Driven by percussive breaths, energetic 808’s and a massively melodic chorus, “Mama Said” brings a fresh perspective on today’s Pop/R&B genre and empowerment messages.  The no-BS energy of the lyric proclaimed by Dellaria’s powerful vocal demands listeners attention.  

The core of it? A passionate declaration to keep rising above the craziness that life – and sometimes society – can present us.  The fiery song, written solely by Dellaria, was ignited by a deep frustration. Anna Dellaria is back with her new single, “Mama Said”, and honestly, we couldn’t be more obsessed. We sat down with Anna to talk about this hot new single.

“I was so tired of defending my happiness and identity. Tired of fighting off stereotypes and expectations.  It evolved into anger that grew with each news headline or daily encounter that a friend would experience and share.  Whether across the world or at school – the fight to simply be and exist in the face of hatred and negativity became undeniable. So I wrote about it.  The foundation of “Mama Said” is a simple vow to maintain happiness.  Maybe it’s a friend who’s jealous and coming for your crown, or maybe it’s something bigger.  Regardless – the vow remains the same: “Never Let em Knock You Down”.  Anna explained.

PopWrapped (PW): Mama Said is driven by percussive breaths and an amazing (melodic) chorus. The first few minutes of the song really sounds like a powerful anthem we would receive from Little Mix. & then it breaks out into your rock, pop, signature sound. What can you tell us the process was like for finding your sound and creating “Mama Said”. Did any personal experiences influence this track?

Anna Dellaria (AD): “Really appreciate you diving deep into the sound and production of “Mama Said”. This song is definitely a special one for me because it’s a bit different from the other songs and the rest of the sound in terms of its larger than life chorus and harmonic influences. I wrote “Mama Said” in between classes in College. I had this melody pop into my head (which is often the case) and I knew that I wanted it to be driven by these percussive breaths and heavy drums. I ran to my computer and at the time only had Garage Band – and laid down a bunch of breaths and a little beat to go with it. The words and melody kind’ve just poured out of me. I actually ended up running 30 minutes late to class because I needed to get it all out on this recording, otherwise it felt like it might vanish. The concept was inspired by this larger fatigue from all the negativity and judgement we face both in the world and in our personal lives.”

“I felt like I had to defend my happiness and identity against opinions or questioning from others around me – whether it be friends or professional opinions. Whether across the world or at school – the fight to simply exist or be your authentic self in the face of negativity and stereotypes is undeniable. So I wrote about it. “Mama Said” is a declaration of perseverance. Maybe it’s a friend who’s unhappy & feels better about themselves when they bring you down, or maybe it’s a comment on our world right now and this political climate.” She went on to say.

PW: You have a baddass, rocker, type energy about you that really isn’t that common anymore in mainstream music. Do you feel that this automatically sets you apart from big names when you release music like “Mama Said” and “At My Worst”?

AD: Thank you! I’m definitely learning to be proud of all of the perspectives and styles that my music embodies and is influenced by. I was initially really nervous about sounding different for fear it would push listeners away, but I’m slowly finding that the uniqueness of certain songs is what sets it apart from other types of music.

PW: I feel that it is so wild and so important to me when my favorite artists come up to me and know my name, or they tweet me because they value my opinion. Your music has been in the ears of DJ Booth, Indie Shuffle, The 405 and so many other big names in such little time. What were your initial thoughts when you found out that so many big names knew who Anna Dellaria is? 

AD: That’s so sweet! Honestly I have a bad habit of expecting the worst or just not expecting too much. So it means the world when larger outlets and publications, (including PopWrapped!) want to support the music. I’m so grateful for platforms that enable new artists like myself, especially during a time where there’s so much music that it can become overwhelming and hard to organically discover new artists. For that reason my primary reaction and thought is always gratitude.

PW: “Mama Said” gives us similar sound to what we have heard from you before, yet it is actually pretty different at the same time. What do you hope that your fans and our audience can take away from this new track? 

AD: My wish for fans and new listeners is that they feel empowered and a little less alone when listening to the music. “Mama Said” is definitely one of the bolder tracks that have been released, and I hope that fans are inspired to stand a little taller after hearing it. It was written with the intention to lift ourselves up and rise above the bigotry around us or negativity that can sometimes infiltrate our lives.

PW: We are faced with so much hate and so much societal pressures now days, especially when we put our whole lives in the hands of everyone on social media. How do you continue to keep a positive outlook on life and music when you start seeing what people say on social media? I ask this question often in my interviews because social media is growing and so are influencers, it’s always something I feel people do a little bit differently. 

AD: This is such a tricky question, because social media can be so amazing and connect us with new friends and creative sources. However, I am of the opinion that it’s more toxic and harmful than helpful – especially for younger generations. I hope that one day platforms like Instagram and Facebook return to a place where we’re creatively expressing ourselves without worrying about how many likes we got, or who said what on our posts. I try to limit my time on apps with the Screen Time Saver on the iPhone, which actually alerts you when you’ve surpassed your time limit. It’s scary and also helpful to see how much time we spend scrolling away.

“With that in mind, I try to direct that energy towards maintaining current relationships and finding new activities to explore in my day-to-day life. I think Social Media is great if we can find a balance between the apps and reality, but I
think the journey to finding that balance is a tricky one. Take care of yourselves! No time for any added anxiety or frustration from Social Media.” Anna also added.

PW: Finally, we’d like to congratulate you on all the success that you have seen thus’ far and it is only going to continue going up from here. What can we expect from the releases after “Mama Said”? Are you working on an album? If so, when will that be released and will it feature the same attitudes and sounds that we have received with “Mama Said”? 

AD: Thank you! I’m SO excited to share this new music. I have so many songs over the next few months that I absolutely cannot wait to share. They’re each a little different, but represent various sides of my artistry and the music, which I’m proud of. I’ll be releasing at least two other singles before the end of the year, with my debut EP to follow at the top of 2020. The attitudes will be similar, but with a bit more authenticity and evolution as an artist. Same boldness, but with a twist. I have some amazing features that I’m also looking forward to sharing, but will have to keep the names unannounced for now.

You can check out “Mama Said”, exclusively on PopWrapped, here. “Mama Said” is out everywhere tonight at midnight. You can follow Anna on all social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and her official site. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below this post or on social media, @PopWrapped.