Rising songstress Delara is redefining dream-pop with her soulful audacity and narrative prowess. Her latest single, “Didn’t You Know,” weaves themes of existential loneliness and introspection.
Set against the backdrop of Norway’s most-watched crime-thriller series, “Gangs of Oslo,” the song elevates its narrative from merely auditory to visually riveting. The record meticulously unpacks the unsettling yet liberating realization that we’re both born and will die in solitude. It’s an artful commentary on the power of self-contemplation as a catalyst for self-enhancement.
Capturing the essence of the song, Delara articulates, “To encounter yourself at rock bottom and understand that it can only lead to improvement. When you grasp the fact that you are born alone and will pass away alone, and no one can inflict more pain on you than you can on yourself.”
She continued, “Once you’ve faced your darkest moments, not even the devil can frighten you, because you comprehend that what can truly harm you the most in the world are your own thoughts and actions. Nothing is scarier and more perilous than that.”
Below, we spoke to Delara about her upcoming album, a slew of new singles, her evolution, and goals, to name a few topics.
Hey Delara! How is the year treating you so far, both professionally and personally?
Hey! This year has been extremely exciting, honestly. At the same time as I have had one of the most streamed songs in Norway this summer, I have also been doing many projects in different parts of the world, such as Indonesia, the UK, Pakistan, and the US, and met some amazing people on the way, so I would say this year has been treating me very well.
So, how would you describe your sound now for someone who hasn’t heard your music before?
For this album, I would say pop with Middle Eastern influence.
Speaking of music and songwriting, you dropped your latest single, “Unbound,” last month. What can you tell us about it?
Unbound is a very introspective, existential track and reflects a lot of thoughts and feelings I am going through in my 20s. It is about becoming familiar with the transience of life and that the people we love will one day be gone. And that as beautiful as the human experience can be, I find comfort in knowing that those we hold most dear will never truly leave us. Their presence will echo in our words, gestures, values, and how we see the world. They will always be a part of us ’cause they shaped the very core of us.
The trailer video actually featured your mom, which was really cool. How would you describe your relationship with her, and how did it feel to bring her into such an intimate project like this one?
My mom is the most dear person in my life, and our strong bond is the biggest inspiration for this song, so it made very much sense for me to include her in the visuals of this video. Bringing her into this project was very emotional. We both shed some tears on set when we were filming the visuals, and it meant so much to me that I could really feel that she truly understood what the whole song was about.
It was also fun to bring her onto a music video set and let her see how my world is. Seeing my work, she had one of those “ I can’t believe my daughter is all grown up” moments, and I think that made her pretty emotional as well.
“Unbound” is the first record from your debut album — why now? Why do you feel like this is the right moment to release it?
I don’t exactly know why this is the right moment to release it, but I know the feeling is very clearly there, and that is what I have been waiting to feel when it comes to releasing my debut album. Maybe because I have always imagined my debut album to feel like a self-biography, and now I am at an age where I am way more confident in who I am as a person, and it makes sense to talk about the experiences that have shaped me into the woman I am today.
How about your newest single, “Didn’t You Know.” What makes this particular song so special?
This song is special because it does not sound like anything out there. It takes a deep dive into the whole “what’s the meaning of life” question and encourages listeners to reflect on their own experiences and emotions rather than suppressing them. The way it came together was kinda unique too. I drew inspiration from a specific moment in Outkast’s “Ms. Jackson” music video. I had this super clear picture in my mind that I was itching to turn into music.
I know that it’s been several years since you dropped your debut single. At this point, how do you feel about your evolution as an artist?
I feel proud that I have had the guts to try out new sounds and that I have dared to experiment through the years. It has made me the diverse artist I am today, which I am very proud of.
In the spirit of moving on, what’s next for you? What are the future goals?
I have my debut album coming out on November 10th, and I’ll be going on a solo tour this winter, which is approaching. Additionally, there are some exciting projects with other artists that I can’t fully disclose yet. My goals for the year are to keep doing exciting projects and meeting as many new people as possible at my shows.
