In conversation w/ BIIA
APRIL 8, 2025 → WORDS SARA NAVARRO PHOTOGRAPHY NATALIA SKOTNICKA, VANESSA DORIA STYLING NASTAZJA KUS HAIR STANISLAW DROZDZOWSKI,
NATALIA PASZKIEWICZ MAKE-UP OLIWIA KWIATKOWSKA NAILS JAKUB KOCHANIEWSKI PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT & LIGHT MATEUSZ LODZINSKI
From the underground clubs of Portugal to captivating audiences on global stages, BIIA is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the world of electronic music. Known for her electrifying fusion of raw, energetic techno and 90’s-inspired hard house beats, her rise has been nothing short of meteoric. With millions of streams, a standout Boiler Room set, and collaborations with some of the most exciting names in the scene, BIIA is carving out a space for herself as an artist who blends powerful music with bold self-expression.
We dive deep into her journey — from discovering her unique sound in her teenage years to navigating the challenges of being a woman in this industry. BIIA shares her thoughts on industry recognition, the role of collaborations in shaping her career, and her upcoming projects that promise to push boundaries. We also explore how fashion, as a form of self-expression, plays an essential role in her art, reflecting both her personal aesthetic and her broader vision for the future.
As BIIA continues to break down barriers and build her global presence, her story is a testament to perseverance, authenticity, and the power of staying true to one’s own vision.
Could you share your journey into electronic music and how you discovered your unique sound?
I discovered electronic music during my teenage years because my cousin has a store that sells DJ and production equipment. He gives classes as well. All the equipment and machines fascinated me and I wanted to know the purpose of all buttons. Some years later when I started to go out I could dance for hours completely sober cause my mind was being completely stimulated. I found my sound by listening to a lot of music and producing. Over time, if we pay attention to what attracts us most, what we repeat, what we crave, we can achieve our own style. However, it is a process that is in constant mutation due to the inputs we receive all the time.
How did your Boiler Room showcase, which has amassed over 600K views, influence your career trajectory? Would you consider it a pivotal moment in your journey? Are there other milestones that made you feel like you had truly established yourself in the industry?
Boiler Room is a showcase with enormous visibility, since it is online it can reach everyone. I knew I had to seize this opportunity to exhibit my work and show it to the world. Since then I feel that people know more about who I am and the audience that wants to hear me is bigger. Another milestone was when I signed a contract with my first international agency, because before that I played mainly in Portugal, my country.
How do you balance staying true to your artistic vision while navigating an industry that often imposes labels and expectations?
I would say it is one of the biggest challenges in my career. Trying to always stay true to ourselves in an ever-changing and competitive market is difficult. It's hard to stay focused and not succumb to external influences. For me to be able to find that balance is key in a career, it requires confidence, truth but also a strategic vision.
Your B2B with Victoria De Angelis at Neopop Festival created a big buzz online. How important are collaborations like these in inspiring more inclusivity in the scene?
Support between artists is super important, because it is an exchange of energy, knowledge, vision and allows us to reach out to other people. Everyone is different and everyone has something positive to bring to the table. I love feeling inspired by those around me and Victoria is one of those people.
As a woman in electronic music, what barriers have you encountered, and how have you navigated them? Do you feel the industry is progressing in terms of gender equality? What changes would you still like to see?
I feel like in recent times we all have the same opportunities in the industry as long as we prove ourselves. I can’t be a hypocrite and say that being a woman nowadays doesn’t open doors for us, but then we have to work even harder to show the real reason for being there.
However I would like that the physical image of an artist didn’t reflect his value. There is still a lot of prejudice regarding this. Respect must be earned by the work, skills and talent of the artist and not by the way he presents himself, he dresses or he dances. What is wrong and right anyway? Just because Prince performs topless doesn’t mean his work is any less valuable. It’s just a way of expressing himself.
Your MOTOROLA RIDES merch launch was bold and distinctive. What inspired its concept? How do you see fashion and music intersecting in your work as a form of self-expression?
Motorola Rides is about phone talks on summer nights. A desire to turn that phone ride into reality. And I wanted the communication to reflect that. Fashion is just another way of communicating without using words, so I think it has a lot of power. When we present ourselves in a place, the way we dress speaks faster than our mouth. It’s a projection of our personality. So for me it’s important to have their own unique style. Why would we all talk the same?
Which designers or fashion movements inspire your creative direction?
The fashion designers that have been inspiring my aesthetic are Luis de Javier, Mowalola and Ludovic de Saint Sernin. They are dark but also bold and sexy. I’ve been feeling very attracted to 60’s fashion. The way women expressed themselves in clothing, the photography, and graphic images is very attractive to me. The Playboy magazine in the 60’s was amazing.
If you could go back and give advice to yourself at the start of your career, what would it be?
Don’t worry about anything. With work, everything will turn out as you dreamed.
How do you see your music evolving as you grow as an artist?
I hope to be able to strengthen my style more with my mistakes, practice, and experience, but at the same time not stagnate. I want to evolve, try new things and always be myself.
Are there any upcoming projects, gigs, or collaborations you’re particularly excited about?
I want to hold 2025 hard and show more my work and me as an artist. I’ll have a new EP that I’m finishing and that I want to release at the beginning of this year. I want to deepen my communication, develop it more so that the audience can get to know my vision and my style better. I want to collaborate more with artists, whether in production or as a DJ and build my own community.
