AZRA is a South Korea-born, Bay Area-raised, now Los Angeles-based independent Korean-American artist, creator of the substance pop genre, performer, singer-songwriter, hip hop dancer, model, published author, and motivational storyteller, with a mission to inspire people to be their authentic selves and to empower others to live out their dreams unapologetically and boldly. Through bewitching music and memorable live performances, she creates an experience toward a whole new state of mind — what she calls the “6th Dimension” — in which she deeply connects with her fans.
After being diagnosed with glaucoma at age 19 and losing eyesight temporarily in her right eye, AZRA was forced to see beyond what meets the eye. Thus began her lifelong quest of substance and meaning in life. This led her to write The Cupcake Theory, an inspirational book about fostering relationships and encouraging self-love. She also started her own brand of business consulting and coaching called CLÚ INC, which later led to a corporate management position for one of the Big 4 consulting companies, Accenture. After juggling two careers, AZRA decided to leave this very lucrative corporate world earning high six figures consulting for executives and high visibility clients in the world and instead pursued her artistic dreams, tackling the music world as an artist.
Born in South Korea, AZRA has been singing, performing, playing and dancing since the tender age of four. At 10, she had already composed her first classical pop piece on piano and violin. She continuously performed in musical theater and church choirs, and went on to dance for a prominent hip hop dance company at Boston University as well as joined a New York-based girl group. It is this same fiery determination that compelled her to reinvent herself once more to pursue her professional music career, no holds barred.
In 2017, AZRA coined, established and shared her own music genre called ‘substance pop’ with the release of her first EP. The term originated after AZRA vowed that her music and any artistic expression she shares with the world will have substance, depth, and purpose behind them to lift others up along their life's journey, following her health scare when diagnosed with glaucoma. Substance pop is influenced by a mixture of 2000's and 10’s pop music and contemporary pop and grunge rock, and includes empowering pop belting and catchy melodies fused with mission-driven lyrics focused on self-empowerment, authenticity and personal development.
Her first single “Dimension” (2019) reached #1 on the Digital Radio Airplay Independent Chart, while her single “Dangerous” (2020) charted #1 on the Independent Digital Radio Airplay charts. Soon after, AZRA was selected as a '20 and '21 GRAMMY NEXT Artist by the Recording Academy as one of the future leaders in music. She was one of just three artists chosen for the program and the first Korean American to be offered the opportunity which included mentorship by Grammy-nominated, multi-Platinum writer-producer Marcus ‘MarcLo’ Lomax who's a member of writing and production group The Monsters & Strangerz. She has garnered acclaim from many publications such as Hollywood Life, Music Is My Radar, LA Weekly, BillboardSounds, PopDust, Women's Republic, and FOX News.
AZRA launched her own record label under the CLÚ umbrella, CLÚ Records, intent on creating music on her own terms. Citing Freddie Mercury, Whitney Houston, Cher, Madonna, Children of Bodom, BoA, Pink, Max Martin, Timbaland, and Michael Jackson as her influences, she has collaborated with some of the best names in the industry, including Grammy Award-nominated songwriter Natalia Bortolotti, Grammy Award-winning mixer and engineer Justin Hergett, Jamie Jones from All 4 One and The Heavyweight, as well as Candice Pillay, singer-songwriter and vocal producer for Rihanna. She has opened for Plain White T's and has toured for Pride Festivals all over the country. Her magnetic stage presence and infectious energy undoubtedly captivate audiences wherever she performs.
Audacious, spirited and limitless, AZRA is based in Los Angeles, where she writes, creates, and collaborates with the mission to inspire others to “Follow your passion. Create your own show. The world is your stage, for anything you can imagine is possible.”
