Singer-songwriter Dia Malai “Dee-uh — Muh-lay” is the human personification of the word “warmth”…even her highlighter shines bright and sunny! But listen – we aren’t here to talk about her makeup look, we’re here to talk about the music. Her rich, soulful voice and vibrant personality came together to wrap you up in a big (metaphorical, socially-distant) hug within minutes of watching her August 23rd live session on SCENES. And let’s be real, we could all use a hug right now, right?
Miss Dia Malai gets up close and personal immediately, greeting the audience like long lost friends and keeping us engaged and in the loop while she works through her final sound check. It felt so much like the atmosphere of an actual live show – the kind that music fans like myself have been desperately missing for the better part of six months – that I could’ve teared up if I had one more White Claw in me. And all that nostalgia without having to change out of your pajamas or risk getting cheap beer spilled on your shoes? That’s the definition of a “win-win” if you ask me.
With her collaborator Janee Cheri “Juh-Nay Sher-Ree” on keys, Dia Malai delivers a soulful performance that starts with a cover of Ariana Grande’s hit 2018 single “God Is A Woman”. She nails that cover in a way that would make Ari herself proud before transitioning into her original track “Meantime”, a gorgeous love song that might make you want to call your ex. (Don’t do it, it’s not worth it!) Finally, she finishes with “Destiny” another original song that goes above and beyond to highlight her impressive vocal range. With each song she transitions more from pop into R&B, flawlessly blending the two genres each time with influences of soul sprinkled heavily throughout. And if her stunning vocal performance wasn’t enough to keep you watching, the kind and inspiring messages she delivers between songs just might do it.
So if you have an extra fifteen minutes today, I strongly encourage you not to spend it reading people arguing with bots on Twitter or watching old Vines you’ve already seen ten times. Instead, I propose this: sit back, relax, and treat yourself to this performance by Dia Malai and Janee Cheri. And if you’re left wanting more at the end like I was, you can listen to more of their work and keep up with their careers on Instagram by following @diamalai and @janeecheri.
One last thing – if you liked this session as much as I did, don’t forget to follow SCENES on Facebook to watch more live music. We have a catalog of live sessions from over 900 artists from all different genres and backgrounds, and we go live every week with new music.