In conversation
w/ BIIA
APRIL 8, 2025
WORDS SARA NAVARRO
PHOTOGRAPHY NATALIA SKOTNICKA, VANESSA DORIA STYLING NASTAZJA KUS HAIR STANISLAW DROZDZOWSKI, NATALIA PASZKIEWICZ MAKE-UP OLIWIA KWIATKOWSKA NAILS JAKUB KOCHANIEWSKI PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT & LIGHT MATEUSZ LODZINSKI
From the underground clubs of Portugal to captivating audiences on global stages, BIIA is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the world of electronic music. Known for her electrifying fusion of raw, energetic techno and 90’s-inspired hard house beats, her rise has been nothing short of meteoric. With millions of streams, a standout Boiler Room set, and collaborations with some of the most exciting names in the scene, BIIA is carving out a space for herself as an artist who blends powerful music with bold self-expression.
We dive deep into her journey — from discovering her unique sound in her teenage years to navigating the challenges of being a woman in this industry. BIIA shares her thoughts on industry recognition, the role of collaborations in shaping her career, and her upcoming projects that promise to push boundaries. We also explore how fashion, as a form of self-expression, plays an essential role in her art, reflecting both her personal aesthetic and her broader vision for the future.
As BIIA continues to break down barriers and build her global presence, her story is a testament to perseverance, authenticity, and the power of staying true to one’s own vision.
Could you share your journey into electronic music and how you discovered your unique sound?
I discovered electronic music during my teenage years because my cousin has a store that sells DJ and production equipment. He gives classes as well. All the equipment and machines fascinated me and I wanted to know the purpose of all buttons. Some years later when I started to go out I could dance for hours completely sober cause my mind was being completely stimulated. I found my sound by listening to a lot of music and producing. Over time, if we pay attention to what attracts us most, what we repeat, what we crave, we can achieve our own style. However, it is a process that is in constant mutation due to the inputs we receive all the time.
How did your Boiler Room showcase, which has amassed over 600K views, influence your career trajectory? Would you consider it a pivotal moment in your journey? Are there other milestones that made you feel like you had truly established yourself in the industry?
Boiler Room is a showcase with enormous visibility, since it is online it can reach everyone. I knew I had to seize this opportunity to exhibit my work and show it to the world. Since then I feel that people know more about who I am and the audience that wants to hear me is bigger. Another milestone was when I signed a contract with my first international agency, because before that I played mainly in Portugal, my country.
How do you balance staying true to your artistic vision while navigating an industry that often imposes labels and expectations?
I would say it is one of the biggest challenges in my career. Trying to always stay true to ourselves in an ever-changing and competitive market is difficult. It's hard to stay focused and not succumb to external influences. For me to be able to find that balance is key in a career, it requires confidence, truth but also a strategic vision.
Your B2B with Victoria De Angelis at Neopop Festival created a big buzz online. How important are collaborations like these in inspiring more inclusivity in the scene?
Support between artists is super important, because it is an exchange of energy, knowledge, vision and allows us to reach out to other people. Everyone is different and everyone has something positive to bring to the table. I love feeling inspired by those around me and Victoria is one of those people.
As a woman in electronic music, what barriers have you encountered, and how have you navigated them? Do you feel the industry is progressing in terms of gender equality? What changes would you still like to see?
I feel like in recent times we all have the same opportunities in the industry as long as we prove ourselves. I can’t be a hypocrite and say that being a woman nowadays doesn’t open doors for us, but then we have to work even harder to show the real reason for being there.
However I would like that the physical image of an artist didn’t reflect his value. There is still a lot of prejudice regarding this. Respect must be earned by the work, skills and talent of the artist and not by the way he presents himself, he dresses or he dances. What is wrong and right anyway? Just because Prince performs topless doesn’t mean his work is any less valuable. It’s just a way of expressing himself.
Your MOTOROLA RIDES merch launch was bold and distinctive. What inspired its concept? How do you see fashion and music intersecting in your work as a form of self-expression?
Motorola Rides is about phone talks on summer nights. A desire to turn that phone ride into reality. And I wanted the communication to reflect that. Fashion is just another way of communicating without using words, so I think it has a lot of power. When we present ourselves in a place, the way we dress speaks faster than our mouth. It’s a projection of our personality. So for me it’s important to have their own unique style. Why would we all talk the same?
Which designers or fashion movements inspire your creative direction?
The fashion designers that have been inspiring my aesthetic are Luis de Javier, Mowalola and Ludovic de Saint Sernin. They are dark but also bold and sexy. I’ve been feeling very attracted to 60’s fashion. The way women expressed themselves in clothing, the photography, and graphic images is very attractive to me. The Playboy magazine in the 60’s was amazing.
If you could go back and give advice to yourself at the start of your career, what would it be?
Don’t worry about anything. With work, everything will turn out as you dreamed.
How do you see your music evolving as you grow as an artist?
I hope to be able to strengthen my style more with my mistakes, practice, and experience, but at the same time not stagnate. I want to evolve, try new things and always be myself.
Are there any upcoming projects, gigs, or collaborations you’re particularly excited about?
I want to hold 2025 hard and show more my work and me as an artist. I’ll have a new EP that I’m finishing and that I want to release at the beginning of this year. I want to deepen my communication, develop it more so that the audience can get to know my vision and my style better. I want to collaborate more with artists, whether in production or as a DJ and build my own community.