Q&A: Missy Elliott meets Beyoncé: Mia Delamar releases second single “H.O.M.B.”
IF YOU’RE GETTING TOO COMFORTABLE — Mia Delamar is here to shake your world. As a matter of fact, her latest song, “H.O.M.B.,” (Hands On My Body) will get your ass shaking as much as her dancers do in the music video for the song.
The track is the latest single off her homonymous EP, debuted during the release party of the previous single, “Silly.” “H.O.M.B.” is a perfect blend of pop and R&B, delivered with the aggressiveness of a rap artist. This isn't surprising, given that Missy Elliot is one of Delamar’s biggest influences.
The Atlanta native knows how to overlay vocals on the beat, conveying an energy that will get you to stand up and dance.
Get to know Delamar better before she takes over the music world by reading our interview with her below.
LUNA: Who is Mia Delamar? What does she owe her existence to?
DELAMAR: I am a pop/R&B artist and songwriter from Atlanta, GA. “H.O.M.B.” was born at the end of 2022, around the time of my single release “Silly.” I debuted the second track on the EP, Say That, at the song and video release party [for “Silly.”] [I was] amongst my closest friends, family, and peers.
LUNA: How has your music changed within the past few years?
DELAMAR: I have begun to develop a very clear and distinct style and sound for myself while coining a few signature practices that I hope will identify my work in years to come.
LUNA: Who inspired your music? Who are your biggest influences?
DELAMAR: That’s such a hard question because I have so many inspirations on different levels of my craft vocally [and in terms of] performance, writing, and dance. One of my greatest influences is Missy Elliot. As a dark-skinned Black woman with a body, I relate to her so much. Growing up watching her videos helped me to be comfortable in the skin I’m in. She’s also an incredible writer and producer and she deserves all of her flowers. A few other big inspirations are Aaliyah, Brandy, Mary J Blige, Beyoncé — all vocalists and performers who have dominated their lanes in the most major ways. All inspiring my work ethic, drive, and performance quality. Just to name a few, but I have many on my list (laughs).
LUNA: Could you introduce your favorite singles you've released so far?
DELAMAR: My favorite is always so hard to pick because every time I listen to my songs I fall in love with them all over again. However, I’ll say that my singles “Cool” and “Silly” changed the game for me. Both are songs that came to me very easily. I even wrote [the] rap [for “Silly”] in the backseat of my dad’s truck coming home from dinner one night. These were also my first two music videos. They certainly hold a special place in my heart and I think in the hearts of my fans and supporters as well.
LUNA: How did these influences merge into your style?
DELAMAR: I think my style evolved over time. I didn’t mean to land in this genre… I just wrote what was on my heart and what I heard in my head. Considering I have influences across multiple genres, I absolutely see myself stepping out of alt-pop R&B and taking a journey in pop-rock or maybe even country (I’m sure my Nashville friends will chuckle at that). But as a songwriter, I’m open to wherever my pen takes me.
LUNA: What inspired "H.O.M.B.,” and how did it come to life?
DELAMAR: As mentioned before, I wrote and privately debuted Say That at a release party for my single “Silly” in late 2022, but the rest of the project didn’t come alive until earlier this year. I just wanted a project with no skips. I wanted every song to have something that everyone would like and continue to listen to. As the EP came together, there developed a clear theme, but when I was writing it I just wrote what sounded good to me. I wrote and recorded the title track, “H.O.M.B.,” in April, and “Whatever” was written towards the middle of the summer.
“Complicated” was actually written on the same weekend as my single “Cool” back in 2020 as part of my Quarantine Chronicles writing challenge I gave myself. I went back and forth deciding whether or not I wanted to include it on the EP or save it for the album, but ultimately it aligned well with the project and gave listeners something different from me that was more rooted in R&B than pop, like they’re used to hearing from my previous releases.
LUNA: Who produces your tracks? How do you choose which producers to work with? Do you have some dream producers you'd like to work with?
DELAMAR: I work with a myriad of producers. I like to keep my sound fresh and give my listeners different takes. I don’t intentionally seek to work with the same producers for each song and project — I normally hop around and write what sounds good to me and whatever resonates with my pen at the moment. The only songs that have the same beat producer in my recent works are “Say That” and “Whatever,” which were produced by Placcebo Beats but that [it] was completely by happenstance. My producers range from Croatia to the United Kingdom. I love to hear everyone’s diversity and take on the pop-R&B sound. One day I would love to build a lucrative relationship with a producer to span an entire project, like Timbaland and Aaliyah achieved along with Missy. I know that day will come, but until then I’m content with shopping around.
Speaking of Timbaland, he’s on my list of dream collabs, and so is Missy Elliot — they’re both such iconic producers. I would also love to work with Pharrell — he’s also an icon whose production style I’ve admired since I was a kid.
LUNA: Is music your main occupation at the moment? If not, how are you conciliating your day job with your music career?
DELAMAR: No, music is not my main occupation. Funny enough, I actually work in politics and I teach dance. It can be difficult sometimes to juggle both while giving each sector the TLC it deserves. But one day soon I hope to be able to do music and arts full-time. My greatest dream is to make music and perform 24/7 for the rest of my life. I hope to sell out stadiums one day.
LUNA: Have you ever been on tour? If not, would you like to embark on one? Tell us about it.
DELAMAR: I have yet to go on tour but I absolutely plan to in the next year or so. As a dancer, I love to move and to put on a show, so it will be a great adventure and time on the stage. Stay tuned.
LUNA: Who's your dream feature?
DELAMAR: One of my dream features is J. Cole. He’s one of my favorite rappers of all time. I love his work and would be so stoked to work with him.
LUNA: Where do you see yourself in one year as a musician?
DELAMAR: Touring the world off of my freshman album. Only Jesus knows where this next year will take me, but I have great expectations and big faith in his plan for me.
