Conversation with Diandra Regarding "Money And Heart"

Hi Diandra! Can you tell us about the moment you realized that music was your true calling?

From birth! I do not think I even realized it was a matter of calling. I just sang like I was music itself, and growing up was realizing that if something feels so pure to you, it is because it is your destiny.

How has your personal background and upbringing influenced your approach to music and songwriting?

My family was in Puerto Rico, and they were very musical, and we were always back and forth between PR and New York. I would go from the heat, music on the streets, and so much family, to being alone in NYC and just my own voice to entertain me. So music became my consistency, and a way to feel Puerto Rico even when I was not there.

How do you stay motivated and creative in the ever-changing music industry?

By focusing just on myself and what I want to express from and for me. The industry is super competitive, and I find feeling competitive makes me depressed and negative. I cannot compare to anyone, especially when you think about how life is a journey. I have had good days when others have had bad and vice versa. So I feel more motivated when I think of life as something I want to live for me, and music my way of living it fully.

Can you walk us through the creative process behind your single ‘Money And Heart’? What inspired this track?

It was a track I had written just after cutting my father out of my life, which is very heavy. Yet, so many people have to cut off someone they love or rather wanted to be loved by because that person blocked them from loving themselves. I wanted Money & Heart to be the story of how the materialism of one person can truly destroy the value of love from another person. In some ways, it is a song about finding financial freedom by releasing those who cannot see your heart is worth something.

Do you have a favorite line or lyric from ‘Money And Heart’? If so, why is it significant to you?

You flew in

Told me the price of your ticket

And Said That means you love me

But what’s the price

For giving forgiveness

Do my actions mean nothing

THAT is my favorite verse because it encompasses the core of my relationship with my father and so many men and friends that came after: a feeling of being emotionally demanded from by someone materially manipulative. All my life I was a people- pleaser, and almost trained to believe that was a good thing, but, in my times, of need no one helped me, and, worse, it was some of the very people I tried to make feel loved, like my dad, that sabotaged me. So, I wanted a verse that embodied the clash between someone that believes money is love, but shows you neither.

The irony is that this verse, actually, happened. In our last meeting, he mentioned the price of his airplane ticket as a sign he really wanted to see me, despite being mean to me. It made my forgiveness and desire to be loving, as much as loved, feel invaluable if not stamped by Delta Airlines.

Can you share any memorable moments or anecdotes from the recording sessions of ‘Money And Heart’?

I was in a very Sade mood, and I just loved the trumpet. Recording it was one of the few times, I felt like my feeling were like a Smooth Operator: pun intended.

Looking back at your musical journey, how do you think you’ve evolved as an artist since you first started?

I’m starting to realize that fun is so important and essential to growing. You NEED to have fun to make good music, especially music that is unique to you. After all, every artist becomes an artist off the hope of making a living out of what they love. So, for me, you have to keep that love by being true and fun with it.

What’s the most challenging aspect of being a musician in today’s world?

Visibility. It is hard to love your work, when you look at your views and its stays at 6 for 3 weeks or you barely make 5 cents off a stream. Being an artist really does mean you are living out of love, more than money and fame. Sure, that will come, but love is already here, and it can be tough to keep and build, when you think no one will ever see or pay to see it. Yet, they will. Just give it time!

Can you share any upcoming projects or plans following the release of ‘Money And Heart’?

I sing music in Spanish, as well. This week I, actually, have two releases: Sin Titulos (888) and En Cuerpo Y En Alma. Sin Titulos is all about whether a relationship need to be defined by labels to, actually, feel secure or if it the very aversion to labeling that proves it was never going to be stable. It is has a real Reggaeton-Trap flare like, the good Boricua I am. Then, En Cuerpo Y En Alma is just bursting with violins, drums, and a very telenovela feel. That was a fun love song that I allowed myself to embrace the themes of lust, positivity, and a dance soundscape that feel rhythmically melodramatic.

Finally, what’s one thing about the music industry that you wish you knew when you started out?

How accessible it is! I think the music industry is one of the easiest places to enter and the most difficult to rise. You just have to act like you are the main character, and people WILL approach you. Thus, give yourself the grace of growing your confidence and REALLY see the value of loving yourself as essential to convincing the industry that you can sell that love for .99 cents on Apple Music.