Aja From "RuPaul’s Drag Race" on Her First EP “In My Feelings” and the Empowerment of Witchcraft

Ayo, sis! RuPaul’s Drag Race season 9 and All Stars 3 death drop queen Aja has finally dropped her debut EP In My Feelings. The project features rap tracks from the Brooklyn-native that include all of her signature catchphrases and self-described “banjee” flow. Aja (real name Jay Rivera) has already released two music videos for the tracks “Finish Her!” and “Brujería” which show off two of her biggest inspirations: video games and witchcraft.

“I really wanted to channel the ongoing theme of dichotomy on my EP, and that you can have a song that is both happy and sad, fast and slow,” Aja tells Teen Vogue in reference to why the EP is titled In My Feelings. “I have no other way to explain it except it’s an emotional rollercoaster.”

"Finish Her" is a clear reference to the iconic line from the beloved Mortal Kombat and draws from plenty of other video games that have influenced Aja's craft. In “Brujería,” Aja expresses her love for the spiritual, while still instilling a sense of camp. Then there's the title track “Art God (In My Feelings),” in which Aja samples legendary Italian Baroque musical composer, Antonio Lucio Vivaldi, combining modern rap beats with classical instruments.

The main thing Aja wants listeners to take away from the EP is a sense of empowerment. “Brujería” translates to “witchcraft,” something that Aja says is incredibly powerful and attractive to young people. And we're most definitely under her spell.

“A big ongoing theme in our generation is control, and I think that people use the idea of magic for the means of control,” she says, also citing that there are plenty of people living with anxiety. "The idea of having magic and witchcraft — being able to pull the strings yourself — and do whatever you want really eases people’s minds.”

It’s not hard to notice how witchcraft and magic have entered the pop culture atmosphere. This generation has gravitated toward shows such as American Horror Story: Coven and the upcoming Netflix series The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

And the witch references are abundant on “Brujería," in which Aja lists off a magical flurry of pop culture's most memorable sorceresses:

Aja revealed that the EP actually came together quite quickly, only having been recorded from the end of February to April of this year. She was inspired by her travels on the road, sharing that recording the album was basically “no sleep, club, plane, next place, press, recording studio” — a reference to a 2011 interview with Lady Gaga that has become internet lore.

In My Feelings is just the start for Aja. The young artist is part of a drag collective, the Haus of Aja, that includes other performers Kandy Muse, Momo Shade, Dahlia Sin, and Janelle No. 5. “We’re just a group of queer people of color who are friends,” shes says. "I can’t wait to expose my girls to the world. I plan on taking the Haus of Aja on an international tour. They helped me get everything I have today, so it’s only fair that I try to give them something back.”

Now go feel your bruja-fantasy and check out In My Feelings.

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Related: RuPaul's Comments About Women in Drag Show a Misunderstanding of Gender