decided that she did not want a typical record deal. Instead, she wanted a partnership with a label before doing anything else, so she went ahead with that plan with Wolfpack Entertainment. Later on, she did sign a deal with Interscope Records.

However, as discussed earlier, Idolator reported that Pia left both Wolfpack and Interscope. Instead, she is now moving ahead solo, but she is still working with her producer and boyfriend, Nic Nac. With Nic Nac and his team behind her, there is no doubt that she will be just fine without a label for now.

She Wasn’t Discovered By Luck — She Had To Work Hard

When asked about her background in music, Pia has said that there is basically no music industry in Guam—seriously, can you name a single other artist from Guam? Unless you’re from there, the answer is probably no. According to Paper Mag, Pia said that since there was no hub for the music industry on her island, she decided to take the leap and move to Los Angeles at the age of thirteen with her mother. She said that she just knew that she had to take the leap.

And how did she even make the choice to move? What encouraged her to do it? Well, when she began posting covers on YouTube when she was only in middle school, she slowly gained a following—at that time, there were not as many people trying to “make it” on YouTube. She was an early starter. Eventually, she simply had to decide if she could really make her music career work if she stayed in Guam. She worked very hard to even get to the place where such a choice could be a real option—so she had to risk it all and just go for it. The risk paid off!

She Already Earned Song Of The Summer With “Do It Again”

When “Do It Again” came out, no one really knew whether or not it would be a hit. After all, Pia had already been working in Los Angeles for a few years at that point, and while she definitely had the attention of record labels and other artists, she hadn’t really caught the attention of the general public just yet—except for her dedicated fans on YouTube and social media! And hey, doesn’t Rihanna usually secure “song of the summer” status? Who could forget when “Umbrella” was playing constantly throughout June, July, and August?

Pia surprised everyone with her ability to put out a hit pop single. She worked with Chris Brown, Tyga, and the producer Nic Nac to record “Do It Again,” and by now, you know the story: the song went multi-platinum, and it put Pia on the map as an artist to watch.

Now, as we mentioned earlier, on Instagram, Pia seems to be teasing her new fans with the promise of a new music release this summer...and maybe even her long-awaited debut album. Could she secure another “song of the summer” hit for herself? Well, if she did it once, we bet that she could do it again.

She Genuinely Has The Sweetest Personality

If you’ve ever seen any interviews with Pia, you will know that her personality is just as beautiful as her voice! And her face, and her hair...seriously, this girl is just all around beautiful, inside and out. It really just seems like she always has a positive mindset. After all, how else would she have gotten as far as she has? She’s one of those people who just attracts good things into her life by always spreading good vibes! We could definitely all take an example from her.

According to an interview with Nylon, Pia talked about how she manages to keep a positive attitude in life, and why she finds it so important to treat other people with kindness and respect at all times.

She said that hopes her music uplifts and inspires people, and the idea that she could bring people joy through her art is what motivates her to get up and keep working hard at her craft every day. She also said that she believes the most important thing you can do in life is just be thankful and have gratitude for every opportunity you get—and yes, to her, this includes bad experiences that you can learn from.

She Could Totally Be A Beauty Guru

If Pia Mia ever started her own makeup line, we would be first in line at Sephora to pick it up. Seriously, her make up is always absolutely flawless. We love her red lipstick and her dramatic black eyeliner, and she always manages to put just enough bronzer on her cheeks to keep her glowing without looking orange. Thankfully, she has been kind enough to share a few of her awesome makeup tips in interviews—we’re about to switch up our routines and incorporate some of her favorite products and advice!

So, how does Pia stay looking so gorgeous all the time? According to Allure, she loves brands like Make Up Forever, L’Oreal, NYX, and M.A.C. She says that in order to get her bold eyeliner look, don’t bring the line all the way to the inner corner of your eye—stop a little before than, and then really exaggerate the wing. Your eyes will look bigger and brighter! Plus, she says if you want to maintain your hair color long term, you should try to use as little heat on your hair as possible. She’s gotta be right. And who wouldn’t want her hair to look like Pia Mia’s?

She Has Tons Of Famous Connections (Like The Kardashians)

You may actually have seen Pia Mia on Kylie Jenner’s Snapchat story. Shortly after Pia moved to Hollywood, she began making connections in the music industry and making new friends. Eventually, she began hanging out with none other than Kylie Jenner, which lead to her meeting the whole Kardashian family! According to OK! Magazine, Pia considers Kylie to be a good friend to her, in a city where many people are not always looking out for your best interests! She says that it was great to have the support of the Kardashian family when she was just starting out in the music business.

