Destiny Malibu is an all-American, multi-cultural, bilingual singer, songwriter, musician, and podcaster. Best known as a pop singer specializing in high-energy genre-blending music, the artist has released four albums, including “Kissed by an Angel” which has garnered over one million streams. Look out for the title song of her podcast, “Say My Name”, from her latest offering, released this year. She is an American Idol Alum, performing at schools across the US, and is currently performing multiple dates in Las Vegas. where she also films her mental health-focused podcast, the Destiny Malibu Podcast.
In the musical fashion of Arianna Grande, Ellie Golding, and Iggy Azalea, Destiny Malibu has also collaborated with the American Heart Association, John Paul Mitchell, Sirius XM, and the Professional Fighters League. Her credits include performing internationally in Singapore, the Dominican Republic, and at the Texas Rock Fest, Florida Music Festival, House of Blues Hollywood, and the Viper Room.
Thank you for agreeing to catch up with Occhi Magazine. For readers unfamiliar with you and your background, what drew you to a career in the arts?
My mom was in a successful Latin girl group in her teens called “Pares y Nones” which later became known as “Rio Lento”. Some of my earliest memories include watching my mom record in the studio. Being immersed in that environment allowed me to fall in love with music at a very young age. I started learning guitar at nine years old, and I wrote my first song at that time called “A Million Kisses”. I home-schooled for a couple of years and then started going to middle school in Malibu in 7th Grade. I entered the talent show and performed this song, A Million Kisses, acoustically. I was honored to receive a standing ovation and I remember for weeks students coming up to me for saying “My parents said you’re going to be famous one day!”. It felt so comforting to know at such a young age that not only my family believed in me, but also my community.
Who were your early influences and how did they impact your career?
I listen to all types of music, but since I am in the pop world, I would say some of my biggest inspirations are Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Michael Jackson, Ed Sheeran, Maroon 5, and Drake. My mom of course has been a huge fountain of guidance for me since the day I decided to pursue my solo career. I am very thankful to have someone in my corner who has my best interest at heart. The entertainment industry can be a scary place for a young girl if she doesn’t have someone she can trust, so I am enterally grateful for my support system and the influence they’ve had on who I am today.
Which three traits define you?
I would say the three traits that define me the most are creativity, empathy, and friendliness. I love to be creative and music of course is my number one outlet for that. I am also an empath, aka a deeply empathetic person, and I think it’s one of the reasons I am able to write stories that really resonate with people. I love to write music about my own life experiences, but I also really enjoy writing from the perspective of others based on stories that have been shared with me. Actress Natalie Portman once said one of the most empathetic actions someone can take is truly listening and caring about another person’s background, and I like to apply that same concept to music as well.
Please tell us about your latest project
I am so excited about my brand new single coming out called “Say My Name”. It is a Pop/Hip-Hop/Edm track with a combination of singing and rap and it tells the story of my own mental health struggles and triumphs. I think this song is really going to resonate with a lot of people and I can’t wait to see the response from my fans. I can’t share the release date just yet but it will be coming out very soon along with a new music video.
What other projects are in the pipeline?
My fourth album is getting ready to be released and when that drops I will be doing another tour across the U.S. and internationally. I’m very excited to get my brand new 45-foot tour bus “Paradise” out on the road. Some of my favorite memories were born on tour so I can’t wait to hit the road again! I am also working on a collaboration with another artist right now, which will be my first collab ever, so I can’t wait for everyone to hear that as well!
Where can our readers find out more about you?
You can find all my socials here:
https://linktr.ee/destinymalibu
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