It’s not common to feel like you know exactly who an artist is and what they stand for with just their debut album, but Leezy manages to pull you into her world with every song on the introspective Metanoia. It’s a voyage through her deepest thoughts, her feelings about her past, and her hope for the future that unfolds into such a beautifully alluring story.

“It feels amazing to finally put it out there,” Leezy tells TREMG. “It’s been scary for me in the past to be vulnerable, especially on such a large scale, so releasing this album is a huge accomplishment for me – not only career-wise, but also in my personal healing journey.”

Metanoia is dynamic proof of how versatile Leezy is as an artist, fluctuating between airy, electro sounds and darker, almost sinister energy while exploring a wide range of human emotions. The bass-driven “Monsters Are Waiting” touches on protecting your inner child, while “Cocaine Kisses” touches on her battle with substance abuse – she’s now been sober for three years. Another standout is the Lana Del Rey-esque “Girls Like You,” a piano-led track about unrequited sapphic love with an ethereal sense of melancholia.

“‘Girls Like You’ was written about a friend of mine who I was totally in love with,” Leezy confesses. “Unfortunately, the feeling was not mutual. This made for a very messy ‘friendship,’ and ended with me feeling very resentful and heartbroken… resulting in the writing of ‘Girls Like You!’”

The ten tracks on Metanoia intertwine to create a vivid picture of who Leezy is, where she’s been, and where she’s going, while empowering the listener to find their own place in the world in spite of their struggles. It finds beauty in moving through hard times without romanticizing the pain, showing the duality of every experience and highlighting that even the most difficult challenges will pass.

“It’s been so wonderful and very challenging these past few years,” she shares. “I have absolutely grown and learned so much about myself. Overall, I feel much more motivated and clear-headed. However, getting sober was not ‘the cure.’ It would be so great if it was, but I still have my fair share of bad days, and I have a lot more to work through. The biggest obstacle has been learning how to cope healthily with the emotions that I was numbing with substances. I’ve come such a long way, and for that I’m proud (I just hit 3 years of sobriety), but it’s definitely not an easy road.”

It’s certainly not an easy road, but Leezy is well on her way to becoming a dark pop icon thanks to her confessional songwriting and lush production. Every moment of Metanoia hooks you in and sends you on an immersive journey before letting you go, returning you to the “real” world with a new sense of how far you’ve come since your lowest points and who you want to be at your highest ones.

You can find Metanoia on your favorite streaming services now, and get to know Leezy on Instagram and TikTok! Keep reading for more from our conversation with this mesmerizing singer-songwriter.

Congratulations on your debut album, Metanoia! How does it feel to finally share the project with the world?

Thank you so much! It feels amazing to finally put it out there. It’s been scary for me in the past to be vulnerable, especially on such a large scale, so releasing this album is a huge accomplishment for me – not only career-wise, but also in my personal healing journey.

Is there a certain lyric on Metanoia that you’re particularly proud of?

I’m super nit-picky about my lyrics, so I’m extremely proud of all of them considering I let them see the light of day. A lyric that is particularly special to me though, is from the song “Monsters Are Waiting,” in which I say, “Oh Camilia, why am I not near you?” Camilia is my full name, and I haven’t gone by it since I was around 8 years old. The song as a whole is about reconnecting with my inner child, and in that lyric, I’m speaking to the feeling of losing touch with that part of
myself– that name– and wanting to find my way back to her.

Which song on Metanoia means the most to you?

The song that means the most to me is definitely “Sierra.” It’s the “happy ending” of the album, and symbolizes the moment I decided I wanted to change my life for the better. I wrote the song while I was in treatment for substance abuse, and it’s dedicated to my mom who was my biggest supporter when getting sober.

Which song on Metanoia took the longest to make?

“Lovesick” was originally going to be an interlude, and it was left as one for a while as I was writing the rest of the album. I came back to it a couple months later and decided I wanted to flesh it out into a full song. So that was probably the one that took the longest because I ended up re-writing it.

One of our favorite tracks on Metanoia is the piano ballad “Girls Like You,” which gives us such Lana Del Rey vibes. What’s the story behind that track?

“Girls Like You” was written about a friend of mine who I was totally in love with— unfortunately, the feeling was not mutual. This made for a very messy “friendship,” and ended with me feeling very resentful and heartbroken… resulting in the writing of “Girls Like You!”

How did you know that now was the time to debut your first full-length album?

I was finally ready to share my story with the world. Like I said, it can be really scary to put yourself out there, to be vulnerable, and to own your experiences. These are all things I’ve been working on for the past three years (since getting sober) in my own personal life, and I ultimately arrived at a place where I felt far enough away from my rock bottom to be able to share what I went through.

We love the dreamy yet dark pop feel on the album! Who were some of your influences on the project, or some artists you were listening to a lot while working on the record?

At the time of writing the album, I was very sad, so I was listening to a lot of dark, heavy songs– a lot of Elliott Smith, King Krule, Lana Del Rey, Portishead… I was influenced by the way their music made me feel. It was like I was understood and justified in my sadness, and that it was okay to sit with that for a moment.

The songs on Metanoia all paint such a vivid picture thanks to the vibrant lyrics and immersive soundscape. Do you have any music videos in the works to bring those stories to life?

Yes! I made a music video for the song “Monsters Are Waiting,” which [premiered] on November 3rd, and I released videos for all three of the singles that preceded Metanoia (“Girls Like You,” “Sierra,” and “Cocaine Kisses”).

Before finishing Metanoia, you went through treatment for addiction and we could only imagine how much of a challenge that could’ve been. What has it been like for you to get to reclaim your life and push past the obstacles you’ve faced over the past few years?

It’s been so wonderful and very challenging these past few years. I have absolutely grown and learned so much about myself. Overall, I feel much more motivated and clear-headed. However, getting sober was not “the cure.” It would be so great if it was, but I still have my fair share of bad days, and I have a lot more to work through. The biggest obstacle has been learning how to cope healthily with the emotions that I was numbing with substances. I’ve come such a long way, and for that I’m proud (I just hit 3 years of sobriety), but it’s definitely not an easy road.

How do you feel you’ve grown as an artist since releasing your Dear Diary EP in 2019?

Well for starters, Dear Diary was all written while I was still very much in active addiction, so since then, I feel like I’m a completely different person. My mind is a lot clearer now, so artistically, I feel like it makes my writing process a lot more concise– I know what I want to say and how I want to say it, rather than the “racing thoughts word vomit” that I felt was how I used to write.

For anyone who isn’t familiar with your music already, which of your songs would you recommend to them to get a feel for who you are as an artist?

I would recommend they listen to “Sierra.” As of right now, that song is the heart of my story. It’s a transitional song, and I’m at a very transitional point in my life and my career. I’d hope it would give the listener an idea of where I’ve been and where I’m going!

We at TREMG love getting to know new artists who haven’t gotten the success or attention they deserve. Who are some of your favorite underrated artists at the moment?

My favorite right now is @nussyandrews, who is a friend of mine on TikTok. She is an amazing lyricist and her music reminds me a lot of Fiona Apple and Regina Spektor.

What can your fans look forward to in the rest of 2022?

Lots of teasers… the real party starts in 2023! I might do one more release before the end of the year— stay tuned with all things Leezy on Instagram (@leezymusic69) and TikTok (@leezy)!

Is there anything else you’d like to mention that the questions didn’t touch on?

I think that covers it – thanks for having me!