If we were to count the number of times Dinah Jane’s voice has been heard, it would be well over a billion.
As a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, Jane contributed to hit songs like “Work From Home” (965 million streams on Spotify) and “Worth It” (518 million streams on Spotify).
That’s not all. She has performed all over the world for thousands of fans. She has won major awards including an American Music Award, MTV Awards and iHeartRadio Awards, to name a new.
Although she’s earned many accolades and much experience as a member of Fifth Harmony, she has embarked on a new journey — her solo career.
In 2018, months after Fifth Harmony announced their plans to go on a hiatus, Jane released her first solo track “Bottled Up” featuring Ty Dolla $ign. Jane treated her fans to even more music this year. She released a three-track EP titled Dinah Jane 1, along with two more songs “Retrograde” and “SZNS” featuring A Boogie wit da Hoodie.
Now that she has her own music for her fans to enjoy, Jane is bringing it all to life with her first-ever headlining tour. She officially kicked off her show on Sunday night in San Fransisco, with special guest Tone Stith.
In our interview with Dinah Jane, she talks about headlining her own tour, how she keeps her fans engaged, her plans for 2020 and more.
You kicked off your first headlining tour last night. From being in a girl group to now being a solo artist, has your approach to rehearsing changed in any way? What are you looking forward to with the rest of this tour?
Being that this is my first-ever headlining tour as a soloist, the dynamic and vibe is so different from when I was in a group — the vocal point and focus is solely on me. This tour is me showcasing everything I’m capable of, and I’m excited for my fans who have been with me since my first-ever YouTube cover days to witness how far I’ve come.
In an interview with Wonderland last year, you had mentioned that you’ve written about 60 songs. You’ve released a few singles and a three-song bundle since embarking on your solo career. What is the process like choosing the most meaningful records for a project?
With every record I release, it’s mainly how I’m feeling at the time. I go by what I feel in the moment. It’s honestly difficult because there are so many to choose from and it’s like, “Ahh which lil baby do I wanna share with people right now? What szn/vibe is everyone on? Summertime vibes, ballad, etc.”
We are living in a time of instant gratification. Attention spans are shorter. When it comes to music, fans want new music consistently. What has your experience been trying to discover yourself as a new solo artist, while trying to keep your fans engaged?
My first-ever single, “Bottled Up” featuring Ty Dolla $ign and Marc E. Bassy was released because I went live on my Instagram without knowing about “screen recording.” So my fans screen recorded the snippet I shared and it went booming from there. I felt like, “Ahh you know what? The response is going crazy — I’mma just drop this for fun.” It then became my most top streamed record so far — my fans are crazy! I love them!
R&B seems to be the core of your music. Do you remember the first R&B album you fell in love with?
The first-ever album I fell in love with was Whitney Houston! My mom had the vintage Whitney Houston songbook piano 1985 music sheet, and I always heard her playing and singing to it around the house.
You come from a big family. What does family mean to you and has your family ever influenced your music in any way?
Family means home. No matter how imperfect our relationship may be at times, I know I can always run back to them for security. I come from a musical home so music was something I was always surrounded by. Music is a healer!
A new year and a new decade are approaching. What’s one thing you want to accomplish in 2020?
I want to accomplish completing my first-ever album by then. Gotta get these records outta my hands and into yours!
Get tickets to Dinah Jane’s headlining tour at dinahjanetour.com.
