Q&A: Aliza Li’s New Single “Healing” is a Soul-Stirring Ode to Resilience
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY KIMBERLY KAPELA ☆
THERE’S A QUIET KIND OF BRAVERY IN ALIZA LI’S MUSIC – the kind that sneaks up on you when you least expect it. Atlanta's rising star in R&B and neo-soul, has unveiled her deeply personal new single, “Healing”—a melodic masterpiece that speaks to resilience, renewal and the universal longing for growth. The track is a heartfelt exploration of self-discovery, wrapped in tender vocals and lush instrumentation that creates a profoundly moving listening experience.
With poignant lyrics reflecting the scars we carry and the strength needed to mend, “Healing” is an emotional journey that Li delivers with unparalleled sincerity. Her silky, evocative voice floats effortlessly over warm basslines and shimmering acoustic melodies, creating a soundscape that feels both intimate and expansive. The dreamy instrumentation wraps around her vocal performance like a comforting embrace, perfectly balancing the raw emotion of her lyrics with the elegance of her artistry.
Rooted in the rich traditions of neo-soul and modern R&B, Healing showcases Li’s exceptional ability to fuse vulnerability with technical mastery. Her storytelling reflects the beauty and complexity of emotional recovery, drawing inspiration from her own experiences overcoming life’s trials and tribulations. This deeply personal perspective imbues “Healing” with authenticity, making it a song that resonates on a deeply human level.
This sense of duality is what makes Li such a captivating presence in contemporary music. She doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff—the pain, the questions, the uncertainty. Instead, she leans in, turning her experiences into something listeners can hold onto. With a voice that moves effortlessly between velvety smooth and powerfully commanding, Li has an uncanny ability to make the deeply personal feel universal.
LUNA: Thank you for talking to Luna. Our readers would love to get to know you and your music more. For any readers who aren’t familiar with you yet, what inspires your artistic style and sound?
ALIZA: I would say my life experiences because all of my songs are very personal for me. I find it so hard to put myself in someone else's shoes, just because they are just so personal to me when I write, so what inspires me is definitely my life experiences, the day-to-day, and what I'm feeling at the time.
LUNA: Say if someone hasn't heard of your music yet, which song would you introduce them to that best encapsulates your artistic growth and maturity?
ALIZA: I would introduce them to my “Mirror Me” song, which is on my second EP that I ever released, because for me, that's when I became super honest to the world and could say what I really want to say. That's definitely how I feel most of the time, just having that self reflection in the back of my mind all the time.
LUNA: What kind of atmosphere or emotional space do you aim to create for your listeners?
ALIZA: I definitely want to transport them out of the day-to-day, so if we transport them into a place of serenity and peace or something to take their mind off of things. The basics, what's important, like self-care and really taking care of yourself and making sure you're okay, because if you're not okay, you can't be okay for everyone else.
LUNA: Your newest single “Healing” is such a deeply personal and moving song. Can you share what inspired you to write this track and the emotions you wanted to convey through it?
ALIZA: The whole 2024 was a real experience for me, so it really this song that I pulled it out of myself. I normally don't take so long to write songs, but it took me months to put together this song, and really it was just my battles with my anxiety on the day-to-day. I'm sure I'm not the only one going through that, and I really wanted to create something that's relatable for everyone, because at the end of the day, we're all just trying to make it day-to-day.
LUNA: The song speaks to resilience and renewal. How much of your personal journey and experiences shaped the lyrics and overall tone of “Healing?”
ALIZA: I would say everything, not only just personal, but just as my artistic career as well, too, I've learned a lot of what not to do through this journey. So I always feel like I'm constantly becoming and evolving into this different person, whether that's personally or as an artist. I think that's important. I think we all should just continue to grow because that's how we get to where we want to be.
LUNA: Emotional recovery is a central theme in this track. What message do you hope listeners take away from “Healing,” especially those going through their own struggles?
ALIZA: I hope that they can take away that it's okay to crash out because healing is ugly. Nobody really talks about how ugly that process really is, and how you can just shut everyone else out of your life and things like that, and it's okay to do that, but you got to come back at a certain point, and only when you're ready to but when you do come back, it is going to be that much better. You'll have your boundaries and you'll be thankful for the journey that you went through.
LUNA: How has music played a role in your own healing journey? Do you see songwriting as a form of therapy for yourself?
ALIZA: It sounds so cliche because everybody says music saved my life, but literally music saved my life. I listen to music every day. I think it's weird that people don't listen to music every day. I'm like, how do you get through your life? Every single day as I'm in this business, I'm a fan. You put on your favorite song, something that you're going through that day, and it helps make everything better. A huge part of my day-to-day life is music.
LUNA: How does it feel to put such vulnerable work out into the world that details such intimate personal experiences with your mental health and your own healing journey?
ALIZA: Initially, I did have anxiety releasing it, but now once you're out there, you're out there, people either like it or love it, and now it's therapeutic. I love being totally honest, because I'll admit in my personal life, I'm not as honest as I am when I am writing music, and I feel like I get all my thoughts and my feelings out there. It's definitely therapeutic for me.
LUNA: You touch a lot of self-care and self-love in your music and personal life. What are your personal favorite ways to show yourself self-love and self-care?
ALIZA: I love creating a space where I can drown out all of the noise and just sit with myself, whether I'm scrolling on my phone or reading a book or watching my favorite show, just taking that time out for myself really promotes healing. I can sit and reflect on my day, but when you constantly have those interactions with people on a daily basis, you don't have time to reflect and listen to what it is that you need. Whether that's relaxing, taking a bath, maybe just sitting, or something you would take your mind off of doing, and just really being there for yourself.
LUNA: How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the rest of the year look like that you would like to share with Luna?
ALIZA: I'm honestly feeling great right now, like this release has been really well received, and I'm so happy because music saved my life. If there is something that I can give at least one person, or if any, if it touches anybody at all, I'm happy. I am super excited for the year coming up. I have a lot more surprises in store, so I'm really happy I'm over my writer's block and ready to get back out there and maybe collaborate with some new artists just to experiment with sound. I would like to think I found my sound, but I'm still trying to figure out what that signature Aliza Li sound is. People are going to see a lot of different sides of me.
