Singer Diya Yadalam explores modern love's complexities in new single 'Tell Me'
Singer Diya Yadalam engages in vulnerable conversations about today’s idea of love in her upcoming single Tell Me. A call for more honesty and communication forms the basic message that the song intends to declare. With tender tunes and soft vocals, Diya finds a deeper connection amidst the illusions of modern dating. Ahead of its release, we chat with the talented Bengaluru artiste alongside Richard Andrew Dudley of the Moksha All Stars, the city-based multilingual band, who produced, mixed and mastered while also directing its music video.
Exploring vulnerability: Diya Yadalam's take on today's dating scene with Tell Me'
Tell Me is a very intimate track. Tell us a little about what went through your mind while writing it?
Diya Yadalam: With Tell Me, I opened up a very vulnerable part of myself while writing it. I wanted to discuss how dating feels in this generation, or even finding love, for that matter. It’s not just hard; it is also clouded by numerous games. It was about me navigating through modern dating.
Interestingly, the song is named Tell Me. What aspect of modern dating (which you mentioned lacked transparency) were you looking at when you chose that title?
Diya: As the title suggests, it kind of hints at the lack of open and honest communication. I think that’s a lot of where the song’s ideology comes from. Throughout the chorus, you kind of hear me pleading, saying, “tell me how you feel. Just put it out there as it is. I’m not asking for anything positive or negative, just honesty and communication — the bare minimum.”
The score really complements the words you are highlighting. What was the approach you used for the same?
Richard Andrew Dudley: From a composition and production perspective, we wanted to go for something that’s Billie Eilish-y. But we wanted to have a new sound to it. I took what I would call the ‘major-minor approach.’ The song is on a minor key but the chorus goes to a major key, which is normally not what people do. With that, we wanted to make it sound different.
Tell Me is now streaming on YouTube.