With two solo singles landing in the top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100 (“Hide Away” and “Sit Still, Look Pretty”) and the release of her debut album, Sit Still, Look Pretty, Daya had a pretty stellar 2016 on her own. But it was her collaboration with Alex Pall and Drew Taggart — otherwise known as The Chainsmokers — that really launched her into the stratosphere, with the collaborative smash “Don’t Let Me Down” earning the singer her first Grammy nomination.
As part of Billboard‘s new Grammy video series, Daya shared exactly what made their song “Don’t Let Me Down” have such an impact, reaching No. 3 on the Hot 100 prior to earning the nomination. And of course, she had to give a quick shout-out to The Chainsmokers guys.
“The intense vocal and track builds throughout the song, [which] coupled with the raw vulnerability of the lyrics helped it to shine through and really connect with people this past year,” she says. “Basically, Alex, Drew and I make a pretty bomb team.”
Daya has previously told Billboard that Pall and Taggart are now like her older brothers, especially because she only has sisters. When it came to celebrating her first Grammy nomination (and being the youngest artist this year to nab one) though, Daya relished the honor with her actual relatives.
“I finally got to take some time off after what’s been an insane year, and my family and I celebrated by scuba diving with sea turtles in Australia, which was pretty sick.”
As for the other artists who were nominated this year, Daya is pulling for seven-time nominee Chance the Rapper, as he’s also an independent artist. “[Chance’s nominations] are inspiring for artists like me.”
But while Chance can serve as an inspiration for Daya, winning that gramophone would be the ultimate encouragement to continue making music.
“Winning a Grammy would mean the world,” she gushes. “It would validate the hard work that I’ve put in until this point and it would fuel me with energy to keep pushing for more.”