Rhea Raj

Rhea Raj
Born
Rhea Sri Rajagopalan[1]

(2000-04-05) April 5, 2000[2]
Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.
Alma materNew York University Tisch School of the Arts
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active2016–present[3]
RelativesLara Raj (sister)
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentVocals
Websiterhearaj.com

Rhea Sri Rajagopalan (born April 5, 2000), known professionally as Rhea Raj, is an American singer and songwriter. She released her first album, Hunter, in 2024.

Early life

Rhea Raj was born in Connecticut to Indian parents, Kavita Raj and Sri Rajagopalan. Her parents are both ethnically Tamil.[5][6] She grew up in Plano, Texas.[7] Her mother ran a Bharatnatyam dance school and her father worked in digital marketing.[5] At two years old, she began learning classical Indian dance.[8] She began singing when she was 10 years old, and began writing songs when she was 11 years old.[9][10] Her younger sister, Lara, is part of the girl group Katseye.[5][11]

Career

2016: American Idol

Raj appeared in the fifteenth season of American Idol in 2016. She progressed from the audition stage but failed to pass the Hollywood Week round.[3][12]

2018–present: Solo career

After graduating high school, Raj founded the record label Misschief Records in 2018.[13] Her mother runs the label with her. Raj began her career as a solo artist in 2019 with the singles "2AM" and "You're a Star".[14] In 2020, she was selected by BMI to receive the Abe Olman Scholarship Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.[14]

She studied at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts' Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music where she met Jacob Kasher Hindlin.[13] She later signed with Hindlin's publishing company, Livelihood Music Company, for representation as a writer and producer.[15][10]

In 2023, Raj was selected as the Spotify x Gold House Artist of the Year.[16]

In 2024, Raj released her debut studio album, Hunter,[17][4] and a stripped down version, Hunter (Tamed edition).[18] In 2025, Raj released her follow-up EP, Commotion.[19] Its lead single "Haute Couture" with Aliyah's Interlude received a Fortnite emote. Later that year, Raj went on her first headlining tour to promote the EP.[20] She performed "Haute Couture" alongside Aliyah's Interlude at Lollapalooza in 2025.[5]

In January 2026, Raj became the first artist signed to 5 Junction Management, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group led by DesiHits founder Anjula Acharia.[21]

Discography

Extended plays
  • Hunter (2024)
  • Commotion (2025)
Singles
Features (tracks Rhea features on)
Songwriting Credits
Year Artist Album Song
2025 Knock2 and Rhea Raj
2025 Rhea Raj and Aliyah's Interlude "Haute Couture"
2025 Maroon 5 featuring Lisa Love Is Like "Priceless"

References

  1. ↑ "Rajagopalan Rhea Sri". ASCAP. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
  2. ↑ "25 🪷". www.instagram.com.
  3. 1 2 "'American Idol' Recap: Fourth Night of Auditions Returns to Little Rock and Denver". Billboard. January 14, 2016. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  4. 1 2 Mier, Tomás (June 27, 2024). "Rising Pop Star Rhea Raj Dances Through a Moody Sci-Fi World in Flirtatious Video for 'Hush'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Talawadekar, Vaishnavi Nayel (November 18, 2025). "Rhea Raj is making pop music for the girls that pop music left out". Vogue India. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  6. ↑ Poorvaja, S. (December 30, 2025). "Rhea Raj on her love for Chennai, the Commotion tour, and what made 2025 special". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Meet Rhea Raj - Voyage LA Magazine | LA City Guide". Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  8. ↑ Johnson, Perry (October 28, 2023). "Rhea Raj is one to watch". Galore. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Rhea Raj | New Visual "Venom" & South Asian Roots". Flaunt. January 3, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  10. 1 2 Mitchell, Ashlee (October 18, 2021). "Rhea Raj". Euphoria. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Meet Lara Raj". Voyage LA Magazine. July 30, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Ex American Idol Contestant Rhea Raj Talks New Music, Feminism and More!". Urban Asian. April 17, 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  13. 1 2 Pawa, Anjana (December 19, 2023). "Rhea Raj: 'I want to share my culture with the world'". JoySauce. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  14. 1 2 "Rhea Rajagopalan p/k/a Rhea Raj". Songwriters Hall of Fame. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
  15. 1 2 "Rhea Raj". Livelihood Music Company. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Rhea Raj". Gold House. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Royalty By UpsideDown, Happy Singh & Rhea Raj Will Make You Shake A Leg". Urban Asian. June 10, 2019. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Year of the Hunter". Harper's Bazaar Việt Nam. December 4, 2024. Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Q&A: Rhea Raj Burns It All Down and Rebuilds in "COMMOTION" EP". Luna Collective.
  20. ↑ "Rhea Raj Announces First Headline Tour". Asia Blooming.
  21. ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (January 6, 2026). "Anjula Acharia Doubles Down on Warner Music Partnership, Launches 5 Junction Management With 'American Idol' Star Rhea Raj Signing (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Rhea Raj Artist page on Apple Music". Apple Music.
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