Divine Reo is an independent singer and songwriter with a massive vision. Backed by a strong 73.5K following, she doesn’t see herself as merely a rising star—she asserts herself as the “NEXT BIG THING.” Her mission? To bring a sound so powerful and so original that the world will be forced to take notice.
We spoke with Divine Reo about the intense fight to keep her originality, her practical advice on budget-friendly artistry, and her surprising long-term goal of building a legacy in education.
The “NEXT BIG THING” Mentality
Divine Reo’s confidence is infectious. She believes her connection to her audience will be so deep, her growth so explosive, that it will be seen as an industry phenomenon.
“I’m the next big thing ’cause the world isn’t ready for what I’m about to bring to them,” she asserts. “They’d feel every bit of ‘Reo’ in their bones… The moment I’m accused of being an industry plant would be just the beginning of everything.”
Yet, she pushes back on the assumption that her large social following means the battle is over: “One very big challenge is that once people see 73k+ followers, they feel you’ve made it 😅 but it’s not so. I’m still simply building, hustling and bustling her way to the top.”
The Fight for Originality: Lessons from “Cello”
The biggest early hurdle for Divine Reo was the internal struggle to define her unique voice—and the external pressures that tried to mute it.
“Finding my sound was like that big hurdle… people I have worked with… always want me to do patterns of songs they feel they like better, and they never really think about me connecting my originality to sounds.”
This pressure to conform resulted in her first single, “Cello,” which she rates a modest 6/10 today, because it was an attempt to “fit into what every other artist do.” The key lesson was profound: “I don’t necessarily have to sound like every other person, i can be just that unique version of myself i have always wanted to be.” This commitment led her to evolve beyond writing “mostly heartbreak songs” and embrace all life experiences.
The Independent Blueprint: Quality Over Hype
If she were starting over, Divine Reo’s strategy would be ruthlessly focused on quality and organic community-building over expense and hype. Her advice is a practical blueprint for any emerging artist:
- Quality Over Cost: “Don’t rush to record a song with just any producer just cause you want it cheaper, chill, gather your funds well and meet a good producer, ’cause a song production is like the backbone of how people would view your song.”
- Organic Promotion: “Don’t go around paying huge sums for viral videos or music videos… gather good friends shoot videos with them instead, do proper editing, and keep posting… do collaborations too with people online to build a community.”
This focus on the core product is clear when she talks about her favorite track, “Rule.” She loves the song’s symbolic depth, noting it “holds more of very symbolic than literal meaning… it requires your soul to read into it.”
Beyond the Mic: A Legacy in Education
While her music career is just taking flight—with a commitment to give “everything I have” to her upcoming crafts—Divine Reo’s vision for the future is massive and unexpected.
Inspired by her father, she plans to eventually transition into education:
“I too love helping people learn, I love sharing knowledge… and one thing I look forward to doing is opening branches of schools across the country, and even across borders.“
Her crucial advice to the next generation of singers and songwriters reflects her own commitment to growth: “leave those baby steps you’re comfortable with, and do something even you couldn’t imagine you could do.”
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