Lao Ra

Deeply influenced by the Catholic imagery and reminders of the War on Drugs prevalent in her hometown of Bogotá, Colombia, Lao Ra makes tropical yet political music that she calls “pineapple pop.” She began writing songs at age 12 and worked odd jobs — including a stint in the PR department of a Spanish smoke alarm company — while she honed her music after moving to London. In 2015, she released her controversial debut single, “Jesus Made Me Bad,” which drew comparisons to M.I.A. and Gwen Stefani and led to a deal with Back Butter Records. Another single, “Daddy Issues,” preceded the release of the Jesus Made Me Bad EP in early 2016. Two more tracks, “Drum Machine” and “Bang Boom,” followed later that year. Lao Ra kicked of 2017 with “Wild at Heart,” a collaboration with Ray BLK; the Pablo Escobar-inspired “Bala (Bacano Bootleg #1)” appeared that July. ~ Heather Phares