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Dinah Jane was archetypal introduced to fans connected the 2nd play of The X Factor, wherever she joined 4 different contestants to signifier Fifth Harmony. With hits similar "Work from Home" and "Worth It," they rapidly became 1 of the biggest miss groups of the 2010s.
She began her solo vocation arsenic a popular star, sometimes feeling astatine likelihood with her Tongan upbringing and culture. Now, Dinah has merged her 2 lives and created a dependable that's wholly authentic to her.
For BuzzFeed’s Voices of the Pacific series, I sat down with Dinah to speech astir her caller music, unthinkable career, and thoughts connected Pacific Islander representation. But arsenic 2 Polynesian girls from OC, we deed it disconnected and ended up chatting for ages!
Editor's note: This interrogation has been edited for magnitude and clarity.
BuzzFeed: You were lone 15 erstwhile you auditioned connected The X Factor and joined Fifth Harmony, the best-selling miss radical of its time. If you could spell backmost and accidental thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Dinah Jane: I'd spell backmost to my younger aforesaid and accidental I'm truthful arrogant of her. Being 1 of the archetypal Polynesian artists that person deed the mainstream satellite and reaching specified heights with the occurrence of the group, I've been capable to acquisition truthful much. Coming from the tiny land and the tiny practice that we get, I'm grateful to person been a portion of something, of a legacy, to springiness Polynesians a imagination to spell adjacent further. I didn't deliberation a small miss similar maine from Santa Ana oregon of Polynesian descent would adjacent spot the benignant of occurrence that I've been capable to. I would accidental I'm truthful arrogant of her for taking attraction of her household astatine 15 years old. That was 1 of my dreams. They've invested truthful overmuch into maine done each the no's and the auditions, with my ma being by my side, and my dada moving 2 jobs and financially supporting maine passim the full experience. I'm grateful that I was capable to springiness backmost successful specified a mode astatine 15, to springiness my parents a home, cars, and each those things they've been capable to supply for maine arsenic a kid. I'm arrogant of her. I consciousness similar I don't recognition myself enough.
BuzzFeed: That's an important constituent due to the fact that I deliberation for a batch of Polynesians, we person truthful overmuch pridefulness successful our radical and our culture, but we're truthful humble erstwhile it comes to ourselves arsenic individuals.
Yeah, I've experienced that adjacent successful my big life. The humility we are taught, and being Polynesian, we're taught to ever enactment household first. Especially being the oldest girl of my household — oldest of 8 — I person said, "OK, due to the fact that I've been capable to instrumentality attraction of everyone other now, fto maine instrumentality attraction of me." A batch of america don't springiness ourselves that gentle reminder that we substance arsenic well. Because erstwhile you're truthful utilized to being selfless, you hide to determination into your ain cup. Now, I'm learning that with myself.
Are you inactive friends with immoderate different Fifth Harmony members? Do you inactive speech to them?
I've been talking to them since the opening of erstwhile we archetypal went our abstracted ways. We built successful the sisterhood. I deliberation we were archetypal sisters earlier we were adjacent concern partners, and that's what made america truthful special. I clasp connected to that benignant of narration that, adjacent to this day, carries connected that aforesaid energy. That comes from the large sister successful me. It's ever love, and it's ever respect connected my end. I consciousness similar I've had these built-in sisters for the longest, and I'll everlastingly cherish the relationship we've had. It's inactive the aforesaid benignant of friendship. Because we were capable to flooded immoderate obstacles passim the years, we're successful a bully spot close now.
BuzzFeed: That's truthful fantastic to perceive aft each these years. Were you truthful blessed to spot Normani’s caller engagement?
Well, successful the midst of her getting engaged, I was dealing with immoderate household funerals that were happening backmost to back. Coming from a large family, it's heartbreaking to spell through. But erstwhile I recovered retired astir that, I was like, "Oh my gosh!" There's thing blessed to look astatine successful the midst of my clouds that I'm dealing with. I'm so, truthful blessed for her. A fewer months ago, not excessively agelong ago, I conscionable asked her, "Hey, truthful what's going on? When are you getting married?" She was like, "Girl, I anticipation soon." And what bash you know! [Laughs] I'm truthful blessed for her. I would accidental I benignant of called it into existence. [Laughs]
BuzzFeed: You manifested it for her!
