Many people would prefer their exes stay buried in the past, preferably with no chance of a resurfacing. Neriah, however, prefers to face those ghosts head on. The 23-year- old singer-songwriter isn’t scared of tapping into her past and present emotions, especially when she can channel them into art.
“My parents always say that I started singing before I started to talk,” says Neriah, who wrote her first song at just five years old. With the recent release of her debut album Cause of Death, the singer channeled her past breakups and toxic exes into an 18-track project that takes listeners through every stage of splitting up.
“From realizing someone isn’t good for you, to missing them, to wanting them back, to wondering if you’re making the right decisions,” says Neriah about the album’s journey, “to eventually realizing that they are not your person and you deserve so much more.” Neriah takes the hard and intense lessons from her past relationships to propel her self- love for the future. “‘Promise Ring’ is one of my favorite tracks on the album,” she says about the upbeat and energetic song that explores lies, betrayal, and deception. “I remember the day I wrote it, [because] my ex had just asked me to go on a break.” The whole album was written while the narrative was unfolding in real time, giving listeners a firsthand glimpse into Neriah’s full experience with her ex. “When I wrote this song, I was definitely physically and mentally in a very hard place,” Neriah says.
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Although Cause of Death came out in October, fans are tuned in to the release of November’s deluxe version, which includes six additional tracks. Neriah dedicates the follow- up version to post-breakup life, saying, “The deluxe is a total vibe change, and it’s actually about learning how to love yourself and fall in love again.”
This story appears in the pages of GEN V4: now available for purchase!
Photography Sam Dameshek
Fashion Hunter Clem
Makeup Carolina B.
Hair Preston Wada
Manicure Naoko Saita (Opus Beauty)
Set designer Teaghan Rohan
Photo assistant Vincent Lantzy
Fashion assistant Nick Rossi
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