Singer Diya Yadalam with her
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“Modern dating has lost all meaning; there is nothing substantial about it anymore,” believes Bengaluru-based singer-songwriter Diya Yadalam whose debut single titled ‘Tell Me’ released recently.
Poised, focused, and confident despite her youth, Diya is all set to make her mark in the music industry with her song ‘Tell Me’ that questions the idea of being loved and seen in a world that embraces facades.
“The 12-year-old me would be screaming right now,” says the singer, talking about her musical journey. As a child, Diya grew up in a home filled with music and shared memories of her grandmother playing the veena every morning and her mother recording performances with a handycam.
Songwriting came naturally to her and quite early on in her childhood, says Diya, adding that the lyrics reflected the different stages of her life. As a child, her songs were simple, usually revolving around friendships or her mother, and eventually moved on to themes of love, romance and relationships.
Diya began learning music in the sixth grade which provided her with a solid vocal training; she also learnt to play the guitar. She joined Moksha 360 in 2024 to actively pursue her passion in the music industry.
“The inspiration for ‘Tell Me’came from a sudden urge to write. I would keep humming, to try and find the melody I wanted,” the 19-year-old says, adding much of the credit of the song’s success goes to her mentor and music composer Richard A Dudley.
Richard Dudley, founder of Moksha 360, talks about the importance of expression within music, humorously recalling how most young artistes come to him with songs about love, “in the beginning it’s about a guy that gave them butterflies and six months later, it’s about how he broke her heart.”
Talking about Diya’s debut single, Richard says he is glad the song resonates with people and their emotional experiences.
‘Tell Me’ comes from a vulnerable space of personal experiences and crafting this song “gave me a new and exciting feeling”, claims the young artiste. The visuals for the music video are gorgeous, with an air of warmth, and a certain fragility.
Diya draws inspiration from her favourite artistes Billie Eilish and Olivia Dean, and especially the recent album, The Art of Loving. “I find Olivia’s music quite lover-girl coded, dreamy, and hopeful in a world that is drowning with music of heartbreak and sadness.”
Ten years on, she hopes to be on the global stage, performing at Lollapalooza, Coachella, and the Grammys, too. But for now, Diya is working on releasing an EP in 2026.
Tell Me is available on all streaming platforms.
Published – November 29, 2025 12:09 pm IST
