May 26, 2023

YEИDRY Talks About Her New Single “La Puerta,” Growing Up In Italy As A Dominican And More

The talented Dominican artist YEИDRY has gained recognition for her unique blend of languages and cultural influences. Her multicultural background has shaped her artistic style and the messages she conveys through her music. In her Contrast cover story, she expressed, “Growing up between two different cultures definitely gave me a different approach to music, I love experimenting, being influenced by other cultures and risking it when it comes to sounds,” says YEИDRY. “I always felt like I couldn’t fit in, and as I get older, I see the beauty in being different and unique, so I think my most important message is for the new generation like me, don’t worry about feeling weird, don’t worry about feeling like you don’t have a community, you’ll learn you can build your own one.”

YEИDRY is not only a talented artist but also a proud activist for various social causes, including domestic abuse, female empowerment, and body positivity. She seamlessly incorporates these messages into her music, drawing from her personal experiences and the strong women who have influenced her. When asked about her advocacy in the music industry, she stated, “It usually comes natural for me to speak about things I’ve experienced, personally or indirectly. I was raised with strong women by my side, so it’s just normal for me to speak up for them. I see music as a powerful tool to raise knowledge on certain topics, and if I can eventually inspire someone by sharing my story, I will keep doing it. It makes me feel like I’m doing something good with my job.”

YEИDRY released her new single, “La Puerta,” a deeply emotional song inspired by the loss of her Italian grandfather. The song, co-written with Vibarco, aims to connect with anyone who is missing someone important in their life. YEИDRY hopes that the song will provide solace and help listeners navigate the grieving process through music. She shared, “Sometimes it takes longer to process a loss, and music can often get us through it, so I hope my song does the same for someone.”

In the age of social media, YEИDRY uses Instagram and TikTok to engage with her fans on a more personal level and share her artistry in unique ways. While primarily using her platforms for work, she strives to be honest and authentic, discussing topics that should be normalized. She has come to realize that by connecting with her audience on a personal level, they also support her music. YEИDRY recognizes the power of social media in building connections and reaching a wider audience.

 

Collaboration has been a significant part of YEИDRY’s career, as she has worked with renowned artists such as J Balvin, Mozart La Para, and Damian Marley. These collaborations have contributed to her growth as an artist, allowing her to step out of her comfort zone and explore new sounds. YEИDRY finds the magic in merging her world with other artists’ worlds, creating unique musical experiences. She looks forward to working with more talented artists from different countries and hopes to continue creating something special together.

 

YEИDRY’s music often addresses the obstacles and challenges she has faced as a Dominican immigrant raised in Italy. Sharing these personal experiences with her audience is of utmost importance to her, as she aims to represent and connect with others who may have had similar experiences. She realized the power of representation and the impact it can have when she received messages from young Dominicans worldwide, thanking her for representing them and sharing her immigrant story. By discussing these topics, YEИDRY hopes to create a lasting impact and inspire others.

 

Catch the full interview below:

 

Your music seamlessly blends different languages and cultural influences. How has your multicultural background shaped your artistic style and the messages you convey through your music? Growing up between two different cultures definitely gave me a different approach to music, I love experimenting, being influenced by other cultures and risking it when it comes to sounds. I always felt like I couldn’t fit in, and as I get older, I see the beauty in being different and unique, so I think my most important message is for the new generation like me, don’t worry about feeling weird, don’t worry about feeling like you don’t have a community, you’ll learn you can build your own one. 

 

As a proud activist for various social causes, such as domestic abuse, female empowerment, and body positivity, how do you incorporate these messages into your music? What impact do you hope to achieve through your advocacy in the music industry? It usually comes natural for me to speak about things I’ve experienced, personally or indirectly. I was raised with strong women by my side so it’s just normal for me to speak up for them. I see music as a powerful tool to raise knowledge on certain topics and if I can eventually inspire someone by sharing my story, I will keep doing it. It makes me feel like I’m doing something good with my job.

Your new single, “La Puerta,” is out now! Can you give us a glimpse into the inspiration behind the song and the message you want to convey to your audience? I wrote “La Puerta” with Vibarco two years ago, after I lost my Italian grandpa. I wanted this song to be relatable and open for those that are missing someone important in their life, whoever that is. Sometimes it takes longer to process a loss and music can often get us through it, so I hope my song does the same for someone.

In today’s age of social media, artists have more opportunities to connect with their fans directly. How do you utilize platforms like Instagram or TikTok to engage with your audience and share your artistry in unique ways? I mostly use my platforms for work but I am getting better at sharing ordinary moments of my life, even if as a person I am not naturally inclined to social media. I try to be as honest as I can with my audience and talk about things that should be normalized in my opinion. I realized that if people can connect with my personality, they’ll support my music too!

Collaboration has been a significant part of your career, working with renowned artists such as J Balvin, Mozart La Para, and Damian Marley. How do these collaborations contribute to your growth as an artist and expand your musical horizons? It’s always challenging and fun to collaborate with other artists because I can get out of my comfort zone and try new sounds. The magic that happens when you mix your world with another artist’s world is incredible, and some collaborations make history for that reason. I hope I can keep working with other amazing artists from other countries and create something special.

Your music often addresses the obstacles and challenges you’ve faced as a Dominican immigrant raised in Italy. How important is it for you to share these personal experiences with your audience, and what kind of impact do you hope to create by discussing these topics? It is extremely important for me to share my story as a second-generation Dominican immigrant that grew up in Italy, I didn’t have a reference that could represent me or never felt like there was a community that was going through the same as me. After my Colors show I received a lot of messages from young Dominicans all over the world thanking me for representing them, for keeping my curls, and for sharing my story as an immigrant. I didn’t do it intentionally, but I found out the power of sharing my story and the power of representation, it’s incredible!

You’re about to embark on a tour across Europe and Australia this summer. What excites you the most about touring, and how do you prepare yourself mentally and creatively for live performances? Live shows are my favorite part of the job so I can’t wait for it. My project grew a lot during quarantine and, even though I played several concerts, I never had a proper tour yet, so this makes me excited. When you get in front of people you realize how much your music means to them and how your work is impacting their life. It’s also a give and take, I receive a lot of energy from being on stage and I love performing, it’s my comfort space. It’s also challenging for my body, it motivates me to have a healthier lifestyle, to train, and to properly manage my time during the day. One thing I want to improve with is bringing my fam and friends around more often when I’ll be on tour!

Your personal style is distinctive and often reflects your artistic expression. How do you use fashion and visual aesthetics to complement and enhance your music and overall artistic identity? I have a very good relationship with fashion, I feel like the more I get confident with my body, the better it gets. It’s always been fun for me to customize things to make them mine and unique, that’s one of the reasons why I like thrifting so much, you’ll always find special items and give them a new life. I incorporate fashion into my visuals because that’s my chance to express myself through it and I think visuals are so powerful when it comes to sending a message. 


In an industry that often puts pressure on young artists to conform to certain standards, how do you stay true to your authentic self and maintain creative control over your music and image? I always try to feel comfortable with myself and I never really care about jumping on trends. I try to make sure everything I do has intention and makes sense with who I am, with where I come from and with my values. That’s the simplest way for me to do my job and enjoy it.

The definition of Contrast is “to be strikingly different.” What makes you strikingly different? I think that coming from different cultural backgrounds is definitely something that highlights me as an artist. I consider myself a citizen of the world, I’m very honest and I am not afraid to dream big.

 

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Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Contrast Magazine. michael@contrastmag.us

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