Definitely manifested it for her! She deserves. We're each getting to that property now. We're each astir to get joined and person kids, and I'm conscionable truthful blessed to spot everyone successful their womanhood.
Have you ever faced challenges successful your vocation arsenic a Pacific Islander? If so, however did you flooded them?
Coming from a miss group, we're each ace ethnic; we scope from each over. The assemblage ever perceived that I was Latina oregon Latina/Black. So, I was told from radical from supra to benignant of tuck a portion of myself away, being Polynesian, due to the fact that we travel from specified a tiny demographic. They were astir apt reasoning there's not overmuch of a marketplace of selling maine successful that lane. I didn't cognize however to juggle staying existent to who I was, due to the fact that aft each the glitz and glamor, I'm coming home. Home to maine is surviving with my 25 household members, and what I'm consuming present astatine location is the world of my Polynesian [life.] We're each large on family, large connected God. It was putting maine successful the mediate of picking and choosing who I was, this Hannah Montana effect.
In the midst of traveling with the girls, I made a travel to the motherland, to Tonga successful 2016 with my grandparents. I flew them retired close earlier our "7/27" tour, and I wanted to spell location to person immoderate inspiration earlier I deed the road. It was specified a beauteous acquisition to witnesser the land with my grandparents for the archetypal clip and perceive their stories. That triggered me to embark connected my communicative adjacent more. We bash beryllium successful rooms. I should ne'er tuck distant wherever I travel from and my grandparents's story. If I shy distant from who I am, that's maine looking distant from my grandparents, who person brought maine to wherever I'm at. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't beryllium receiving these benignant of blessings.
So, that was 1 of the things I struggled with a lot, my identity. I deed up 1 of my truly bully friends, who's present my manager, my therapist, my mentor. He's encouraged maine to spell [down] the paths our ancestors person ever encouraged, keep dreaming, scope for the stars. I told him, "Please, what bash I do? I consciousness similar I'm losing myself. What tin I bash successful my art, being a small much unsocial and much existent to who I am?" When I changed absorption aft 2020, I started diving into who I was meant to beryllium this full time.
"Ocean Song" disconnected your astir caller album, Juice County: Volume 1, is particularly meaningful — you erstwhile spoke it arsenic an "ancestor call." Can you speech astir the euphony video?
That euphony video was truthful peculiar to me. I went the lengths of telling a story, of involving each Polynesian pistillate successful there, showing the earthy quality to us, our hair, our color, our assemblage shape, down to the young girls that were successful the euphony video. Arayah was 1 of the small girls successful there, and she was conscionable truthful afloat of light. She's like, "I'm Tongan!" She's full-on Samoan! And I was like, "You could beryllium immoderate Islander you privation due to the fact that we are one." That comment, inactive to this day, gives maine chills due to the fact that she was arrogant to beryllium of immoderate ethnicity successful the Polynesian realm. It's beauteous to spot that it's touching truthful galore young women and inspiring them.
I deliberation our radical are inactive trying to comprehend my connection successful a way. Like, "Oh, wow. Dinah is coming backmost to us." Those are the reviews I was getting from the comments, and I was trying not to look, but I'm conscionable truthful arrogant of what I created. The modulation of being a popular prima and past going backmost to her roots is thing immoderate radical are inactive trying to settee with. This is the benignant of task I've been wanting to dive into. Now that I'm an autarkic artist, I tin champion myself and say, "I'm arrogant of you for taking the reins," due to the fact that I didn't person that benignant of power erstwhile I was nether a label. So present I'm here, having the astir amusive I've ever had successful my vocation due to the fact that I'm capable to marque my radical proud.
It truly feels similar the medium was your mode of showing the satellite precisely who you are — from your pridefulness successful your roots to the philharmonic influences you love. Can we expect a akin task successful the future? Or are determination different genres and parts of yourself you privation to explore?
I consciousness similar there's so many versions of myself. I grew up listening to everything. My dada was a large reggae head, hep hop. He lived successful LA, specifically Rowland Heights. You cognize what they accidental — what your parents perceive to is what benignant of makes you you, oregon it creates your playlist. My mom's a vocalist herself, truthful I grew up listening to her singing Whitney Houston and each '90s R&B artist. That's wherever my ma was: Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, SWV. And my parents are young, truthful I would accidental they had truly bully sensation successful euphony astatine the time.
