Rhea Raj

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Rhea Raj
Born
Rhea Sri Rajagopalan

(2000-04-05) April 5, 2000 (age 25)
Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active2014–present
RelativesLara Raj (sister)
Musical career
Genres
Instrument(s)Vocals, Piano, DJ
Websiterhearaj.com

Rhea Rajagopalan[2] (born April 5, 2000), known professionally as Rhea Raj, is an Indian-American singer-songwriter.[3] She is a Songwriters Hall of Fame winner for 2020, and is the Spotify x Gold House Artist of the Year winner for 2023, an initiative to increase Asian talent in the music industry.[4] She released her debut album, Hunter, in 2024.

Early life

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Rhea Raj was born in Stamford, Connecticut, to Indian parents, Kavita Raj and Sri Rajagopalan. Her parents are both ethnically Tamil.[3] She grew up in Plano, Texas[5] and New Jersey before moving to New York. Her mother taught Indian classical music and she attended Bharatnatyam classes, which led Rhea to begin her interest in music.[6] She has been musically trained since age 10.[6][7]

Her younger sister, Lara Raj, is also a singer, and is part of girl group Katseye.[8]

Career

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2016: American Idol

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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 due to a throat infection.[2][9]

2024–present: Hunter

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In 2024, Raj released her debut studio album, Hunter,[10][3][11] and a stripped down version, Hunter (Tamed edition).[12]

In April 2025, Raj performed at Coachella.[13] The next month, she performed at Wango Tango in Santa Monica.[14]. In August 2025, she performed at Lolapallooza alongside Aliyah's Interlude.

Discography

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Studio albums
  • HUNTER (2024)
  • HUNTER Tamed Edition (2024)
  • Commotion EP (2025)
Singles
  • "Royalty" (with UpsideDown and Happy Singh)[6] (2019)
  • "You're a Star"[6] (2019)
  • "Overdose"[6] (2020)
  • "Go Down"[6] (2020)
  • "Outside"[6] (2022)
Features (tracks rhea features on) [15]
  • "Feel Again" Wayfloe (2017)
  • "Tidal Waves" Tom Ferro & Gil Sanders (2017)
  • "Ride With You" Harel Atias (2017)
  • "Rewind" Alawn (2017)
  • "Overdrive" Gil Sanders & Tom Ferro (2017)
  • "All Your Love" Gudi (2018)
  • "All Your Love" (Lyus Remix) Lyus (2018)
  • "Intertwine" Zary (2018)
  • "Intertwine" (Extended Mix) Zary (2018)
  • "fw me(dirty)" Knock2 (2025)

Tours

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Headlining

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Date City Country Venue
December 2 Chicago United States Beat Kitchen
December 4 Toronto Canada The Garrison
December 6 New York City United States Mercury Lounge
December 7 Washington D.C. Pearl Street Warehouse
December 9 Los Angeles The Roxy

References

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  1. ^ "International sensation Rhea Raj making wonders with her enchanting voice across the globe". bollywoodchronicle.com/. Archived from the original on March 23, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "'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.
  3. ^ a b c Reeta (June 1, 2019). "The "2 AM" singer Rhea Raj is Indian by birth". Tellyexpress. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  4. ^ Kim, Regina. "10 Rising AAPI Artists You Need to Know". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 5, 2025. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
  5. ^ "Meet Rhea Raj - Voyage LA Magazine | LA City Guide". Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Glamsham (March 23, 2020). "Rhea Raj, surely is a one of a kind artist of today's time". Glamsham. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  7. ^ "A blend of music and dance.. Rhea Raj, surely is a one of a kind artist of today's time". www.msn.com. Archived from the original on February 19, 2025. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  8. ^ "Meet Lara Raj". Voyage LA Magazine. July 30, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  9. ^ "Ex American Idol Contestant Rhea Raj Talks New Music, Feminism and More!". Urban Asian. April 17, 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ "Year of the Hunter". Harper's Bazaar Việt Nam. December 4, 2024. Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  13. ^ Campbell, Erica. "Coachella Backstage Interviews 2025 - PAPER Magazine". Paper Mag.
  14. ^ Teti, Julia (May 12, 2025). "iHeartRadio's Wango Tango: Meghan Trainor, Gwen Stefani, Doja Cat and More Celebrity Style". WWD.
  15. ^ "Rhea Raj Songs". Genius. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  16. ^ Raj, Rhea (October 7, 2025). "I'M BEYOND EXCITED TO PRESENT 'COMMOTION' MY FIRST EVER HEADLINE TOUR".
  17. ^ "TOUR". Rhea Raj. Retrieved October 7, 2025.