Top 50 Daya Quotes

We’re all humans; we all go through phases.

I love having a major label behind me. Independent was really great to start off, as and I made some really big moves and gained a lot of fans.

I love New Orleans. I love jazz. I grew up practicing jazz piano, and that’s just been such a cool genre to me. There’s a lot of talent there.

My dream collaboration would probably be Sam Smith.

When I’m playing live, I’ll rip out a ballad from my album, and I’ll play that solo on the piano, which feels really good because it kind of takes me back to when I was younger.

I like the fact that I have the power to convey a lot of emotion through my songs. I like to channel that when I’m singing. I think it’s just a mix of R&B, soul, but then I kind of move more into the pop world and electronic pop and stuff like that.

I’m a quarter Indian; my grandfather’s originally from New Delhi.

I try to share a lot of my life on Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, everything. I really like interacting with fans on Twitter and answering their questions and just getting to know them because it’s cool for them to have people who are connecting with my music reach out and show interest.

I performed in Redlands, Calif., at Splash Kingdom. It reminded me of the water parks I went to as a kid. I was like, ‘I want to ride the rides!’

In relationships, I’m usually the one who’s like, ‘Oh, I don’t need this right now. I don’t need commitment. I can do well on my own. I’m independent,’ and all this stuff, and I realized recently that that was making me really closed off to relationships and just closed off to anyone no matter who they were.

People should be allowed to roll out of bed and go to an interview; people shouldn’t be telling you, ‘You can’t curse because it’s not ladylike.’ I don’t believe in those standards.

I think in order to accomplish anything in life, you have to visualize yourself there – accepting the award, hearing your song on the radio, whatever it is – or you lose the willpower and the drive.

I feel like I get all the good parts of college, cause I just college hop on the weekends and party with them, but I don’t have to do any of the school part or the work part.

I used to daydream in class about what it’d be like to be a singer. It’s what I wanted to be ever since I was little, but I never knew if it’d happen or not. I was just a normal girl who was doing all the things teenagers do, but on the side, I was attending music camps and going to songwriting sessions.

As soon as ‘Hide Away’ came out, it was like everyone knew who I was, and I started getting all this attention. It was hard to get used to at first. I just remember that I suddenly couldn’t walk down the hallways without hearing a classmate or teacher playing it – it was unreal!

Write down everything you can think of, no matter how stupid it seems. I always write down my thoughts throughout the day. Sometimes good things come out of it, and I’ll find an idea to develop into a song, so my best advice is to try and draw inspiration from everyday things.

I think Labrinth is an amazing writer and an amazing singer. His voice is just so magnetic. There are so many people that I would work with inside and outside of pop.

I did a show with Tori Kelly, and it was really cool that I got to meet her. She has always been a huge inspiration of mine, and I’m obsessed with her voice, so it was great to get to talk to her about the industry. The best advice she gave me was to just be myself.

I listened to a lot of Amy Winehouse: her albums ‘Frank’ and ‘Back to Black’. She was such an incredible artist. She was just so raw and had her unique sound; she paired jazz with pop and was so soulful at the same time. So I pulled from her a lot in the beginning.

Because of my interest in songwriting, I was invited to visit a friend in L.A. for songwriting sessions with him and his friends. We wrote six songs by the end of the weekend, and ‘Hide Away’ happened to be one of them!

I’m really excited because Interscope is really focused on artists. They’ve been working side by side with me creatively and allowing me to make a lot of the creative decisions, which you don’t always hear about. That’s why I didn’t want to sign originally with a major label.

My dad was the one who took me to concerts and introduced me to new artists. One time, he drove me from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., on a school night to see ‘U2’ – he was a pretty dedicated Bono fan.

I have a lot of creative control, so I can decide what I want to wear, what I want my brand to look like, what I want my songs to sound like, so I don’t sound like some fake artist that people can’t relate to.

I will wear makeup because I want to look good for myself, but it’s not to please other people. It’s not so I fit in with the pretty girls or to impress guys.

Believe in yourself, go after your dreams, and don’t let anyone put you in a box.

I honestly just hope to continue creating music that people can relate to and connect with in a personal way.

I like to create something that’s unique and kind of true to myself and authentic and everything. I don’t really like to mirror myself after different artists.

All my friends are usually at festivals… I just have so much adrenaline running, I literally could run a marathon after my shows.

I think the most important thing for an artist is to stay true to who you are. I want to stay as authentic as possible, as that’s how we’re going with our team.

I’m a fan of H&M, Topshop, and Forever 21.

I’m always working on new projects.

If I’m going to release anything into the world, I want it to have a positive message. So I think that ‘Sit Still, Look Pretty’ and ‘Hide Away’ were two upbeat pieces, and their messages really uplift me the most.

I would love to collaborate with Chance the Rapper. I love his lyrics and his sound and everything.

Stay humble, be fearless, and work, work, work, work, work, work.

I have been taking voice and singing lessons since age 10 and originally got into it because I was really interested in musical theater. After writing my first couple of songs and performing at age 14, I knew that I really wanted to be a singer.

In terms of role modelling for younger kids, I never really censor myself.

I’ve always just kind of been a single-minded person.

I’m on the road constantly. I’m a nomad. I don’t really have a home right now. I don’t identify with one place in particular.

Music was always a huge part of me, but I always did it on the side. I didn’t even take any music classes in high school… it was more of an extracurricular thing.

When ‘Hide Away’ first started gaining a bit of momentum, I was visiting at least two radio stations per day – sometimes in different cities – to spread the word about the song. It was a hustle, but so worth it.

I never wanted to be a feature – that was never the goal with my music. I didn’t want to just live through other people’s work.

I was in an Uber in Vegas with some friends, and ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ came on. My driver didn’t recognize me but started to talk about how much he loved Daya and how he had a crush on her.

I’ve just gained so much confidence in the booth since the ‘Sit Still Look Pretty’ era. I’m working with really talented producers and songwriters who bring out the best in me.

I think I have always been a hard worker in school and in sports and everything. Growing up, my parents encouraged me to do that from day one.

I try to write catchy hooks but, at the same time, things that mean something that will provoke thought.

I love Rihanna’s style. It’s a good mix of streetwear and show wear, and I love her music, too. She’s an incredible singer and performer.

A stadium tour would be amazing – that’s definitely one of my goals. Just to keep putting out real, honest music that people can really relate to and connect with.

I think the first concert I attended was Coldplay with my dad when I was around eight years old.

My music reflects my strong belief in equal opportunities for all – specifically young girls and women. Many, many children do not have anywhere near the opportunities that we kids did in my community – great schools, public safety, etc.

The ‘Chainsmokers’ found me early on, before anyone knew about ‘Hide Away,’ and reached out. I heard the demo for ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ and loved it.