If you’re not already a fan of rising pop singer-songwriter Diva Smith, now’s the perfect time to fall in love with her sound.
With her first major project on the way, Diva’s entering a new chapter, showcasing her musical evolution with her first-ever love song, “Sunny Surrender.” The vibrant pop-country track captures the whimsical warmth of young love, weaving a story of a romantic road trip as she allows herself to get fully lost in love for the very first time. For once, she’s not going to overthink it, surrendering herself to those sweet emotions. We adored the song from the first listen, and we had the pleasure of speaking with Diva to learn more about the track—and what’s next—in the interview below.
Sweety High: What is the story behind “Sunny Surrender”? What inspired you to write it, and why did now feel like the right time to release your first love song?
Diva Smith: A few years ago I was at an open mic in NYC, and a guy performed an original folk song about loving someone from Kentucky to Nevada, Virginia to Oklahoma, Indiana to North Dakota—you get the idea. For some reason it really stuck with me. At the time I was sort of falling in love with country music—the simplicity of the songs, and how complex and vast the meanings can be. I knew I wanted to write a song inspired by it, and inspired by the relationship I was in at the time. I loved the idea of creating this fantastical road trip, referencing all of these quintessential country things that I had absolutely no experience with. But even though I had never been to these places, I knew that feeling—that feeling of going wherever the person you love goes, being willing to pick up your life and leave for them, and surrendering to that sunshine of lust and love.
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SH: What does the song mean to you, and what do you hope it will mean to your listeners?
DS: This is the first song I’d ever written about being happy in love. During that relationship, I really loved listening to music that mimicked that feeling. I really didn’t want to listen to heartbreak music, I wanted to dance and sing and smile. This song allowed me to do that. Writing this song was a surrender for me in itself, admitting that I wanted to write something full of joy and life. I typically find solace in music when I’m going through something difficult, this song was one of the first times I used music as an outlet to express my happiness.
SH: What’s your favorite lyric from the song? Why?
DS: Writing the chorus was the most gratifying. We were all spitting out random country-ish things, and trying to make them rhyme. While writing it we pretty much decided it didn’t need to make that much sense, we just wanted it to be an ear worm that caught peoples attention… surrendering to the fun of the song and the excitement we had while writing it. (PSA I’ve never been to Alabama or Louisiana, or tailgated a Chevy).
(Photo credit: Nina Ljeti)
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SH: Is there anything you can tease about upcoming releases or other news in the near future?
DS: All of the music I’m set to release this year was so fun to make. I’ve never had fun making music like that. I’m so used to pouring my heart out into a journal and writing slow songs. I’ll always be a sucker for a sad song, but it was really exciting to make music that felt relatively easy. I’ve learned to love the quickness and puzzle-piecing of writing music with others, and these songs reflect that.
SH: Is there anything else we should know about you or the song right now?
DS: I’ve been busy putting finishing touches on my first project 🙂 coming soon!
For even more from the artists we love, click HERE to check out our interview with Bryce Vine on his new album, LET’S DO SOMETHING STUPID!
