Though she was born in Germany, Donna Dafi is an artist for the world.

With familial roots stretching from Nigeria to Kosovo, the singer pulls from all over, formulating her innate range of sensibilities into a sleek style of pop that presents itself intentional and enticing. Her latest, “Primadonna,” marks a new chapter for the budding artist and model, who is well-established despite her short slate of previous releases.

Opening with an interpolation of the legendary Albanian singer-songwriter Eli Fara’s “Sonatë,” Dafi’s “Primadonna” quickly comes to. As the folk song swells to its end, a huge kick drum and jumping vocal chops set the table for Dafi’s alluring and direct vocal performance. Penned with fellow German singer-songwriters Haley Maze and Philippa Kinsky, “Primadonna” is (effectively) her first entirely-English offering as well. Though she’s had prior releases, “Primadonna” serves as a debut single of sorts. Whichever direction she heads from here, Dafi should be excited yet prudent, as with “Primadonna” she has certainly raised the bar.

Words by Andy Gorel
Photos by Mijntje

The singer told Lock: “The song came from a very specific experience of being swept into someone else’s world, the glamour, the attention, the fantasy and slowly realizing it wasn’t really about me at all. It was that moment of clarity where you step back and choose yourself.”