Danielle Bellas
Her delightfully sweet voice and warm husky tones swirl around your ears. We first discovered Danielle Bellas at the beginning of 2018 with her sultry RnB song ‘Starship’. This is officially her debut single released for the public, although it is interesting to check out her unreleased work - one most notable is ‘Be That Somebody Else’ which shares a different side of her, assertive and seductive. 2018 was a big year for the singer as she delivered three successful singles. The latest being ‘I Got This’, a statement piece, with a strong theme of positivity and self-love. It is a song which holds your hand through dark times, telling you to breathe and have faith in yourself. We were able to chat with Danielle Bellas about her journey…
Tell us about yourself and how you got into music.
I’ve always been obsessed with music and grew up listening to, and imitating, the likes of Janet Jackson, Brandy, Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, Aaliyah and TLC. 90s R&B was my jam! My musical journey started when my cousin introduced me to his friend, who was a local music manager, and he took me into a studio where I co-wrote and recorded my first single at the age of 16. That gave me a taste for it and started the ball rolling, but my parents definitely encouraged education and a steady career over music! I joined a girl group when I was 18, stayed in that for 2 years whilst I was at university, then kept writing and recording whilst working a 9-5 until I decided to prioritise my music and really back myself, and now here I am, with my 3rd single out!
You ditched the corporate lifestyle for creativity - how was that process for you, and what would you tell anyone who is in the same position wanting to break free?
My whole department was made redundant so I didn’t exactly leave my job with any kind of plan or any contacts to help, I just knew it was now or never to give this dream a go. So initially it was hard to know what to focus on, it was tough at times to stay positive and it was a huge learning curve. It also took a while to adjust to the new lifestyle and it means you have to be so self-motivated and disciplined, which I sometimes struggle with! What’s been amazing, however, is having the flexibility to travel, write, record, and you can prioritise what you want and not have to answer to anyone. I would advise anyone else thinking of quitting the corporate life to make sure you have a goal in mind and a rough plan, along with the contacts you need to hit the ground running and keep the momentum up. Get yourself to a music conference as soon as you can, to educate yourself on the industry and to network. The events can give you so much insight and help you formulate
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