If all you knew of Lia D’Sau was her music, you’d probably be surprised to learn that she’s only 18 years old. And you’d be forgiven for that. Her lyrics explore relationships with a maturity beyond her years, and she displays the vocal control and confidence of a seasoned pro. It’s the kind of talent that begs the question: how high can she fly?

When considering her background, it is not so surprising that D’Sau so quickly developed as an artist. Raised in Tel Aviv, D’Sau grew up surrounded by the sounds of her parents’ indie and R&B influences. Her father was a member of popular Israeli boy band Hi-Five in the ‘90s, and according to D’Sau, he was always very encouraging of her music, and took her ambitions seriously from the get-go. At age eight she started singing, and at fifteen even flew across the Atlantic to attend a music camp in NYC. Around the same time, she began to write her own music, and she released her first official single “Manboy” in June.

“Manboy” is a synth-heavy R&B track in which D’Sau chronicles the true story of a relationship she had, from beginning to end. The persevering strummed guitar recalls the creatively interpreted covers she posts on Instagram, and added production from Midi Jones (Demi Lovato, Audrey Mika, Alessia Cara) fills out the sound to create a blissful feeling of weightlessness. In an interview this July, Lia was asked about how it feels to release her first single. “Surreal,” she said. “I've been dreaming of this forever, and for it to finally be happening is pretty crazy. I can't wait for more.” Same here.

You can watch the music video for “Manboy” here.

For her Greylist, Lia picked 5 R&B songs that have influenced her sound:

1. “Come Over (feat. popcaan),” Jorja Smith

2. “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now,” Joy Crookes

3. “Liberation,” Outkast

4. “Selfish (feat. Cleo Sol),” Little Simz

5. “Bloom,” Matilda Mann

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