From Primrose Hill to the BRITs: lina’s Coming-of-Age Soundtrack

At just 19, lina is already a name to remember. The indie-pop artist from East London has performed at the BRIT Awards, the O2, and Reading and Leeds Festivals as a backing vocalist for RAYE with the powerhouse Flames Collective. But her story isn’t just one of big stages and spotlights. It’s also about coursework, sunsets, overthinking, and a whole lot of heart.

Her debut single, who i wanna be, is a breezy, sun-soaked track inspired by one particularly perfect day post-exams: lounging on Primrose Hill with new friends and a view of the city. The song unfolds like a diary entry written under a pink sky. Released on June 20, just in time for summer holidays, it captures exactly what it feels like to be young, unsure, and momentarily at peace. “I finally found my space in the world,” lina says. “We watched the sunset, took photos… it felt like everything clicked. Like I was exactly who I wanted to be.”

The track came together in a single studio session with producer Lance. “He walked in and said, ‘I already know we’re making a banger today,’” she recalls. From there, lina found the song in real time: “I feel like I’m free,” she sings. “I’m on the Jubilee.” It’s a line that captures the casual magic of a London spring afternoon. Her voice is light, nostalgic, and honest. “I want my music to be incredibly relatable,” she explains. “Because I’m a teen in London, and that’s a very specific experience.”

But releasing her first single came with a steep learning curve. “I stayed up until 5 a.m. the night it dropped,” she says. “Nobody tells you what happens after a release. I was just refreshing Spotify over and over. People were messaging me that they loved it before I could even see it on my own account.” Without a label or team behind her, she’s had to learn everything as she goes, including the uncomfortable grind of self-promotion. “I hate promo,” she admits. “But I do it. Singing on the Jubilee line, lip-syncing while people are just trying to go to work… it’s awkward. But it’s what you have to do.”

Her journey into music began with local singing lessons and choir rehearsals, eventually leading lina to join the Flames Collective, a vocal group known for backing artists like RAYE, Debbie, and Sasha Keable. “I thought it was just a choir around the block,” she laughs. “Next thing you know, they’re telling me we’ve been asked to do Royal Albert Hall with RAYE.” She was 17 at the time.

Soon after, she got a message at school asking her to perform at the BRIT Awards. “I literally screamed in the corridor,” she says. The show was unforgettable (a highlight was RAYE pulling up to rehearsals in a gold car), but the next morning, she was back in class. “It actually feels illegal,” she jokes. “I had school right after the BRITs.”

Despite these huge moments, lina remains grounded. She’s currently studying Philosophy, Religion and Ethics at university, where she juggles academic deadlines with her creative ambitions. “This music thing, I had to learn from scratch,” she says. “I didn’t even know you had to pay to release music.”

Her next project is pink summers, a summer-themed EP filled with what she calls “good vibes and summer bangers.” It promises more of her signature blend of dreamy realism, gentle groove, and diary-like storytelling.

As a self-professed “logical person,” she credits her creative courage to community, from her producer Lance to the friends she met through Flames Collective and the buzzing underground scene at London’s Beau Beaus. She’s also learned that belief sometimes requires a little delusion. After meeting Tyler, The Creator at a Converse event, she walked away with a mantra that’s stuck with her ever since: “You’ve got to be delusional.”

Still, the journey hasn’t been without its growing pains. From shifting friendships to the pressure of constantly putting herself out there, she’s candid about the anxiety that trails behind every post, song, and decision. “My worst nightmare is being the girl from school that tried music and no one has the guts to say it’s bad,” she says, half-joking. “But I’ve put my whole heart into this. And that’s the most rewarding part: actually having the guts to do it.”

With a voice shaped by soul, R&B, and early-2000s nostalgia, and a vision rooted in honesty, colour, and connection, lina is one of those artists who feels instantly familiar. Who i wanna be might be the title of her debut, but for us, it’s clear: she already is.

Stream “who i wanna be” on Spotify & Apple Music!

Written by: Elektra Kaldeli