Didi J is an international pop sensation, hailing from Serbia. The stunning singer has burst onto the US music scene, most recently with her fresh collab ‘Say No More’, which features none other than Shaggy! The catchy party anthem is setting dance floors alight, combining Didi’s sultry sound with Shaggy’s distinctive vocals.
Not only is she a talented and accomplished songstress, Didi is also a fashion designer and model. She even has her own line of cool street wear, which we’re itching to snap up.
We recently caught up with Didi J to talk about ‘Say No More’, working with Shaggy, her fashion inspiration and much more. Check out what she had to say!
Hi Didi! Thanks for chatting to us today. Your latest single is ‘Say No More’ featuring Shaggy. Can you please tell us about the song and the inspiration behind it?
‘Say No More’ is a fun dance-infused song about passion. It is about finally coming to terms with the passion between you and your lover. No more game playing or running away from the passion between the two of you.
As for the inspiration for the song…we were inspired by a culmination of a number of experiences I’ve had in my love life. Experiences I had while dating my husband, who is the love of my life. In particularly, the passion that we have in our love. It is strong. People have always noted how we are so much in love and infatuated with each other to the point that we can’t keep our hands off of the other. Lol! We love strong and hard! I feel our love is red hot, and ‘Say No More’ is saying that we don’t need to say anything because our bodies are saying everything that needs to be said to the other!
How did the collaboration come about?
Shaggy and I actually met through a member on my team that works with promotions. He heard the original ‘Say No More’ and thought Shaggy would work great on it. We discussed it as a team, discussed it with Shaggy’s management, and everything worked out great! The song came out amazing, and both teams are very excited about the song!!
Shaggy is a huge star in his own right – what was it like to work with him?
Shaggy is amazing! Shaggy brought a different kind of “flava” and “swag” to the song. His voice resonates so strongly and added a touch of male sexiness to the song that enhanced the feel of the song. I feel like it also made the song more cross-over for the dance floor. Of course, he also is a very experienced artist, and he was able to go in the studio, write, and record in an amazingly fast amount of time.
We hear that you’ve filmed an official music video for the track too – what was that experience like?
The experience was amazing. I love doing photoshoots and video shoots. For this video, we worked with Gil Green and Michael Garcia. They are both amazing. I’ve seen the first cut of the video, and it is awesome. I can’t wait to see the final video!
You’ve already collaborated with a few different artists and DJs, but who would be your dream collaboration?
I would love to work with Beyoncé, Pitbull, or FloRida. My ultimate dream would be a collaboration with Beyoncé because she is a fashion diva, a musical inspiration, and one of the artists I truly admire.
You grew up in Serbia. How has this influenced your music style and taste?
There is not a lot of pop music in Serbia. Most singers there sing traditional folk music. I have always loved glamour, fashion, and more western-style popular music. In my country, a lot of the people doubted that I, or any other singer, could make pop music and be successful. I use this doubt to fuel my fire to be a singer that relates to young women that dream about achieving their dreams, despite the naysayers or the limitations because of where they come from. Not to say that my country is not great, or, that I do not love my country…I do love my country very much…but, I refuse to be limited by circumstance and region, and choose to work hard to break through walls of limitation.
You’re due to release more music soon, and have worked with a producer whose credits include Beyoncé and John Legend. What can we expect from your new music?
I know that an artist’s work is never done, and we must always work on improving our craft. So, with my new music, I plan to do more writing and explore more areas of emotions and relating to the everyday life of a woman. The ups and downs that we all experience are some things that I want to explore more in my writing. We also plan to experiment more with vocal arrangements and show more of my range as a singer.
Not only are you a talented popstar, you’re also a fashion designer and model with her own clothing line, which we adore. Where do you get your fashion inspiration from?
Much of my inspiration comes from my love of fashion, beautiful clothes, and my love of feeling beautiful and sexy. I work with a team that also inspires me to make clothes that compliment a woman’s figure and sexiness.
Do you prefer the music or the fashion/modelling side of things?
I love both! And, could not choose between the two. They each call to a passion in me that is strong.
Apart from more new music, what can we expect from you in 2017?
Well, the plan is to take over the pop world!! Lol! But, in the interim, my team plans to have me do some performances, and we will do more videos for the singles we release.