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Izzy Reign’s songs might best be described as “dark pop” and “metalcore,” but she insists they share a lot of similarities with the music of rapper Missy Elliott.
“One of my biggest influences, weirdly enough, is Missy Elliott, which is nowhere near the genre that would typically place what I’m in,” the Grand Rapids artist offers.
“But if you really put the guards down of what separates genres … it’s really not that different. It’s the same feeling, the same vibe as what Missy Elliott used to give back in the 2000s. It’s grimy, heavy bass. If you really take a step back, it’s very much so similar to dark metalcore.”
That vibe recently has put Izzy Reign on the map as an emerging star of the scene.
Not only have the moody yet infectious tracks on her 2025, self-titled debut album already racked up more than 2.6 million listens on Spotify, but last weekend she won the month-long WGRD Heavyweights competition held at The Intersection in Grand Rapids.
In addition to the $2,500 grand prize, Izzy Reign landed a performance slot during Grand Rapids’ Upheaval Festival taking place July 17-18 at Belknap Park, where she’ll join international metal stars such as Gojira, Poppy, Bilmuri, Jinjer, Papa Roach and others.
“My brain’s still not even registering (this),” she conceded. “A lot of people don’t know the behind-the-scenes of how hard I’ve been working at everything … and how much of myself I put into this. But to see finally this step forward that I’ve been trying so hard to get is something I can’t even begin to describe how grateful I am.
“I feel like this was a huge stepping stone. And to be surrounded by such incredible artists that I’ve myself seen so many times is just a dream. So, I am so stoked.”
Winning Heavyweights Set: Izzy Reign on stage at The Intersection last weekend. (Photo/Eric Stoike)
Growing up on the east side of the state and attending Taylor’s Truman High School, Izzy Reign (Kristin Matzkows) moved to Grand Rapids more than six years ago, and has been releasing music since 2020, including several Halloween-themed tracks.
“I have been deemed the Halloween queen at least six years or so now,” she said. “I’ve been putting out a Halloween cover every single year. At first, it was for fun, but now it’s kind of just a whole demand. People expect it and … I’m excited to do it.” (Scroll down to watch the video for her cover of The Doors’ “People are Strange,” released for Halloween 2025.)
As for the dark-themed, self-titled studio album – created with help from writers and producers Nick Matzkows and Jon Eberhard – the singer and multi-instrumentalist describes it as a “pre-therapy” project that features songs with titles such as “Pandora’s Box” and “Into Oblivion.”
“A lot of it is kind of on the darker side, but I wanted to be very genuine and very real. I think honesty is the best way to connect with people and make them feel heard and seen,” she said. “My goal is to be able to connect with people on a very real level.”
Starting on piano and eventually picking up drums and guitar, Izzy Reign also cites My Chemical Romance, K/DA, Poppy and Muse as influences after absorbing ’90s techno, hip hop and R&B.
For live performances, the singer has been hiring guitarists and drummers to accompany her on stage. And with new performance offers starting to flood her inbox thanks to the Heavyweights win and upcoming Upheaval appearance, Izzy Reign anticipates a milestone year ahead.
“Being on the festival is actually giving me a lot of opportunities of people reaching out for touring,” she said. “I’m already getting different offers for tours, which is super exciting – nothing set in stone, but playing shows and touring is definitely a thing.”
Her next gig? Playing Ratfest at Mercury Music Lounge in Lakewood, Ohio, outside Cleveland.
This week’s edition of the Local Spins Michigan Music Showcase featured two tracks from Izzy Reign’s debut album – “Broken by Design” and “Bird of Prey.” The radio show also aired new music by Rivereye (Max Lockwood), Dave & Kristi, Hand of Giants, Lisa Sung, The Rebel Eves, Mike Ward and Beachglass, as well as our retro, classic Michigan track of the week: “Photograph” by The Verve Pipe.
Listen to the interview and full radio show podcast below. The Michigan Music Showcase airs at 11 a.m. Fridays and 5 p.m. Sundays on WYCE (88.1 FM) and online at wyce.org, and on Interlochen Public Radio at 7 p.m. Saturdays. Check out previous show podcasts online here.
VIDEO: Izzy Reign, “People are Strange”
PODCAST: Michigan Music Showcase (4/10/26)
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