![Sharing her music has helped local pop and R&B musician SONIALOXO grow to be a person who doesn’t care what others think.](https://www.slugmag.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/SONIALOXO-984x1024.jpeg)
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SONIALOXO started creating her music based on the vibes she finds herself drawn to. What vibes pull her in? Those that create an inviting, safe space for listeners to realize the depths of her lyrics, which often deal with love, mental health and identity. “By doing my music, I’ve definitely found that I’ve been able to connect with other people who have similar experiences,” she says. “So all in all, it helps me not feel alone and to hopefully show others that they don’t have to feel alone as well.”
SONIALOXO has been performing since she was 5, starting off mostly in Spanish as she grew up in her dual-language home. However, she didn’t start writing music until she was 13, after her parents’ divorce left her desperate for an outlet. Music gave her the space for the self-expression she needed: “When I got on stage, it was the feeling that kept me coming back,” she says. “The feeling of being able to get lost in a song and just completely feel like I was in my own world, a world that I created, that I had full control over—that was just an ultimate power.” Years later, that outlet still propels SONIALOXO forward in her musical journey.
SONIALOXO continued performing, eventually sharing her own original music when she was 25. After working for an agency that allowed her to write what she calls “filler music” for commercials and the like, a producer she met there began to take an interest in her solo career. The feedback he gave changed her career forever. “He really just trusted me and what I wanted to do, which was the first time that I had ever had someone do that for me,” SONIALOXO says. “On top of that, he definitely pushed me to really be myself in terms of a solo artist. I wasn’t quite yet confident at that point to put anything out, but I definitely did record a lot more demos of my own music than I had ever before.”
As a 30-year-old musician and a mother, SONIALOXO feels that it’s more important for her to keep sharing her music than ever before. “I feel like a lot of my career has been spent trying to prove to others that you can do it—it doesn’t matter what people think, what people say, just keep doing you and you’ll be just fine,” she says. People often try to put an age limit on chasing your dreams, she says, and sharing her music has helped SONIALOXO grow to be a person who doesn’t care what others think. “I genuinely feel called to be doing what I’m doing,” she says.
SONIALOXO’s music can be found on all streaming services, including Spotify and iTunes. Listen to Episode #371 of “SLUG Soundwaves” to hear not only SONIALOXO’s recently released track “The Greatest,” but also the story of the inspiration behind the song and more. Connect with SONIALOXO on Instagram @sonia_loxo and Twitter @SoniaLoXO, and don’t forget to subscribe to “SLUG Soundwaves” for more!