It would be tempting to describe Bulgarian singer and songwriter Preyah as a case study in the unforeseen. Born Preyah-Eyrin-Comfort Rex Osassey in the capital Sofia on September 22, 1994, the young songstress comes from a mixed marriage, hailing from the Nigerian state of Edo on her late father’s side. But the energetic artist has managed to outrun critics and prejudice alike, emerging as a potent and fascinating presence in the local music and arts scene, with her gaze now firmly set forward. After making her TV debut at age 16 as part of X Factor Bulgaria, and later reaching the semi-finals of the inaugural season of Music Academy, Preyah was offered a contract with Monte Music – one of Bulgaria’s two major pop labels.
Results were quick to follow, with Preyah releasing her debut single ”Malkite Neshta” (“The Little Things”) in April 2014 The song gained immediate traction on Bulgarian radio, eventually reaching #6 on the Top 40 Singles chart. It ended up as the 4th most played track and highest-ranking Bulgarian entry in the Prophon Radio Airplay Top 10 for the year, ahead of massive chart-toppers such as Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse” and Eminem’s “The Monster”. It remains Preyah’s most widely recognizable track, and has racked up almost 2.1 million YouTube views as of December 2018.
Between 2014 and 2017 she racked up six more Top 30 singles, peaking at #3 with “Vsichki Nashi Mesta”, which served as the soundtrack to the Bulgarian translation of Jennifer Niven’s book “All the Bright Places”.
In recognition of her growing prominence, Preyah won ‘Best Debut’ at the 2015 359hiphop Awards, and followed that up with two BG Radio Awards nominations – for ‘Best Debut’ in 2015 and ‘Best Duet/Trio’ in 2016. She is a two-time nominee for the annual Bulgarian Woman of the Year award, making the shortlist in both 2014 and 2016. In addition to music, Preyah has acted on stage as part of theatre and musical plays, made appearances on several celebrity TV shows, has worked as a mentor and vocal coach at Voice Academy and has been currently studying Advertising at the New Bulgarian University.
In the beginning of 2018 Preyah made the bold decision to become a self-produced artist. The now 24-year-old artist is currently finishing up her debut LP, forthcoming in the spring of 2019. The self-titled album finds Preyah experimenting with various musical styles, while reaching out to fellow artists in search of mutual inspiration. From the hazy beat fusions of “Ne Sum Za Tuk” (“I Don’t Belong”), featuring Sofia hip-hop authority JLUCH, to the sultry seduction of “Losh Navik” (“Bad Habit”), it’s a long-awaited return for one of Bulgaria’s most dynamic and charismatic artists, and a future release to keep a close eye on.