Carving Her Own Lane: OKC Artist Metra Diversifies the Scene With Her Bold Pop
A new listener of pop artist Metra (pronounced me-truh) might think her moniker to be a sleek, popstar-worthy persona to accompany her moody ballads. But surprisingly, that’s just her real, unique name. “My parents knew I was going to be something big,” she explains, and that kind of energy and confidence is apparent in Metra’s music. By releasing raw yet danceable pop songs, Metra is bringing a new flavor to the Oklahoma City scene.
Metra’s first single, “Girl In White,” came out in 2022, but her history with music dates back much farther than this. Growing up in Oklahoma City, Metra was gifted a guitar as a young child by her father. Her infatuation with music grew from there, and she would go on to teach herself guitar and other musical facets through YouTube. Metra also participated in drama and theater in school, where she found her love to perform and her talent for absolutely tearing up the stage. The internet played a large part in her musical journey once more, with the release of Billie Ellish’s “Ocean Eyes” on SoundCloud being particularly important to Metra. She recalls listening to the song for the first time in class with her friend, saying, “I remember being like, ‘I want to do that.’”
Similar to Billie Ellish and other young pop stars that have sprouted up over the past few years, Metra crafts incredibly personal pieces of music. “When I’m feeling a certain way about a person or situation I’m in, I’m really in that emotion,” she says. Her newest song, “I Crave Peace,” is extremely evident of that. Reflecting on this track, Metra says, “I was in a shitty situation, and writing that [song] really helped me through it.” Most of her songs follow this pattern of exorcizing these big, oftentimes negative emotions, and it makes for incredibly relatable songwriting. While the production surrounding Metra’s gorgeous vocals usually takes on a melancholic feel, they also have a liveliness to them, making the bulk of her songs equally well-suited for both the dancefloor and introspective headphone listening.
Though she resides and is active in Oklahoma City, Metra is somewhat of a black sheep in the state’s capital. “Here, it’s usually country acts, with some rap here and there,” Metra says on the OKC music scene. “Being a pop artist is kind of unique here.” That hasn’t stopped the aspiring popstar, though, as she continues to make waves in her community.
Although Metra’s pop orientation may be at odds with her location, she wouldn’t have it any other way. In a way, pop music matches Metra’s uniqueness. “You can do so much with pop music,” she explains. Fittingly enough, her next song, “Touching Me,” will reportedly deviate from her electronic-infused pop to more of a pop-punk feel, and the song will be out in March. Unashamed and devoted to her own uniqueness, Metra is a distinctive new voice to watch in Oklahoma City.
Stay tuned with everything Metra has to offer by following her on Instagram at @itsjustmetra, and be a part of another hugely talented popstar’s journey.