Artist Interview: Melissa DB
Melissa’s music is a heartfelt blend of vulnerability, joy, and authenticity. With soulful lyrics and emotionally resonant melodies, she creates songs that not only reflect her inner world but also offer comfort and connection to listeners across the globe. In this conversation, she opens up about her songwriting process, emotional inspirations, and the joy she finds in the little things—both musically and personally.
Tori: Your music beautifully balances vulnerability and joy. How do you find that emotional equilibrium in your songwriting?
Melissa: Basically it depends mostly on how I’m feeling and by what I’m inspired at the moment. My songs carry parts of myself that most of the time are not shown in my ordinary life, just because writing and music are my way of expressing myself. My goal is to represent joy, vulnerability and all the shades of the human emotional side because even life is like this, a beautiful rollercoaster! So I’ll say that I find my equilibrium following my instinct while living and feeling my life.
Tori: You describe your songs as reminders that “none of us are truly alone.” How has music helped you feel connected?
Melissa: My music has helped me a lot to comprehend and elaborate my feelings, giving value to my emotions, understanding them and not neglecting them. It made me realise that I was not the only one feeling that way, and also with the passing of time I understood that we are truly not alone. Love is everywhere but most of the time we don’t pay enough attention. I always loved how music in general spoke to me, so I always wanted to make my listeners feel less alone and truly seen.
Tori: What personal experiences have shaped the heartfelt storytelling in your lyrics?
Melissa: Some personal experiences have shaped my lyrics, but mostly the way they made me feel. In fact, in each song that I wrote, even if it’s more upbeat, there’s a message that I want to send based on what I was feeling at the time that I wrote it. Each song is very personal, but I really enjoy leaving free interpretation to the listeners. It's beautiful how people can resonate with a song even if their story is not quite similar to mine—that’s the power of music.
Tori: Do you have a favorite lyric you've written that you feel encapsulates your message of hope and love?
Melissa: Yes, this is my favourite one—it’s from my song “Enough for Me”:
“I just stand by me, that’s what makes me so unique. Feeling good in my own skin cause I’m enough, enough for me.”
Tori: How does your creative process shift when you're writing a tender ballad versus an upbeat, danceable track?
Melissa: My creative process is usually the same, but at the same time I use little variations. For example, for my song “A Truly American Dream” I got really inspired by the beat, and for the first time I self-produced it—so I really wanted to make a song to dance to, capturing the essence of summer. Instead, for “YOU’RE NOT ALONE,” I was mostly inspired by my feelings—it was like a letter to myself and to my supporters. In my little way, I wanted to make a change and to speak up for everyone who felt that way.
Tori: You've received international radio play. How does it feel to know your music is resonating with people across the world?
Melissa: It’s crazyyyy. Sometimes I don’t believe it—I stop for a moment and I realise how grateful I am for that, and how proud I am of myself. For my entire life I dreamt of living full time with music, and I still have a lot to work on, but if I think of little Mel she would be so happy and proud of me, so it’s beautiful to take time to enjoy these first achievements. Last but not least, I have to thank all of these amazing radios who gave me the opportunity to share my songs, literally all over the world!
Tori: Your songs often feel like emotional snapshots. How do you translate a moment or feeling into melody and lyrics?
Melissa: Talking about melodies, I usually choose one that resonates with me and what I’m feeling, but I really want to invest more in learning an instrument so I can fully express my creative side. While for the lyrics—it’s really natural to me. I don’t use a method or anything, I just let go of my creativity without imposing restrictions. It’s okay to feel stuck while writing—when it happens, I stop and later I’ll continue, revising parts that do not convince me.
Tori: Which artists—past or present—have inspired the warmth and soul in your sound?
Melissa: Before becoming a songwriter, I’ve always been a fangirlie, so I got inspired by many artists. But talking about my way of writing, I always wanted to be original, so I never emulated someone. Instead, I really look up to different artists and I wish I was as good as them, for example: Amy Winehouse, Billy Joel, The Beatles, Elton John, Michael Jackson and Alessia Cara. Each artist has their own way of writing, but what they have in common is the trueness of how they wrote. Their way might not use tons of metaphors or rhetorical figures, but their feelings and essence are caught in a pure song.
Tori: What role does joy play in your creative practice?
Melissa: I think it’s important to listen to songs with a powerful message that contains joy as well. I really enjoy listening to songs that make me happy—they make me dance and cheer up my mood. This is what I try to do with my joyful songs: I want to give the opportunity to collect memories, give confidence and dance over them, leaving behind problems for at least 3 minutes or more!
Tori: You mention celebrating the highs of being human—what has been one of the highest highs for you recently, personally or musically?
Melissa: My highest high recently has been my graduation! It has been a beautiful moment that has come to an end but, at the same time, it brings with it new memories to collect.
Tori: How do you stay grounded as your fan base continues to grow globally?
Melissa: I’ve never been a person who’s not grounded—I’m always grateful for everything. This journey has been so beautiful yet sometimes draining mentally, because the thought of giving up when you would like to achieve more is around the corner. But I always remind myself how much heart I put into what I do, and how much I love music beside the numbers or achievements. A big part of this journey is played by my supporters who are also sweet friends to me. They remind me to not give up and believe in me when sometimes I don’t.
Tori: Your songs often touch on the “everyday, all-around-us kind” of love. Can you tell us about a moment of that kind of love that inspired a song?
Melissa: What a beautiful question, yes! I felt this love on different occasions, and I don’t just mean romantic love between two lovers—it can be, but I mean something bigger. Love is everywhere, it’s a force. I find it in my family that supports me, my best friend who’s always there for me, a smile or compliment from a stranger, a laugh of a little kid that warms your heart—it’s literally everywhere! But the most sincere and pure love that I felt that inspired my songs is the love and sweet words of my supporters, their stories, and the care they have for me. They are so special, as well as the community of other musicians that I “met” online.
Tori: What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you as an artist?
Melissa: Ohh this is a good question. One of them is that I know 4 languages—some more fluently than others—but this fact always surprises my supporters. Maybe another one that I never told is that I did theatre and I really love to act as well, even though since I was little I only started to sing.
Tori: When you perform live, how do you want your audience to feel by the end of the show?
Melissa: By the end of a show I hope that my audience feels happy, seen, understood and more connected to me on an emotional level. In addition, I really hope they had fun and enjoyed my show!
Tori: What’s next for you creatively—are there new sonic directions or themes you’re excited to explore?
Melissa: Totally! I always enjoy experimenting with new sounds and directions. I still have to find what’s my style, so why not try them all? I would really like to write an album and grow more and more as an artist.
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