A new song comes out of Ria Ritchie

Who the heck is Ria Ritchie?
She's a tiny lady with a big voice and even bigger hair.
Here she is wearing a lemon tea cosy on her head.

Wait. Haven't I seen her somewhere before?
Yes, she sang on Disclosure's breakout hit Control last summer.

I've just checked, and that song isn't on their album.
No, which is a shame because it's a dozen times better than some of the rubbish that did make the final cut.

Oh, come on. The reviews been brilliant? It's the dance album of the summer for people who don't think the Daft Punk album is the dance album of the summer.
This reviewer wasn't so keen. Admittedly, one star is too harsh, but a lot of the time Disclosure seem to run out of ideas and press the "wobble" button until the song ends.

So Ria Ritchie, then?
Yes, sorry. Ria comes from Lowestoft and has been self-releasing VERY GOOD singles like Only One and Something About You over the last year.

That last one sounds like Katy B.
I know.

Do all of her songs sound like Katy B?
No. Ria is an "accomplished songwriter" and can do all sorts of things. For example, her new EP is a collection of acoustic numbers.

Oh God, no.
Don't worry, it's not a total borefest. The lead track, Wrong Side Of Paradise, has a bassline that's twistier than a slinky. And the final one, Peculiar, was written with Plan B "over a bottle of JD".

Isn't that how all songs are written?
No, Dave Grohl writes all of his songs over a bottle of plum juice. Rihanna prefers a weak lime cordial. Ed Sheeran can only absorb liquids by osmosis.

Is this particular song any good, then?
The acoustic version is very pleasant in a Natalie Imbruglia sort of way. But the final mix, with clattering drums and apocalyptic strings is basically indestructible.

Oooh, good. When is that coming out?
Who knows? Ria is still unsigned - but I suspect that situation is about to change.

Where can I find out more?
Ria Ritchie is on Facebook and Twitter. And here is an interview she did with some bloke at the BBC last year. And, of course, you can buy her EP on the iTunes.

Ria Ritchie - Wrong Side Of Paradise

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Ria Ritchie: Something About You video

I was listening to Ria Ritchie's Something About You last week when someone said, "I didn't know Katy B had a new single out".

It's not an unfair point. Both artists weld clattering breakbeats to finessed, soulful vocals. And both are haunted by the chunky piano chords of the 90s rave scene they are too young to have experienced, except by watching old KLF videos on YouTube (I can highly recommend this, by the way).

The point is: If you like Katy B, you're going to like Ria Ritchie. The South Londoner has just released the video for Something About You, which is her first "proper" single after an EP and a duet with Disclosure earlier this year. It's largely event-free, but here are some of the standfout scenes.

Ria sings facing away from a wall

Ria sings facing towards a wall

Ria sings next to a canal

Ria sings while waiting for the chauffeur to load her groceries into the car

As you can imagine, Lady Gaga is watching this over and over, furiously scribbling down notes for her next video.

Ria Ritchie - Something About You

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Big tune alert: Ria Ritchie

For those of you who aren't aware of Ria Ritchie already, let's go over the basics. She plays guitar, she sings, her brother is Hollywood heartthrob Reece Ritchie, and she is a (brace yourselves) YouTube sensation.

Luckily, Ms Ritchie is a YouTube sensation in the style of cute cats and Lady Gaga videos, not Justin Bieber or this guy.


You may have heard Ria doing guest vocals on Disclosure's popstep donkathon Control earlier this summer. Sara Cox once said she liked it a lot. And, bless her cotton socks, Ria recorded Sara's endorsement off the radio and put it on her soundcloud page. Isn't that sweet?

Hailing from Suffolk, Ria was discovered by Plan B, with whom she has some great songs on her forthcoming album. She promises that record will be "acoustic pop and soul and Motown but edgier". Strangely, her new single sounds nothing like that.

The 24-year-old says Something About You started off as a soul track in the Cee-Lo Green "vein" but at some point they decided to turn it into a 90s rave track (as you do).

You can still trace the song's origins through the chunky gospel piano chords, but basically this is an arms-in-the-air, legs akimbo barnstormer. Here it is getting its world premiere of Rrrrrradio 1 Xtra.

Ria Ritchie - Something About You

Nice.

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New single from Ria Ritchie

In "oh get on with it" news, up-and-coming pop star Ria Ritchie has put out a single with South London dance specialists Disclosure. Not that this is a terrible thing - I've featured both artists on the blog before, and their collaboration is a smashing piece of work. It's just that Ria Ritchie has a couple of incredible solo songs I've been dying to tell you about for months - and this isn't either of them.

But let's not be churlish - this is a great little slice of a "dream-step". If I understand it (and I don't, really) dream-step a new genre that splices 2-step and ambient vocal house. If you like Katy B, this is going to be right up your street.

The song is called Control. Janet Jackson's lawyers are already on the phone.

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New pop find: Ria Ritchie

Here is a sentence that will make your heart sink like a shoe in a yoghurt: "With over 10 million views and 35k subscribers, Ria Ritchie is nothing short of a Youtube phenomenon."

I know what you're thinking: OH JESUS NO MAKE IT STOP. But hang about, because Ria Ritchie is actually pretty good. Here are the facts of which you need to be aware.

:: Ria is 23 years old.

:: Or maybe 24. It isn't 100 per cent clear.

:: She hails from Lowestoft, which has given us such musical luminaries as Tim Westwood, Lil Chris and The Darkness.

:: Her brother is actor Reece Ritchie, who was in mopey drama The Lovely Bones and current BBC 2 thing White Heat.

:: Those early YouTube video, recorded in her bedroom with "moody" lighting, include spine-tingling covers of You Might Need Somebody and Rihanna's PS (I'm Still Not Over You).

:: Plan B spotted her, and has now co-written and produced five of her songs.

:: One of them is called Peculiar and although I'm not allowed to put it on the blog right now, when you hear it you will go "wow".

:: Ria once met Jay-Z's business manager, who promised to put her in touch with some people who could help progress her career.

:: He also told her "about Beyonce's Single Ladies record", which sounds like a very exciting moment but the journalist who revealed this morsel of gossip apparently forgot to ask a follow-up question :(

:: The Jay-Z connection appears to have been written out of her official biography, so it probably came to nothing.

:: But that's just the harsh reality of the music business, which will kick you in the teeth as often as it touches you gently on the boob and says "I could make you a star".

:: Ria has recently toured with Example and Wretch 32.

:: She is currently "cutting tracks" with The Nexus.

:: Which basically means David Sneddon, as you can see.

:: Amazing.

Let's just get on with the music. Here is the current single, Only One.

Ria Ritchie - Only One


And here is one you can download to keep, which is called Blow Back. It's produced by Sam Frank of Skream "fame".



It's all still early days, but you should follow Ria on Twitter or on Facebook as she prepares her assault on the music industry. We'll be checking in at regular intervals, that's for sure.

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