LEEA CLEM: Why artists from small places deserve the spotlight

A couple weeks ago I had the absolute pleasure to sit down and have a conversation with Giulia (Leea), and let me tell you, she is even more amazing in person. Since she is a born and raised girl in the south of Italy, and I currently am in Ireland, our conversation took place online. Leea contacted me after shared interests in the platform TikTok. After a brief talk, we connected immediately, and we arranged a conversation for our audience.

WHO IS LEEA CLEM?

Leea Clem, or Giulia, is a 21 year old girl who has always had an

inclination towards music. Something really special we shared was our “fangirl” side, but with two completely different outcomes. Leea as an artist, and me as a marketing major. Different careers but inspired by the same thing: Music. Leea has been singing for as long as she can remember, but didn’t start fully embracing it as a career path, until she was 13 (still incredibly young). Her first single “A Universe Apart”, came out in 2021, setting her off for a future of successes and path she would never imagine being on.

Leea continued releasing singles and was later on signed to a management company, ruled by one of the biggest record label groups in the world. Under this management, she released her first EP “Sweet Revenge”. This was the first time where Leea released music composed both in Italian and English. During this time Leea learned a lot about the industry and discovered that writing in Italian was something she was passionate about. Although this may seem like her breaking point, Leea actually struggled creatively since the pressure from management to go a certain direction, was just too much.

“CLOSE TO U” AND MUSICAL INSPIRATIONS

Leea has always been a singer and songwriter, reason why all her music is deeply personal. After all her experiences with label management and what it is like to create music under a team, she decided to start her journey as an independent artist.  It is very inspiring to hear cases like her. She started so young and on a pursue of her dream, she came across a management team that didn’t exactly align with her creative vision, which led her to become completely independent. What I love about artists like Leea, is that the passion to their craft is so evident, that they radiate that emotion in the way they communicate.

When I first heard “Close To U”, I thought it was a very dance-pop inspired song. It really makes you want to get up and go to the dancefloor. In reality though, that is not only what the song intends. After my second or third listen, I started really paying attention to the lyrics. “My mind is the worst place I’ve ever been to”, “When I’m all alone, I swear I get lost in my emptiness”. That was a very interesting line to hear, cause it’s hidden within a very lively beat. Songs like “Close to U” have this contradicting nature that makes you feel so heard but so free at the same time.

When in conversation with her, Leea expressed that the message behind the song is getting so lost in your overwhelming thoughts, that there’s only one (or a few) person (people) that can guide you to light. This song does not come from a place of co-dependence, but rather, finding a guide to help you ground yourself. This song was based on a ballad/acoustic song by another artist, and it turned out to be something completely different. Leea shared her message and made the song completely hers.

VERSATILITY AND A MESSAGE TO GIVE

Leea often mentions her effort to become that idol she always looked for as a little girl, especially growing up in South Italy. As audiences, we often see representation for girls in big cities and living the big life, but what about the ones that don’t have access to it?

Adéla Jergova, a Sloviak artist that is currently blowing up in the mainstream space is someone that shines on representing her roots and where she comes from. Zara Larsson is a Swedish girl, that after years in the industry, finally became a recognized name within Pop music. This is the type of representation that the current media space is lacking. Leea is working towards becoming an example that no matter where you come from, you can achieve your dreams. You don’t need a huge team or a big budget to make things happen. It’s about initiative, understanding who you are, and becoming the best version of yourself.

Leea has shown time and time again that resilience plays a huge part of following your dreams, especially in such a competitive industry. To whoever is reading this, I really do encourage you to take a look at Leea’s repertoire. She is full of talent and has so much to share with the world. It was an absolute pleasure getting to work with her and understanding her background.

If you want to watch the whole interview, please go to the Mainstream Un:Edited youtube video here: https://youtu.be/GwowUxa_-OE?si=Joffuy5H5VhjuWa3

LEEA CLEM SPOTIFY (Close To U): https://open.spotify.com/album/1CSJh1oVWTDwk0A53VdNsx?si=bHF4C8gbTeKXYa5aUkvFSw