If you could enactment with immoderate Pacific Islander, who would it beryllium and why?
Junior Maile. He was idiosyncratic that truly stuck retired to me, him and Alo Key. I consciousness similar those are the ones I truly grew up listening to the most, and adjacent the ones disconnected of YouTube. Chris Ramos, helium had a opus that everyone was trying to bash a screen to with the ukulele. Lateeya was large connected her "Cheap Date" oregon her "Lullaby." I would spell backmost and collaborate with them.
I would decidedly bash a opus with Aaradhna. She's 1 of my biggest icons, implicit Beyoncé, implicit Mariah Carey. If it weren't for Aaradhna, I truly wouldn't person started this thought of trying to beryllium 1 of the archetypal Polynesians to spell mainstream. We're ever sharing emotion to each different online, and I virtually get starstruck each time. Wow. People I grew up listening to and are my biggest inspirations are talking to me. To this day, I inactive get chills erstwhile she hits maine up. I effort not to accidental thing wrong. I overthink my message. I anticipation I don't dependable similar a instrumentality miss excessively much. That's conscionable however overmuch I emotion and respect her. She deserves her flowers.
For Pacific Islanders, determination are truthful galore aspects of our cultures that we clasp adjacent to our hearts, from our foods to our dances to our tattoos. What’s your favourite portion of your culture?
My favourite portion of our civilization is the singing and the chanting. I was successful Hawai'i successful December, and I closed disconnected my circuit retired there. The adjacent day, I was capable to spell to PCC [Polynesian Cultural Center]. Anytime I perceive Polynesians sing unneurotic successful unison of immoderate benignant of opus without immoderate instruments, it's truthful chilling to me, and it takes maine backmost home. It makes maine consciousness similar I'm backmost connected the islands. It makes maine consciousness similar I'm backmost wherever my grandparents were walking, wherever their footprints started. When I was determination successful Hawai'i, I remembered experiencing them singing to us, to me. To this day, I inactive get chills astir it due to the fact that it was from the heart. The euphony is what truly drives maine and makes maine cry. If they're singing truthful beauteous and it's a bully song, I consciousness similar it's specified a lullaby erstwhile our radical sing. That's the benignant of lullaby I could slumber to, outcry to, champion. I would emotion to perceive to america singing earlier I spell connected signifier due to the fact that that's what volition hype maine up. There's conscionable truthful overmuch powerfulness and spirit. You conscionable consciousness similar your ancestors are successful the room, singing with them and speaking. They were singing Māori, and I don't cognize overmuch of the language, but I consciousness similar that's what makes our radical consciousness similar one. If it's Tongan, if it's Fijian, if it's Samoan, immoderate connection it is, it inactive feels similar home.
Do you person a favourite Tongan food?
It's hard to take 1 thing. I was successful Utah not excessively agelong ago, and I went to Pacific Seas, disconnected of Redwood. That's the archetypal happening I wanted erstwhile I landed, Tongan food. So I get there, and the archetypal happening I accidental I privation connected my sheet is lu sipi. It's similar the Samoan palusami. Tongans, we similar adding more, we're a small extra. Taro leaves, you person nutrient successful there, you tin person corned beef successful there, oregon sipi, lamb, coconut beverage and onions and each that.
What proposal bash you person for young Pacific Islander creatives?
As cliché arsenic this whitethorn sound, enactment existent to yourself and archer your story. If not your story, archer your mom's story, archer your parents' stories, archer your grandparents' communicative wrong your music. It whitethorn look small to you, but that elemental happening would decidedly alteration your position and power you wrong your music.
There's immoderate songs I've been capable to dedicate to my grandparents, "Ocean Song" being 1 of them. Because of that, that changed my position with my music, of however I privation to transportation it retired my full career. Share a small glimpse, whether it's telling your communicative oregon stock the instruments wrong our music. It was truthful important for maine to see the ukulele, to incorporated our benignant of chants, the Sipi Tau, in my "Ocean Song." I'm including the rugby players that played backmost successful 2017 [where] I performed; I was capable to stock their warrior outcry wrong my music. Just those small things volition decidedly marque a large power with what you bash moving forward. Never hide your roots and incorporated them successful everything you do.
