Meet Larissa Lambert, the Billboard R&B Rookie of the Month Who Justin Bieber and SZA Can’t Get Enough Of

The idea of moving to America constantly tugs at rising singer-songwriter Larissa Lambert. The Aussie songbird’s honeyed vocals and candor-laced lyrics have already caught the attention of music’s top heavyweights — from Justin Bieber to SZA — who’ve praised her limitless potential. With a growing U.S. fan base and a deep reverence for nostalgic R&B, Lambert is beginning to outgrow life Down Under and seriously consider a new area code.

“I do think at some point I’m going to have to move there,” she says matter-of-factly over Zoom earlier this month. “Australia is always home and it’s good for my mentality — it keeps me grounded. Home is always going to feel better, but the U.S. is just a different level. It’s a different level when it comes to creating.”

With R&B surging in the States — thanks to Leon Thomas, Kehlani and Rayvn Lenae landing Top 15 hits on the Hot 100 in 2025 — Lambert is captivated by the idea of finding her place among the genre’s elite.

“You have some of the most talented songwriters, producers and artists in the U.S.,” she adds. “To create in Australia is just not the same as creating in America, especially with how quickly you can get bodies of work out. The work ethic in America is insane — it’s nothing compared to Australia. There’s talent in Australia, but the U.S. is on crack. It’s another level.”

Lambert’s latest EP, Chronosick, pushes her firmly in that direction. The seven-track set highlights her knack for reimagining R&B classics, particularly on “9 to 5” and “Cardio,” which cleverly flip Craig David’s “7 Days” and Fabolous’ “Can’t Let You Go.” With nostalgia as her calling card — and an undeniable pull toward the States — it feels like only a matter of time before Lambert makes her mark on American soil.

Billboard’s October Rookie of the Month spoke about her newest EP Chronosick, how her Bieber and SZA co-signs boosted her confidence and more.

With Chronosick, what steps did you take to evolve or challenge your songwriting process compared to your previous work?

In my previous work, I had a bad habit of taking so long to finish s–t. I would overthink everything. I’d start half a song and then I would be like, “Oh s–t. Next one” and start a new idea. I wouldn’t lock in on one thing and try to finish songs on the spot. With Chronosick, it wasn’t from an artistic point of view — it wasn’t anything deep. I wanted to create a nostalgic feeling of the ’90s and ‘00s music, give myself a mission to finish and have a structured rollout of an EP because I’ve never done one before. I [wanted] to finish the song, post it, and a couple of months later, post another song like a typical artist rollout. That was the goal with that, but the main goal of the EP was to get the feeling of nostalgia. 

I thought the rollout was interesting. After each song’s release, it became its own EP?

The way we did it, it’s called a “Waterfall Rollout.” Everyone would think the EP is already out each time I dropped a single, but it’s supposed to waterfall. So you have one, and there’s another one. 

What was the reasoning behind that rollout?

It was my manager’s idea. When the listener would hear the song, it would automatically play the next song on the EP. So it would keep them in turn with the releases. 

You’ve earned major co-signs from Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, and SZA. How have those looks bolstered your confidence and momentum so far in your career?

It’s literally the best feeling in the world. It’s like all the people you look up to and they’re basically coming up to you saying, “You’re gonna be up here with me if you keep doing it.” That’s what it feels like. It feels like a hug from them, or recognition being seen by them. Sometimes, I’ve struggled to be seen by my own home country. So when things like that happen, like the ARIA nomination to having SZA or Justin Bieber give me recognition and say that “I got it,” maybe I’ve just been looking in the wrong place.

You mentioned earning your first ARIA nomination and wrapping up your first headlining tour. How important are these early wins in establishing yourself as a leading R&B voice in Australia?

Extremely important because it gives you the confidence to continue. As an artist, we get in our head really badly. I’m not saying an ARIA nomination is an end all, be all, but [it lets you know you’re heading in the right direction.] 

R&B in Australia is very difficult. It’s not a big genre in the country. [The U.S.] is my biggest fanbase, so it’s difficult, but it’s definitely changing. There’s a lot of R&B artists that I love coming out of Australia, so I just hope there can be more of a spotlight on R&B there when it comes to the ARIA and labels. 

Growing up in Australia, where the R&B scene isn’t as established as in the States or Europe, how did you cultivate your love for the genre?

I grew up on old school R&B. I love Brandy [and] Aaliyah. I just naturally gravitated towards R&B, one, because I love singing it. I could sing it, I could do the runs and I could mimic and copy it. It just felt good. It felt like there was more soul to it. Don’t get me wrong, though, I love a good pop star like Britney Spears back in the day. She was amazing, but R&B always spoke to me, especially creating it. There’s just something about it that felt better and more than just doing a pop song. I’m more of a deep person. R&B just hit the strings a bit better. 

On Chronosick, you sample Craig David’s “7 Days” on “9-5” and Fabolous’ “Can’t Let You Go” on “Cardio.” What is it about working with samples that pushes your creativity?

