There is no formula for stardom; it comes as a reward when you become successful. These two are directly proportional. Success is achieved through hard work, and so is stardom. The equation remains the same in every field you pursue, and the music industry is no exception. The rising popularity of social media has made the space overly saturated with fresh talent, making it highly competitive for a newbie to penetrate the industry. Jia Ruan, a rising music sensation on social media, has proved this with sheer talent. He has shown how to distinguish yourself from the crowd by being unapologetically unique.
Jia was born and brought up in New York City. Being born to a renowned New York realtor father, Jia was completely unaware of any kind of struggle until his early twenties. He was educated at one of the most reputed schools in NYC and planned to take over his father’s business after graduation. After high school, he moved to Southern California to enroll in the USC Marshall School of Business. Even though he knew he would get a red carpet entry to the real estate business because of his family legacy, he always felt this was not his cup of tea.
Jia was a curious kid in school. He enjoyed performing on stage and felt a sense of pride when he saw people applauding him. He aspired to be an actor just for the joy of being watched by people. His father suddenly passed away from a heart attack during his college days, turning his planned-out life completely upside down. With the huge investments his father had already made on different properties, Jia and his mother soon found themselves losing their fortune. With no one to take care of the family, Jia quit college and had to figure out a way to support his family.
His mother worked two jobs as a music teacher, and his two younger sisters started working at a café after school. Jia worked at a grocery store as a bagger but wasn’t earning enough to make ends meet. It was then that he found a second job at the music school where his mother was a teacher. Jia started working as a salesman for musical instruments in the evening. This is where he discovered his growing interest in music. The different instruments, their sounds, the higher and lower notes seemed magical to him.
During his days off in the week, Jia would take lessons from his mother to play different instruments. With time, his interest converted into a passion for music, and he began pursuing it as a career. Within a few months, Jia was creating unique compositions that were a blend of different sounds. He mastered the art of blending unconventional sounds like the bass guitar with a piano or a violin with fast drum beats. Being a Gen Z music artist, he utilized his access to social media to find his audience. Jia launched his debut instrumental track, “Vibrations,” in January 2021.
Jia Ruan’s unique sound composition blew up on social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. Unlike other artists, Jia kept his focus more on the sound and less on the lyrics. He expresses different emotions like grief, happiness, confidence, and enthusiasm through music that does not require words. This unique approach has so far kept his fans enthralled, and they are now craving his next release.