OK! Magazine also reported that Pia’s friendships with the Kardashians lead to other opportunities for her: like performing a cover of Drake’s song, “Hold On, We’re Going Home,” in front of Drake himself! Yup, Drake happened to stop by the Kardashian household for Kylie’s birthday (and yes, in case you’re wondering, we are pretty jealous), and Pia was also there to celebrate. Kim posted a video of the performance, and it spread like wildfire. Suddenly, everyone wanted to know who this girl was—after all, she was singing Drake’s song like she was the one who wrote it!

She Had To Teach Herself How To Sing

So, by now, you definitely know a little more about the music industry on Guam—which is to say, you know that they don’t have one! But Pia did not let that stop her. She was determined to become a pop star one day, so she figured that she would simply use whatever resources were available to her until she finally reached a day where she could move on to bigger opportunities. According to Nylon, she knew that she wanted to become a singer the moment that she performed in a school play for the first time! She was already naturally talented, but she knew that she needed to learn more.

What’s a girl to do? She spent a lot of time learning from her music teacher at school, who knew that she was very passionate about music. Nylon also reported that she would spend hours studying videos of some of the biggest artists of all time, like Michael Jackson, and trying to learn from their accomplishments. By the time she began posting her own recordings on YouTube, she was already highly skilled—all because she was not going to let any obstacles stop her. She would just work harder.

She Stays Grounded With A Small Circle Of Friends

The Hollywood machine can chew you up and spit you out. Pia Mia moved to Los Angeles when she was just thirteen, and the only person she knew there was her mom, who had accompanied her. How has she made it this far without any major scandals? How does she keep her head above all the drama in the industry where people are always climbing all over each other to get to the top? It definitely can’t be easy, but Pia says that she lives by one simple rule when it comes to relationships.

In an interview with AOL, Pia said that she stays out of all the tabloid drama by simply sticking to a small circle of friends. Yes, she does like to go out and have fun, but she is already mature enough to know that trying to be friends with everyone in LA and attempting to make them like you in order to get more attention will only backfire. As we mentioned earlier, Pia has said that life in Guam is very family oriented—perhaps this is why she knows that she is better just hanging around a small group of people that she trusts with everything.

Her Music Videos Are Works Of Art

First of all, if you haven’t seen any of Pia Mia’s music videos, you should probably head over to YouTube right now and check them out—but if you’re already familiar with her videos, get ready, because we’re about to gush over all the reasons why we love them. For starters, you can tell that Pia always has a ton of creative control over her wardrobe, because she always brings her unique sense of style front and center in every video. But what we really love the most is the personal flair that she brings to every shot of her videos.

For instance, in her video for “Do It Again” she’s hanging out and dancing with Hollywood pop royalty—but it’s clear that she never forgot where she came from! She spends most of the video dancing on the beach, a reminder of her island roots back in Guam. Maybe that’s why she looks like such a natural in the video! Can you imagine all of the amazing videos that will inevitably come out when Pia finally drops her album? Hopefully, they will all be as entertaining and lively as the video for “Do It Again”—we can’t wait to see them!

She Is A Naturally Amazing Dancer

As you know by now, Pia began singing and learning everything she could about music when she was in elementary school. By the time she was in middle school, she was posting videos of herself singing on YouTube, and when her channel started gaining popularity and getting attention from some big names, she decided to make her big move to Los Angeles. Now, if you’ve seen her music videos, you know that she’s a great dancer. You might suspect that she had already had some serious dance training before she moved to LA, but shockingly, this was not the case! She really had no experience before then.

According to VICE, Pia said that she never got any real dance training until after her big move! Yes, she sang and performed as often as she could while she was living at home in Guam, but as far as dancing? The kind she does in her music videos? Nope. She ended up taking some classes in LA, because she knew that she would need the skills, and she figured it could also be a big confidence boost! She ended up taking to dance like a natural, and she has come a long way.

The Nickname “Princess” Totally Fits her — She’s Pop Royalty

Honestly, what else is there to say about Princess Pia Mia? According to PopCrush, her parents gave her the nickname “Princess” when she was just a baby—but ever since she was born, she has lived up to that special nickname. Rihanna better watch out, because Pia is coming for the crown. Pia has proven that she is willing to work harder than just about anyone in Hollywood in order to get where she wants to be.

According to VICE, she said that when she began singing, she actually lost most of her friends because at such a young age, they did not understand her level of drive and passion. They didn’t understand what it was like to know exactly what you wanted to do when you were only in elementary school. But now, looking back, Pia knows that despite all of the setbacks when she was young, every single effort she has made towards her career has been worth it. And once that album charts, she’ll be on her way to the pop throne, ready to trade in that princess tiara for a queen’s crown. Better watch out for Pia Mia, because we know you’ll be seeing her everywhere.

References: Dailymail.com, Instagram.com, Twitter.com, Facebook.com, Allure.com, Nylon.com, Idolator.com, Youtube.com, Piamiamusic.com, Instyle.com, Papermag.com, okmag.com, AOL.com, VICE.com