It’s just the era. At that time, I was a kid and the world felt broader. I didn’t have any bills to pay, you’d run errands with your parents in the car and have your little headphones in your iPod. That era, I just wanted to bring that feeling back. I guess that’s something when people get older, you always reminisce about the past. That era always has a special place in my heart and I just want to somehow put that into my music all the time. [Laughs.] 

Have there been thoughts about you moving to the States knowing that your popularity is higher here?

1000% I do think at some point I’m going to have to move there. Australia is always home and is good for my mentality. It keeps me grounded and home is always going to feel better, but the U.S. is just a different level. It’s a different level when it comes to creating. You have some of the most talented songwriters, producers and artists in the U.S. To create in Australia is just not the same to create in America, especially with how quick you can get bodies of work out. The work ethic in America is insane. It’s nothing compared to Australia. Australia is very slow. There’s talented people in Australia, but the U.S. is just on crack. [Laughs.] It’s another level. 

On the flipside, what do you think Australia offers that we don’t have on the music side?

Personally, there aren’t too many artists like me in Australia. It’s good on my behalf with the support because in the U.S., it’s such a big pond that I kind of become a small fish at the moment because I’m trying to become a big fish. So there is more love there, but when it comes to as a whole, the community is really good, but it’s just different. It’s slower and the genres are a little bit different. Pop music is huge in Australia. The U.S. is really where it’s at. I’m sorry.

You competed on X-Factor a few years back. What lessons did that early experience teach you about the industry — and how have those lessons shaped the way you navigate it today?

It was a great experience, just embarrassing. [Laughs.] I was a baby and I didn’t know myself. It was so, so important to do that show for me because I struggled with a lot of anxiety when I was younger — performance anxiety — and I still do. Like on the inside I’m f–king dying when I’m on stage, but it opened my eyes to the industry because not everything is what it seems. If you know about reality shows, it’s all premeditated and edited. It helped me understand and kind of break that glass of the industry a little bit. That was my first bit of exposure, getting fans and having such intense social media love too. It opened the doors for that. 

How do you deal with the high love of fanfare now, especially with the love you’ve gotten on social media, especially for some of your covers? 

Sometimes, your videos can end up on the wrong side too and you get comments. My main thing is to remind myself that it’s always going to fall into the right people’s hands when I’m being perceived on the internet because that’s tough — not knowing how people are going to perceive you. It’s a matter of just turning off the “Not giving a f–k” mentality. You just gotta trust what you’re putting out is going to land in the right people’s hands and the people that you want it to get to.

It’s social media — it’s always going to come with the bad side and I’ve experienced it. You just learn to tune it out and not focus on it. Every now and then, there could be a comment where I’m like, “That’s f–king rude,” but you just keep moving. There’s more good than there’s bad. That’s the most important part.

You have a knack for delivering awesome covers. What’s so liberating about performing covers versus your original records?

It’s the same thing — it’s the samples and bringing that nostalgia. My covers that are big, they’re always the old-school songs. I’m bringing that back in a modern way, so it’s going to relate to a newer audience. I’ve had some covers that have gone stupid viral and I feel like because I put a little bit of a modern twist on it, it’ll never outdo the original because the original is the reason why it does well, but I just give it a modern twist so it can reach a broader audience. 

Do you have a personal favorite cover of yours?

“Weak” by SWV. Incredible, incredible group. That song has changed my life. That song changed my lifestyle. It made me a lot of money, to where I can continue to do what I do and it brought so many new fans. It was just a cover that I put on TikTok and I kept deleting it because it was flopping. This was when TikTok first started, but I knew it was good. So I kept re-uploading it — and then one day, some guy in the Philippines made a dance trend and it skyrocketed. It went so viral and it changed my life. It put me more in the spotlight for people in the industry and fans. Thank you, SWV!

You’ve called “Blame It on Me” your favorite record you’ve written. How did that song challenge your pen compared to the other tracks on Chronosick?

I love that song because melodically it’s pretty, but the lyrics are taking accountability for if you’re constantly allowing shitting people into your life, sometimes, you got to put the finger on yourself. These people are shitty people. I can’t just be like, “F–k you. F–k you. You did this to me,” but what about me? What about me, though? I’m the one saying, “Yes. Come into my life.” Sometimes, you gotta take a step back and say, “Maybe I’m the problem here.” That doesn’t disregard those sh–ty people, but you’re also the problem for letting them in.

That’s why I like that song. It relates to me in a sense, but it’s a lot of friends of mine that have that mentality and I pull from them, as well. I see it happening everywhere. Constantly. People are crying, saying, “Why would they do this to me?” And it’s like, “Mate. This is the fifth time this has happened by the fifth different person.” Why would you do this to you? That is the question. You’re torturing yourself. That’s why I love writing songs that help people recognize the toxic traits within themselves because it helps me too. It’s like a way of alchemy.

If you could pick one word to tell this chapter in your life, what word would that be and why? 

Growth.

Why growth?

Because there’s been so much of it.