Daya - ‘Her’
Daya explores her inner conflict surrounding the mental inescapability of a former partner, in new heartbreak anthem ‘Her’, the second single from her upcoming EP, ‘In Between Dreams’.
Since releasing her debut single at age 16, singer-songwriter Daya has amassed considerable support, with recognitions from Rolling Stone and Billboard, as well as more than 1 billion collective streams on Spotify. The Pennsylvania-born artist quickly gained success, with her first singles ‘Hide Away’ and ‘Sit Still, Look Pretty’ gaining RIAA platinum certification, and climbing to the top 30 of Billboard’s ‘Hot 100’. Alongside her solo work, the 23-year-old has also collaborated on tracks with other artists, most notably featuring on the 2017 Grammy-award-winning electro-pop record ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ with The Chainsmokers, which achieved 9x platinum certification, and reached number 3 in the US top charts.
Since then, Daya has released a number of singles and EPs, her latest being ‘The Difference’, a body of work which was formed during lockdown, when the pop artist was forced to spend time with herself and discover who she truly is. Over the years, Daya has become a renowned voice within the LGBTQ+ community, both through actively working with organisations such as GLAAD, as well as through providing representation within her music. Bisexuality is an important theme in new single ‘Her’, as Daya vividly describes trying to start a new relationship, when mentally she cannot escape the idea of her former partner, writing: ‘See her face in my head when I lie on my back in his bedroom’.
Describing the track, Daya states, “‘Her’ is pretty explicitly about being consumed by memories of a previous lover after a relationship ends, even when getting intimate with someone else. It’s in those moments that it’s been hardest for me to move on, and I really wanted the track to convey how paralyzing it can all feel in the moment, which is why the second half descends into what feels like some sort of a disorienting bad dream.”
Having already released ‘Love You When You’re Gone’, ‘Her’ is the second single from Daya’s new EP ‘In Between Dreams’, which is set to be released on September 16th. The track explores the stark contrast between dreams and reality, providing a flavour of what to expect from the upcoming record. ‘Her’ cleverly showcases Daya’s ethereal vocals and authentic lyricism, as she vulnerably describes the internal conflict she is experiencing in trying to move on, mentally and physically. This state of emotional turmoil reaches its climax during the track’s transition, where Daya’s vocals become distorted with haunting undertones, cleverly reflecting the sense of confusion and ambivalence being described.
Daya has recently announced her ‘In Between Dreams Tour’ to accompany the upcoming EP, with a number of North American dates scheduled to take place later this year.
Words by Emily Savage
