Gen Z’s favorite It Girl Aliyah’s Interlude is back with her highly anticipated single “Fashion Icon.” The runway anthem showcased the many layers of the TikTok sensation with an emphasis on embracing personal style.
With an up-tempo beat and quotable hook, the Zillennial continues to show listeners she’s a true artist and taps into her inner house music influences. “‘Fashion Icon’ is a song about the creatives out there who do the most with the least,” she says. “The fashion icons who could make a trash bag look FAB. I can’t wait for you guys to experience and love this song as much as I do.”
The raptress continues to set the timeline on fire with her signature aesthetic, Aliyahcore, a distinctive alt-emo, Y2K, Harajuku-inspired innovative style. She has captured audiences globally, resulting in Aliyah having over four million followers across her socials and the #Aliyahcore hashtag on TikTok generating more than 480 million views.
With her being at the forefront of Black Gen Z creators, she continues to break barriers for girls who look like her. “I know, as a dark-skinned Black woman, we don’t get these opportunities very often,” she told GU. “I have a big responsibility to do my best at everything I do to show other dark-skinned Black girls that this is possible, and you just have to find your own lane.”
In 2023, she released her debut single, “IT GIRL,” which quickly generated over seven million views on YouTube, 1.2 million TikTok videos, and 83 million streams to date. With over five million monthly Spotify listeners, she continues to become a household name among the internet-crazed Zillennials.
“I created my own niche essentially,” she says. “So I think that means taking a risk on myself and being authentic and unique was like one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
Read ‘Aliyah’s Interlude Is Entering Her Pop Star Era With Debut Single ‘IT GIRL’
About the Author: Kenyatta Victoria is the lead writer for Essence GU, working on all things pop culture, politics, entertainment and business. Throughout her time at GU, she’s garnered devoted readers and specializes in the Zillennial point of view.