RIOVAZ BY: Heather Koepp Riovaz is here to ‘Disturb the Norm’ Singer/Songwriter Riovaz might not be the most well-known ‘Tik-Toker’ on the social media platform, but the 18-year-old, New Jersey artist is no stranger to success. With his catchy ‘contemporary rave pop’ sound, the self-proclaimed introvert found himself in the spotlight when his 2020 song, ‘Prom Night’ took off and amassed over a million streams. This caught the attention of Darkroom Records/Geffen Records and the rest fell into place from there. Riovaz is currently celebrating the release of his debut album, ’Disturb the Norm’ that released on February 24th, 2023 in addition to selling out his first ever tour appropriately named the
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‘Riorave’. With the tour launching off in Los Angles, I jumped at the opportunity to attend the sold-out performance to find out firsthand, what the ‘Riorave’ experience was all about. The day of the show had me arriving early for soundcheck where dedicated fans had been camping the block as I walked up to the doors of ‘The Echo’. Stepping out from the blaring sun, I adjusted my eyes to the dark venue and took in my surroundings. I quickly found Riovaz on stage preparing for the night ahead as he transitioned through his setlist with ease. When he concluded his soundcheck, I stepped in to introduce myself and was instantly greeted in return with a huge grin and a hug that felt like a long-lost friend. We quickly fell into step as we snuck out of the venue to capture some last-minute photos of the setting Los Angeles sun however it didn’t take long