Rhea Raj

Last updated

Rhea Raj
Born
Rhea Rajagopalan [1]

(2000-04-05) April 5, 2000 (age 25)
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active2016–present [1]
Relatives Lara Raj (sister)
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentVocals
Website rhearaj.com

Rhea Rajagopalan [1] (born April 5, 2000), known professionally as Rhea Raj, is an American singer-songwriter. [3] She is a Songwriters Hall of Fame scholarship award winner for 2020 [4] , and is the Spotify x Gold House Artist of the Year winner for 2023.[ citation needed ] She released her first album, Hunter, in 2024.

Contents

Early life

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

2016: American Idol

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. [1] [9]

2024–present: Hunter and Commotion EP

In 2024, Raj released her debut studio album, Hunter, [10] [3] [11] and a stripped down version, Hunter (Tamed edition). [12] In 2025, Raj released her follow-up EP, Commotion. [13] Later that year, Raj went on her first headlining tour to promote the EP. [14]

Discography

Studio albums
Singles
Features (tracks Rhea features on) [16]

Tours

Headlining

DateCityCountryVenue
December 2ChicagoUnited StatesBeat Kitchen
December 4TorontoCanada The Garrison
December 6New York CityUnited States Mercury Lounge
December 7Washington D.C.Pearl Street Warehouse
December 9Los Angeles The Roxy

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "'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.
  2. "International sensation Rhea Raj making wonders with her enchanting voice across the globe". bollywoodchronicle.com/. Archived from the original on March 23, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 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. "Abe Olman Scholarship". Songwriters Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  5. "Meet Rhea Raj - Voyage LA Magazine | LA City Guide". Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 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. "Q&A: Rhea Raj Burns It All Down and Rebuilds in "COMMOTION" EP". Luna Collective.
  14. "Rhea Raj Announces First Headline Tour". Asia Blooming.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 "Rhea Raj Artist page on Apple Music". Apple Music .
  16. "Rhea Raj Songs". Genius. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
  17. Raj, Rhea (October 7, 2025). "I'M BEYOND EXCITED TO PRESENT 'COMMOTION' MY FIRST EVER HEADLINE TOUR".
  18. "TOUR". Rhea Raj. Retrieved October 7, 2025.