For Moxie Raia, the path to a career in music has always been clear. "I don't have a waking memory of wanting to do anything else," says Raia, on the phone from Los Angeles where she's been putting the final touches on an album. "Since I could walk and talk, I've been obsessed with music." After touring as the opening act for Justin Bieber's Purpose tour, the singer has been introduced to a new audience at every stop. For Raia, who, like Bieber, has been performing in some capacity since childhood, the move was major. "I got a phone call from my manager and she was like, 'Mox, are you sitting down? Justin wants you to open for him on the first three dates of his tour,' " says Raia. "I was flipping out—calling my parents, couldn't breathe, so nervous. An hour later she calls me back and tells me that they want me to do the whole thing." Singing for hundreds of thousands of people would be daunting for any artist, but for Raia, who had never performed an extended set, let alone one in front of a stadium-size crowd, the challenge was exactly what she needed. "It was my chance to prove myself," says the performer. "I learned so much about touring, about myself as a performer, and the people who are interested in my music—it really changed my life."
Now that the tour is over, Raia is gearing up for another life change, this time into the world of modeling. It's a move that is fresh but not totally unfamiliar. Fashion has played a huge role in the way Raia approaches her work. Like many members of her generation, Raia admits to being drawn to pieces inspired by the '90s era, citing Kate Moss, Lauryn Hill, and Aaliyah as influences to her elegant tomboy vibe. Now, thanks to collaborations with stylist and childhood friend Betsy Oppenheimer, her style also reflects the mood of her music. "If I have a great outfit on, and it's time for a show, I'll probably perform a little better, because clothes can give you that energy, self-confidence," she says, and she makes sure that every outfit contains a little from both sides of the spectrum. "I like opposites; I want every outfit to have that balance between masculine and feminine, street style and high fashion, trashy with really classy. If I'm wearing an elegant gown I need to have a brown liner on my lips and bring it back to the '90s—maybe it's because I'm from New Jersey, but I love that look!"
With a new modeling contract with Next, a new deal with Def Jam Recordings, and some serious buzz surrounding her latest songs, Raia has plenty to look forward to—and every intention to continue mixing fashion and music. "I think they feed in to one another," says Raia. "When I'm starting a new artistic phase, everything changes, different hair, makeup, clothes—even my apartment! It's all about the evolution."
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