Aliyah Bah, formally known as Aliyah’s Interlude, was already popular on TIkTik before she released her debut single, “IT GIRL,” in 2023. She was known for creating the AliyahCore aesthetic, which put social media in a chokehold. Aliyah describes it as a distinctive alt-emo, Y2K, Harajuku-inspired innovative style. 

In November 2022, Aliyah’s tweet featuring a picture of her wearing a bikini, pink moon boots, and ear mufflers went viral. One year later, the hashtag #AliyahCore had over 400 million views on TikTok. “AliyahCore is a lifestyle,” she tells BET. “It basically just tells people to live authentically in their true selves and not care about being perceived. So, every day when you show up as your true self, you are in AliyahCore, period. But the fashion sense of it basically has different elements, which includes things like a fishnet on one leg or one arm, a garter, miniskirts, fur boots, and earmuffs, of course is the main essential.”

Before AliyahCore was created, the Atlanta-born creative was bullied in high school because her fashion sense was always out of the box. She admits that all the bullying she endured set her up for what she deals with now on her growing social media platforms. “Honestly, I would say thank you,” she begins. “So like when I get hate now on social media, it's not as hurtful to me because I feel like I've already experienced all of that in my past.”

Aliyah now has over 2.8 million TikTok followers, 950,000 Instagram followers, and 370,000 Twitter followers. She says that social media played a huge role in how her music career took off when “IT GIRL” quickly went viral. The track currently has over 9.6 million views on YouTube. “I feel like TikTok is an amazing platform for individuals who would not have found the platform any other way because of where they are and who they are surrounded by to truly create an audience that they can connect with,” the 20-year-old says. “I was one of the people who was able to do that and it was just so amazing, especially during COVID when nobody could even leave the house. You could create a whole audience just from your phone.” 

The House recently passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. It calls for Chinese internet technology company ByteDance to divest the short-form video app, or it will be banned in the United States. Aliyah describes her frustration as she believes it would be a bad idea. “I think that the ban on TikTok is something that's truly sad to see because I feel like it's one of the only apps where people have been able to create an entire career off of it in such a short amount of time,” she explains. “But, I don't even think it's gonna go through, honestly.”

With a formidable Spotify presence boasting 5.8 million monthly listeners with just one single out, Aliyah is building on her musical momentum with the recent release of her new track, "Fashion Icon.” It is a genre-bending, runway-ready fashion anthem dedicated to embracing your personal style regardless of the price tag. “The inspiration is AliyahCore all the way. I feel like before I got into music, fashion was like my first love, my first art form that I truly, truly just enjoyed 100 percent. Everything that I wear is an extension of who I am as a person,” Aliyah says. “I wanted ‘Fashion Icon’ to sound like who I am, and what I feel like, and all of that into one. It's cool, it's cutesy, it's girly, but it also has that kind of punk rock aspect in it too, which I tend to do a lot in my outfits.”

Aliyah reveals that she will release an EP by the end of 2024. “I'm working on so much new music,” she says. “ It's gonna be iconic and so many collaborations that people are really gonna be gagged by. Like, I'm really, really excited for the rest of this year.” Although she didn’t announce the collaborations on the project, Aliyah says she wishes to collaborate with artists like Timbaland, Charli XCX, FKA twigs, and Missy Elliot. “I want to work with icons within their own right and within their own genre,” she adds.

To creatives who are scared because of judgment, Aliyah says to let go of your fear of being perceived. “I think that was something that was very hard for me to do,” she admits. “And before I did that, I was just such a person who wasn't as confident. I didn't believe in myself as much and I cared so much about what other people thought of me. But, I feel like once you stop caring, because people will judge you regardless, life just becomes way more fun and you get to do the things you truly want to do.” 

She continues, “And I feel like you should start young too. Don't wait until you think you're ready because you'll never truly be ready. Like you just have to do it now.”