Diana Gordon is a lot of things – a singer, songwriter, a breath of fresh air on the feeds of social media, an advocate for women’s empowerment, and a family-oriented Queens native. As she has carved out a space of her own in the industry, most known for her power-infused rock ballads and fluttery, mystical vocals atop floor-knocking percussion. Diana is now gearing up for her upcoming EP PURE, a statement of her true self and the journey that got her here.
Before the 31-year-old began writing for some of the top names in pop music, she was an energetic New York City 90’s kid, learning music theory at a young age and finding inspiration in both her Jamaican roots and the pulse of New York. Growing up, she was placed in the center of many intersections. Like the movie Crooklyn, Queens came to life in the eyes of the young creative: the neighborhood had characters that intrigued her and made her laugh. Even with her family’s complicated dynamic, Diana says she maintained her explorative innocence.
“I was introduced to so many different types of music as a child,” Diana says on her bus in Toronto while on tour with Brent Faiyaz. “One of the benefits of growing up in the big city. New York has its own soundtrack.”
Diana fuses the church hymns she’d sing every Sunday, the Latin flavor of the bodegas, her grandfather’s constant Gospel and Classical playing, her older cousin’s R&B and Hip Hop, and her Italian best friend’s discovery of Emo and Alternative to make her signature sound.
As a young artist entering the industry, she made a conscious decision to turn her notebook pages into songs for others as a way to get her foot in the door. However, writing for some of the top voices in music was never really Diana’s end-all dream. Like many young artists, her first few years were the most trying.
“I had no plans of continuing to write for others, but after getting signed to a label that wouldn’t support the songs I was writing for myself and being broke, I gave them to more successful artists who liked them and put them out,” she says. “Still only as a means to an end. But those days are over. In the last 3 years I’ve been blessed to write and collaborate only with artist-peers, like Beyonce, who inspire me and it feels right.”
Holding writing credits to “Sorry,” “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” and “Daddy Lessons” on Beyonce’s award-winning Lemonade, Diana is now focused on creating a healthier career for herself, with music that reflects her urgency to fight back and tell the story of the beauty within her personal struggle. “I used to put a lot of unhealthy pressure on myself to be perfect. I wasn’t being consistent [with my work] while wondering if I was pretty enough, skinny enough, thick enough,” she reveals. “I’m learning me at this present moment. I am enough! I am amazing and my story is inspiring and needs to be told so that I can help others.”
Her forthcoming EP signifies more of an unlearning process than a rebranding; a deviation from her Wynter persona and past career. A pivotal moment struck the young artist just last December when Diana found her oldest brother, who had been lost for 16 years. Homeless in LA and disoriented by severe Schizophrenia, her brother needed mending and she has taken on that journey with him. This gave Diana the confirmation to share her story in PURE.
“PURE will be a musical journey, different from anything I’ve put out,” she says. It doesn’t mingle with romance, but it is inspired by Diana’s signature 90’s influence, like Semisonic, The Verve, Limp Bizkit, Pixies, Third Eye Blind, and even A Tribe Called Quest. Like her two newest singles, “Woman” and “The Legend Of,” Diana is releasing herself from self-appointed high standards, and telling stories of feminine resilience and standing in her truth. “For me, growth is learning to be still, simple, and follow my gut instead of listening to someone else’s — enjoying the process and understanding that Rome wasn’t built in a day,” she says.
To keep her peace, Diana says she actively seeks good news and she gives. Advice, love, listening; she tries to intentionally reach out when she is able. Diana keeps her circles small now — from producers who inspire her to supportive fellow artists and a management team that’s like family. Her tribe keeps her going, even when it’s tough. “I create art and try to be accountable for the energy I’m bringing into any given situation. I can only be responsible for what I do in this life.”
On top of the release of PURE, Diana plans to get back on the stage, release creative visuals, help her brother heal, share collaborations with some of her favorite artists, and of course, live in the moment. “I think that every door, no matter how big or small, opened by a woman artist of color is important for the next generation to have more opportunities than the previous one,” she says. “I am a piece of hope for the artists of tomorrow and that’s important for the process. Hope is part of the dream.”
Photography: Richard Ramirez Jr.
Styling: Amelian Kashiro
MUA: Erin N. Pea
All clothing vintage.
Taken from Issue 01.
