Get to know: Roukaya B - The “Analog Voice” Cutting Through Modern Music
- 17 hours ago
- 4 min read
There’s a certain kind of artist who doesn’t just make music - they embody it. The kind whose voice feels lived-in, whose performances carry the weight of every busked street corner, every late-night journal entry, every moment of self-discovery. Roukaya B is emerging as exactly that kind of artist: soulful, fearless, emotionally raw, and deeply rooted in authenticity.
Raised in Manchester and living in nearby Salford her entire life, Roukaya B’s identity is woven from multiple cultures and perspectives. “I’ve lived in Salford my whole life and come from a multicultural background of Algerian, Jamaican and English,” she explains. “My mum is adamant we have both Scottish and Spanish in the genetic makeup too, so I like to call myself the United Nations.”
That blend of backgrounds doesn’t just inform who she is personally, it shapes her artistic worldview. “This has definitely influenced the way I see life and how worlds can collide to create something harmonious and beautiful,” she says, a sentiment that perfectly mirrors the music she creates. Jazz, soul, grit, sweetness, nostalgia and experimentation all coexist within her sound.
At a time when so much music feels algorithmically polished and emotionally distant, Roukaya B stands apart by leaning into imperfection, humanity and feeling. She describes herself as “soulful, analog in a digital world but evolving through life as we evolve as a human collective.” It’s a striking way to frame an artist who feels timeless and contemporary.
Her journey into music wasn’t immediate. Like many young creatives, she initially followed the path expected of her. “Academics came first and a music career wasn’t really pushed as something to aspire towards,” she says. But during her A-Levels, something shifted. “I was so disconnected from the topics I’d chosen. There was no passion attached to the thing I was doing, so to me that just seemed pointless.”
That period became a turning point - not just creatively, but personally. “It was only during my A-Level exams when I clocked just how depressed I was. I was so unfulfilled with my choices towards the end, which was a huge red flag - how am I supposed to do something for the rest of my life if it’s affecting my mental health and happiness? Why can’t I pursue something that I really do love?”
The answer arrived almost accidentally. After posting a cover on Instagram that gained traction, she kept going. “I posted a cover on Instagram and it did quite well, so I kept posting them and haven’t looked back since.”
That momentum soon led to one of the defining moments of her early career: appearing on Little Mix: The Search in 2019. Thrown into a televised environment at just 18 years old, Roukaya B was still discovering the full potential of her voice. “I felt out of my depth but if anybody knows me, even with minimal experience I’ll give something a good go and I don’t do anything in halves.”
That mentality has become central to her evolution as a performer. Long before arena stages and live sessions, she refined her craft in pubs, city centres and public spaces across Manchester. “From cover shows in local pubs, to busking on Market Street in Manchester, to singing the UK national anthem at the AO Arena for Misfits in 2025,” she says, charting a journey built on persistence and real-world performance experience.
Her stage presence is something she speaks about with particular passion. “I really challenge myself when it comes to performance, with a mantra of ‘leave nothing on the stage’.” It’s a philosophy that reflects her wider artistic approach: emotionally open, fearless and fully committed.
What makes Roukaya B especially compelling is her willingness to embrace contradiction. There’s softness in her sound, but also edge. Vulnerability sits beside confidence. Her music can feel nostalgic and modern at once. “I think it could be with the way I’m finding a balance between grit, jazzy-soul and sweetness with my voice and music,” she says when asked what sets her apart.
That balance is perhaps best captured on “Anything But Blue,” her favourite track from her debut EP, ContROUversy. “It’s jazzy, soulful, sensual and very different to anything I’ve ever released.” More importantly, it represents the instinctive and fluid way she creates. “It was almost completely freestyled,” she reveals. “Barely anything is orchestrated or composed in songwriting terms - it just came to me.”
Her songwriting process is deeply intuitive. “Usually very free and fluid,” she explains. “I like to capture the energy of an idea with a voice note by humming a melody line, or lyric idea.” Inspiration can come from anywhere - conversations, emotions, people-watching, or even “seeing a lone raven on a fence whilst looking outside the passenger window.”
While Roukaya B’s music carries a personal touch, it’s also driven by connection. She wants listeners to feel seen within her work. “I feel like music can help me to unlock something I didn’t even realise I was feeling - so that’s something I’d like people to relate to for sure.”
That emotional honesty extends beyond the music itself. In an industry often obsessed with image management and polish, Roukaya B embraces directness and individuality. “I’ve always had that outspoken, no nonsense, even a bit blunt sort of personality,” she says candidly. “It’s either respected or not rated whatsoever and flipped into ‘controversial’.”
Rather than soften herself to fit expectations, she’s choosing evolution on her own terms. Referencing Rihanna’s transformative “Good Girl Gone Bad” era as inspiration for artistic growth, Roukaya B makes it clear that experimentation is essential to her future. “As humans we experience such a huge range of emotions and I’m not one to close off the idea of experimenting with how those different emotions could sound in my music and from my voice.”
And as she continues developing her live sound, one dream collaboration stands out: Ezra Collective. “I can hear a Ezra Collective ft. Roukaya B track in the distance,” she says - and honestly, it already sounds believable.
For all the milestones, performances and recognition, Roukaya B’s core philosophy remains surprisingly grounded. “My main goal is to constantly evolve in whatever way that feels right for me in the moment, whilst reminding myself at the core of my reason why.”
It’s fitting, then, that the final words she leaves behind are simple but powerful:
“Don’t forget your reason why.”
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