Exclusive: Samira Dishes on ‘Dancefloors & Drama’ EP, Rihanna, & Building Her Brand Beyond ‘Love Island’

Samira is defining her journey on her terms – and sounding lush while doing it.

Having lit up screens on ‘Love Island UK,’ the talented star is now shining luminously with her first love: music.

Armed with ample drive and a clear knack for a catchy cut, Samira has unlocked her debut EP, ‘Dancefloors & Drama Vol. 1.’

The delicious six-song set lives up to its billing – both sonically and lyrically – and positions the rising performer as one to watch.

That Grape Juice caught up with Samira, who waxed candid about her unique journey, her music, grafting to earn her dues, and much more.

Check out the exclusive interview below…

That Grape Juice: We find your journey so fascinating! The masses were introduced to you via Love Island, but you’ve been steadily grinding in entertainment before that. Tell us a little about your journey to date.

Samira: I’ve been singing and dancing since I was a little kid really. I started out going to ballet school and did that full time, moved on to performing arts school, and then straight into the West End, appearing in shows like ‘Mamma Mia’ and ‘Dreamgirls.’ Whilst doing that I was constantly trying to develop myself as a songwriter – crafting songs on my piano and uploading them to YouTube – even now when I post my new music I’ll see comments from people mentioning songs from ten years ago that I filmed in my bedroom and uploaded to YouTube! Love Island is obviously what a lot of people know me for, but it’s really just a small part of the journey that’s gotten me here.

That Grape Juice: Who would you say are your most pronounced influences musically?

Samira: I grew up in the 00’s so I love all the big pop girls from that era – Rihanna, Britney [Spears], Nelly Furtado, Gwen Stefani – I think you can hear that in a lot of my music. I listen to a lot of house music as well – I’m a dancer so anything that makes me want to move works for me, and I think from a production standpoint, it’s often where the most interesting sounds are coming from. And then going right back, I love the theatricality of artists like Freddie Mercury, I definitely try to incorporate that kind of flair into my writing.

That Grape Juice: ‘Dancefloor and Drama’ is such a magnetic title. The music on the project is equally compelling too. Tell us a little about what inspired the project: from its uptempo “knock” to its compelling dark lyrical anchoring.

Samira: We threw around titles for the EP for a little while, but as soon as we alighted on ‘Dancefloors & Drama’, we just knew it was right. Most of my music has got one eye on the dancefloor, but actually, strip the production away, and lyrically they’re all really sad or dealing with heartbreak in some kind of way. I think most girls in their 20’s and dating in London would attest to how that invites drama into your life – and my way of dealing with that drama is to write about it! We already have the songs ready for Vol.2 which is definitely on a similar vibe lyrically, and I think the title just sums me up as an artist, and let’s you know what you can generally expect from a Samira track!

That Grape Juice: We’re bopping, but what’s your response to those who may have reservations given your reality TV introduction?

Samira: I mean, I get it – I think people are always suspicious when people who are known for one thing branch out into something else. But I was only in the Love Island villa for 40 days – I’d done a lot of stuff before then, and I’ve done a lot of stuff since. And I’d hope that people can see now with the EP release that I’m grafting, I’m writing my own songs – this isn’t just a cute little hobby for me. And you know, so many of our biggest popstars did TV before music – from Kylie [Minogie] to Drake to Ariana [Grande] and Miley [Cyrus]. If people look down on me because the TV I did was reality TV, well that’s just snobbery.

That Grape Juice: Who are your dream collaborations?

Samira: I’d love to work with Calvin – I just know we’d come up with something brilliant together. Luude I’d love. Fred Again as well.

That Grape Juice: Best and worst advice you’ve received on your journey?

Samira: Best is probably just to focus, and to go follow your dreams. Think big and all that. The worst? Well, there were lots of people who tried to discourage me from doing music initially – mainly because for them there was more money in sticking with reality TV. I’d hope that this EP proves I was right to stick to my guns!

That Grape Juice: What’s next for Samira?

Samira: It’s going to be such a busy year! I’ve actually just shot a film, so that’ll be coming out later this year, but there’s loads of music to come before then. There’s a really cool dance collab coming next month which I’m not allowed to talk about yet, but I’m really excited about it! Then we start rolling out the tracks from ‘Dancefloors & Drama Vol. 2’. There will be some live shows happening around EP2 too, so it’s all go!

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