At only 21, Steven Ridzyowski is a rising pop star quickly becoming Chicago’s favorite son. To many fans, he is the face behind the hit singles “Sail” and “Song for You,” which have attracted thousands of listeners throughout the world. However, Ridzyowski’s journey began much earlier, when the artist was just three years old. It was love at first sight when Ridzyowski met music, and he has been passionate about it ever since. Despite facing many challenges along the way, he has remained ambitious, consistent, and focused on making it to the top. Today he’s one of the fastest-rising artists in Chicago, a dream he never thought would come true.
Steven Ridzyowski’s music education began with playing drums and singing at church before picking up the guitar in high school. Though singing came naturally to him, he thought of it more as a hobby than a career choice. However, as Ridzyowski grew older, he discovered his love for music was greater than anything else he had ever done. “I found that when I sang or played guitar on stage, my mind would go silent and nothing else seemed to matter,” he says. The desire to capture that feeling led Ridzyowski to the music industry immediately after graduating from high school three years ago.
Over the next few months, Ridzyowski spent his evenings performing at clubs and venues in Chicago. His performances did well, but he was not getting any major recognition. That changed one night when the artist booked for one venue failed to show up, and the management requested Ridzyowski to perform in his place. Unbeknownst to Ridzyowski, his friend was shooting a video and streaming it live. The next day, Ridzyowski woke up to hundreds of tags and mentions on his socials from people he didn’t know. By the end of the week, the video made its way onto YouTube, where it received over 200,000 views.
With this newfound audience, Ridzyowski’s confidence soared, and he made more music. His original single “Catch Me When I Fall” was a tremendous success with thousands of views and streams on YouTube and Spotify. Most of his followers on social media praised his songwriting, with many claiming that the lyrics resonated with them deeply. Ridzyowski says the feedback and energy from the audience are some of the reasons he loves performing so much.
“I love being able to share my music on social media platforms,” he says. “It’s a great way for me to interact with my fans one-on-one.” And it shows. Steven Ridzyowski has over 250,000 followers and counting on different platforms. During the pandemic, Ridzyowski used these platforms to entertain and encourage his followers every week through musical performances. Now, with the world getting back to normal, he’s itching to get back on stage to perform live.
Two months ago, Steven Ridzyowski announced he would be collaborating with two A-list artists on their upcoming projects. There are rumors that Ridzyowski will be a songwriter on Ariana Grande’s album, but he’s yet to confirm that. What he has confirmed is the release of a new album, A Whole New You, which will drop in mid-May. Ridzyowski says the album is inspired by love, loss, and new dreams as he enters the next phase of his life.