Multicultural activist Raye Zaragoza’s single “The It Girl” reveals her struggles with love and acceptance as a multicultural brown woman. Produced by Tucker Martine (who has worked with First Aid Kit and The Decemberists), the single is a protest for diversity in the media — a rejection of the western expectations of women.

Zaragoza has attained attention from publications, such as Billboard and Paste Magazine. In 2016, her song  “In The River,” which was an outcry against the Dakota Access Pipeline, was awarded the Global Music Awards’ 2017 Heretic Award for Protest/Activist Music and the Honesty Oscars’ award for Best Song.

Her appearance on national television began when she was 6 years old. Zaragoza sang “You Can’t Get A Man with a Gun” when her father was playing Chief Sitting Bull on Broadway.

Born and raised in New York City, Zaragoza had been writing songs ever since she was a teenager. She currently lives in Long Beach, Calif. and has been a full-time musician for almost four years. The artist writes songs that are inspired by her experiences growing up in the United States as a multicultural woman and about social justice issues that she is passionate about. 

“I remember being on the playground when I was 8 years old — walkman in hand, headphones on, listening to Jewel, and thinking, “writing a song is the coolest thing anyone could ever do,” Zaragoza said.

She continued, “In middle school, my best friends were also music-obsessed. We spent every day after school at Virgin Records listening to albums for hours. I got really into classic rock as a pre-teen — Elliott Smith, The Beatles, Queen, Led Zeppelin.”

In middle school, the singer started a little band that played cover songs. When she went to high school, she began writing her own music, but it wasn’t until she turned 19 that she began performing her own music live.

The idea for her single “The It Girl” emerged after Zaragoza went through her old poems and read them out loud to a co-writer. 

“I wrote a poem actually about this dark feeling in me of always wanting to be an “it girl” but feeling like I couldn’t because I have brown skin,” she said. 

The singer wants others to realize that they are “it” — no matter who they are. “We are the leading characters, the “it girls” of our own lives. I hope the song empowers them and reminds them that society can’t tell us who we should be.”

Zaragoza revealed that the most important words in the song are in the bridge, “Why would you want to be like anybody else? You’re better off just being yourself. Why don’t you look into the mirror and say, I wouldn’t want you any other way.” 

She said, “I definitely wrote it to connect with young people because I want young folks to know that they’re not alone in their insecurities. It’s one of those things that is so universal, but we hardly ever talk about it because we are ashamed.” 

One of the key images that stuck with Zaragoza from the original poem was the feeling of being a “sideshow.” Oftentimes, as a person of color in the folk music world, she had been placed at the side stage where they put “world music.” The artist said that it made her feel like she could never be mainstream or an “it girl.”

The autobiographical song explores the different voices in people’s heads that tell them they’re not enough.

Zaragoza said, “Especially in our dark moments, it can feel like we have multiple opposing forces in our heads telling us who we are and who we should be. That’s where I got the idea for the video!”

The artist’s most unforgettable gig was when she played Red Rocks opening for Dispatch. She said that it was such an iconic venue to play, and it was her first time playing for a massive audience.

“In five years, I see myself headlining at Red Rocks, married, starting a non-profit and having a best-selling book or two! Oh, and killing it at roller skating,” Zaragoza said. “My advice is to lean into your strengths and what makes you unique. Hone in on what you love, and don’t let anyone talk you out of it. Also, warm up your voice every day!”

Contact Ron Rocky Coloma at rcoloma ‘at’ stanford.edu.