Born In New York, with her family in Puerto Rico, life for Diandra felt crossed between two very different islands. Yet, in either, she always felt like her best friend was music. Between lyrics and rhythms, life became less lonely for the girl whose family was under palm trees and sun, while she shoveled snow and wrote fantasy novels in her room. Growing up with a world inside your head, in some ways, is the biggest sign you are meant to be an artist.
Tell us about the genesis of your project. How did you get to where you are now?
I think the genesis of this project was my whole life. I always wanted to sing, but, somehow, through the years it became a childhood dream that I casually forgot. It was not until the pandemic that I got back into making and writing music as a coping mechanism for how lonely things were during that time, which is why the song is called No Bad Lasts. It is a song about hope, and I wrote it in 5 minutes, which is, probably, the only time, in my life, I have ever been super fast or easy-going about something. Hence, feeling that effortlessness became an addiction, and I really made music become my method for inner peace.
What is the favorite song you wrote and why?
This is hard. All my songs are like children that I am driving off to college, aka a release date, and hoping that they are as smart as I thought they were to succeed. (Lol!) Yet, there was one song I wrote when I saw #FreeBritney trending called ¨Because I’m Free,¨ and, again, it was absolutely inspired and quick to create, which fascinated me. First, a whole song came from one read tweet on a hashtag, which felt crazy, and then it felt like it was ¨me¨ and it was also not. It was as if this song, like ¨No Bad Lasts,¨ was introducing me to ¨myself,¨ and this version of me that could be really efficient by having fun, being present, and not foolishly believing that anxiety is actually useful and makes you ¨double-check¨ the details.
Who are your all time musical icons?
I am extremely inspired by Salsa icons like, Hector Lavoe, Frankie Ruiz, La Lupe, and La India. I also adore Mariah Carey, Amy Winehouse, Bruno Mars, and Whitney Houston. I think each of these artists taught me that you need to feel a song: not just sing it. They understood a powerful vocalist relies on the emotion of a lyric as much as the capacity of their range. In perspective, they are quite theatrical, which I love.
What are some things to do to keep your inspiration alive?
I love being in nature and people-watching, which sounds so stalkerish. I could, literally, stay in a park all day and watch the greenery while wondering about the people passing me by and their lives. Hence, I love telenovelas and k-dramas as a back-up to ¨people-watching¨ because every day I get to follow someone’s story, like a live-action book, without looking like I am Joe from ¨You.¨ (lol!)
Who are you binge listening to these days?
When I am not binge-listening to my favorite artists mentioned, I really love to hear Kehlani, SZA, and Jhene Aiko. They have such a breeziness and peacefulness to their sound. I also love listening to playlists filled with new artists and discovering how much talent is out there, especially because I write about them a lot via my site, Diandra Reviews It All.
Favorite movie or TV show?
This is rough because I love everything. So I will have to say that, recently, Umbrella Academy Season 3 and What We Do In The Shadows Season 4 have been awesome watches. I thought Gordita Chronicles and Our Flag Means Death were hilarious, and I was really impressed with how good Thor 4 and The Gray Man were as films.
Tell us about your latest release and how it came about
I was feeling really down, and the danger of depression is that it makes you genuinely believe that irrational existentialism is just you being thoughtful and aware of yourself. In truth, if you are always thinking about how ¨bad¨ you are or wrong life has been to you, but never doing anything you want or to build yourself up, then it is like you have become strangely mindless, despite over-thinking. So I wrote, ¨No Bad Lasts¨ as an act mindfulness. I did not want to be harsh on myself anymore or believe that all the bad that has happened to me is only thing that will happen to me. It was an act of hope that trickled into a rekindled love for music, and, eventually, a desire to put it out there.
Do you have any peculiar pre or post show rituals?
I meditate, pray, and happily daydream. I try to quiet my mind, because I get really nervous, and just let my thoughts wander and dream of what fantastic things could be for me. I know that sounds super cheesy. Yet, when I imagine myself as someone else, powerful in another world like Wandavision, before I get to the stage, it makes me feel like I oddly become myself when I go on.
What’s the future looking like for you?
Really bright! For the first time, I am doing what I want for me and investing in the fun of doing things because I like them and I enjoy how they make me like myself. The unknown is absolutely terrifying. I do not know if anyone will hear my music and love it. I do not even know if this interview will be published, but I do know it is my first one, which is really exciting. I do know that I loved making this song and the idea that its out there, and I could say I tried is really wonderful because I never did before, and I know that ¨not trying¨ feels 100% worse and scarier than doing what you want for yourself.
Who inspires your style and aesthetics?
I have no idea (lol!). Anybody who knows me knows my style is all over the place. I just love colors and rhythm. I love feeling like the brightest spot on a dark canvas, and when people hear my music or see my ¨fashion,¨ I want them to feel my vibrancy because I use my style and aesthetics as a way to remind myself I am vibrant. I think that your style is not just about displaying who you are or think you are, it is also about believing you can be. Ugh! Do you feel the existentialism? (lol!)
What is the achievement or moment in your career you are the most proud of and why?
So far, releasing this song. I wrote it last year, and did not even imagine I would release it. I just could not see myself leaving the ¨safety¨ of being a hidden talent, if that makes sense. It is like I knew I was good and that I could offer someone, out there, a comforting song from my mending heart to theirs, but I was stuck in dreaming about doing it and loving the fantasy over the anxiety of making it real. Thus, the fact that I am doing this and will be able to say, soon, I did this is amazing.
What do you think is the best way to make it as an artist nowadays?
Phew! This is so hard. I want to say hard work and a lot of social media, which are absolutely necessary. You need to network, post, and approach your art with as much with business strategy as creativity. Yet, even with all that, there is no guarantee. So many artists are doing that and have astronomical talent, which is why I think the best way to ¨make it¨ is to remember happiness is as important as hustling: make the joy of creating your art the fuel for putting it out there and making sure more people hear it. Patience with yourself, forgiveness for what you do not know, and having absolute fun are as valuable to ¨making it¨ because people can sense your passion and love for your art, and it really does move them to buy it.
What would you change in the music and entertainment industry especially, after this past year?
I think I would change people’s negative mindset about themselves. I go into so many rooms where everybody is talking and networking, and I know that I am not the only one there that feels small or like they are wearing a mask that does not fit. It is really hard to put yourself¨ out there when A) you do not really know who you are or who you are is really layered and cannot be conveyed in a 5 minute chat by the bar. Moreover, B) it is okay to like yourself and enjoy someone’s company without thinking there is some ¨massive success¨ you are not achieving because you are not memorable or you do not chat up the ¨right people.¨ In a way, I wish people enjoyed their journeys more, and were not so worried about their ¨destinations¨ or whose ¨ride¨ is more impressive. Now, more than ever, artists are scared for their futures, and I wish them all luck and a sense of peace in knowing that putting your art out for the world to see, automatically, makes you really cool.
