By: Staff
Diana Omar's recent single, "matching your energy," bursts onto the scene with an intense and urgent sonic quality that immediately grabs the listener's attention. The track opens with slightly bassy guitars and a clean, short strumming pattern that pulls the audience into the narrative with a sense of anticipation. Even without altering the overall pace of the song, Omar's vocals rise higher, conveying a profound emotional anguish that resonates directly with the listener. As the arrangement grows fuller and louder, Omar delivers a flawless and impressive vocal performance, showcasing her exceptional technical prowess. The song then slows down, creating a captivating cliffhanger moment as the rhythmic tapping brings the drums back into the mix. A subtle falsetto fills the air, further captivating the listener and heightening the emotional impact of the track. The staccato-style lyric delivery is particularly excellent, adding an infectious energy that is sure to resonate with live audiences. "matching your energy" is a compelling and dynamic offering that is likely to compel even the most reluctant wallflowers to take to the stage, singing along to Omar's powerful and emotive performance. Fans of dynamic, emotionally charged indie rock would be well-advised to check out Diana Omar's single, "matching your energy,"
We had the chance to catch up with this exciting artist, and here's what we learned.
Please tell us a little about yourself and when you started making music.
Hey! I’m Diana, and I write indie pop songs. My songwriting journey started when I was around 14 and my piano teacher started encouraging me to improvise my repertoire. I wrote my first single “Never Wanted You to Let Go”, and since then, I’ve been hooked.
Can you walk us through your songwriting process for this latest project? Where did the inspiration come from?
The overall writing process for “matching your energy” was so spontaneous. It was literally 15 minutes before I had to go to Linear Algebra office hours, and I wanted a break from studying. I brought up Logic on my laptop then started laying chords, drums, and a rough melody. I was feeling a bit over analytical about my interactions with people, and I remember telling my mom that I feel like I have to match the energy of others in conversations. I knew it would be cool to make a song with that in mind. Long story short, I ended up writing my summer single and finishing my math homework that day.
Where do you create your music, i.e. in a home recording studio or with a producer? How do you finalize your finished work, ie self mixed / mastered or another source?
As of right now, I am the sole songwriter and co-producer of all my tracks. I mostly write songs at home or in my college dorm. My college’s residential college has a recording studio where I record vocals and create a rough production. Once I have an idea of what sound and vibe I’m going for, I send the track over to my producer in Spain who finishes up the song and mixes/masters it.
What was the most challenging part of bringing this project to life, from the initial idea to the final recording?
I think it was stepping a bit out of my comfort zone. Lately, I’ve been into writing really introspective, poetic lyrics, so I wanted to try something more juvenile and easy to digest.
Is any part of your music's message or purpose you feel fans or the industry has overlooked? If so, what is that element, and why is it so important to you?
The main reason for writing “matching your energy” is because I noticed that it’s hard for people to relate to highly introspective songs. Even though I have my audience that praises my poetic lyrics, I also need to realize that music is an escape from the real world, and sometimes it’s good to make some silly songs. However, I will not stop writing deep songs because it heals me.
What has been the most motivating force in creating your music?
I think the motivating force is definitely the fans. I know this might sound cliche, but it means a lot to me when I have people coming in my DMs saying that my silly little dorm room songs have healed them. I call my songs my “inner monologue” because it reflects my deepest sentiments that I tend to bury in real life. My songs heal me, but it makes me feel better knowing there’s someone else who feels the same way.
If there was one thing you could change about the music industry, what would it be?
I would love to see some independent artists getting on charts more often. It would also be really cool if we saw more independent artists getting Grammys. I see the music industry changing every day. There has definitely been a shift lately, where it’s more a game of endurance rather than how young you are. I anticipate more mainstream artists having college degrees not necessarily music-related. Maybe artists with an academic side because we don’t need to pick and choose anymore.
Where do you see your sound and artistry heading in the future? Are there any exciting new directions you're exploring?
I was surprised to lean into the R&B sound this year. It was definitely an experimental phase, but I think I might continue to incorporate different elements this year. Right now, my sound is a mix of indie and pop with electronic influences. I hope to continue pushing boundaries in what is considered “indie pop”. I also like the indie rock sound– I realized I was surprisingly good at writing catchy, more upbeat songs.
Do you play any instruments?
I started off playing the piano when I was six, then played the violin when I was nine. I then leaned more into the violin and became a classical competitive violinist. I got some cool opportunities from doing that, but I always loved telling my own stories. When I started writing songs, I was playing piano more often figuring out chords and melodies. Now I use my DAW for a rough production. Recently, I’ve been learning electric guitar, which has been a bit harder than I was anticipating.
Was there ever a time when you emotionally felt, “I can’t do this anymore”? Can you tell us why this happened and how you found the strength to continue?
Literally yesterday…
It’s hard because I have two very different worlds I’m in– the music industry and academia. People always tell me I have to choose, but I cannot ever see a world when I am choosing one over the other. These are two halves that make up who I am, and they reinforce each other.
It honestly feels like sometimes there’s a force keeping me going. Every time I tend to distance myself there is always a situation that pulls me back in, whether that be an opportunity or a fan telling me that my songs have helped them.
What advice would you give your younger self and why?
I would tell my younger self to start playing the guitar earlier because I would probably be able to make cooler riffs.
How do you feel about social media?
It honestly depends… sometimes I feel like I’m taking up space. It’s hard to “break through the noise”, and I constantly find myself being compared to other artists. I love getting the ability to connect with my audience directly, but I tend to get caught up in the numbers and still feel unsatisfied. I try to take breaks whenever I need to, but it hurts knowing that a song’s success is dictated by its virality.
If you could go on any late-night talk show, which would it be? And based on present life, what would be the topic of discussion?
It would be cool to go on Jimmy Fallon and work through some mechanics of materials problems lol. I would love to bring some awareness on STEM education and hopefully invoke a passion for it. You never see a pop star who’s good at physics…
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