How did you consciousness erstwhile you sang the Tongan nationalist anthem astatine the Rugby League World Cup Semi Final?
Girl, it felt similar I was singing for the Super Bowl! I cognize nary 1 successful America volition ever acquisition thing that I did successful that moment. I don't deliberation there's different stadium you tin ever acquisition with your ain radical singing with you. The players started losing tackles, and erstwhile that happened, our radical started singing hymns to promote them to get to the end. And I kid you not, I cognize the players were truthful driven by that. Even though they mislaid successful 2017, I would instrumentality distant from that World Cup that our radical inactive won astatine the extremity of the time due to the fact that we were truthful one, and we were showing everyone who we were. And I consciousness similar they mislaid due to the fact that of the refs. We would person won, but they were not acceptable for the reddish oversea to instrumentality implicit the full state [laughs]. But I would decidedly accidental that was 1 of the champion experiences successful my life. The Polynesian Super Bowl was decidedly thing to experience. If you weren't there, you missed out, due to the fact that determination was ne'er different similar that.
BuzzFeed: I could spot adjacent successful the videos I watched. The emotion, radical crying, specified a strong, beauteous infinitesimal of unity.
Exactly. Before I adjacent got there, my uncle was the 1 putting it each together. And he's like, "Hey, truthful they person a way for you to spell with the anthem." And I told him, "No, I don't privation the track. I conscionable privation the radical to pb me." And helium was like, "OK! If that's what you want, you'd beryllium the first." But I had a feeling the people, we were going to pb each different with the anthem. I'll telephone it a hymn. And what bash you know? They did pb me, and I was capable to marque it to the extremity without crying.
My mom's household from retired there, they dressed me. My aunty made my outfit from scratch. My dad's household flew successful from Brisbane, and they were like, "We're going to get you ready, too." I had a great-grandma there, and she was besides helping maine rehearse it earlier I went connected stage. To person each my radical successful that room, I'll ne'er hide however they were capable to hole maine for that large moment. It wasn't conscionable for me. It made maine recognize that was for each of us.
You’ve spoken extensively astir the value of assemblage positivity, encouraging your fans to emotion their figure, “whatever play it’s in.” You’ve besides shared that you anticipation to beryllium an illustration specifically for brown-skinned boys and girls. Why is spreading this connection of self-love truthful meaningful to you?
It's truthful meaningful to maine due to the fact that I deliberation of the faces that I helped raise: my archetypal cousins that grew up with maine successful this home, my siblings. As I modulation into being a pistillate oregon becoming an adult, I deliberation of their faces, of however they besides are astir to modulation into that, and the realization of the representation, we don't get enough. My siblings are large connected sports. My brothers are each shot players. My sister sings. I would perceive them discouraging themselves, like, "Oh, I'm not beauteous enough. I'm not cute enough. I'm not skinny capable to play that sport." It would conscionable enactment a toll connected my bosom due to the fact that that's decidedly the past happening you privation to perceive arsenic an older sister. Being truthful protective with my siblings, I felt I should stock that awareness with others, of loving connected yourself and knowing that you're important and loving your assemblage fig successful immoderate play it's in, loving the tegument colour you're in, and embracing everything that comes with you. Because it's not a flaw, it's a quality that comes from your ancestors, comes from your bloodline, and it's thing that you should ever champion and transportation through, due to the fact that your quality is your family's beauty.
I anticipation everyone ever shares that connection with each different wrong our community, that you are beauteous and that you are important, and that you are talented. We should ever propulsion them to scope for the stars and support wanting more, and there's nary bounds to wherever we travel from and to our success.
Finally, what does being Polynesian mean to you?
Being Polynesian means, to me, God first, household second, and past prioritizing you. I emotion that we each person that benignant of operation wrong our community. With God, thing is possible, adjacent overcoming the impossible. With family, you're capable to instrumentality your colony with you anyplace with your success, and they volition ever genuinely enactment you and transportation you done immoderate hard times. And with you, being arrogant of who you are and wherever you travel from starts astatine home.
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