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Drama (stylized as DRAMA) is a duo from Chicago consisting of producer Na'el Shehade and vocalist/songwriter Via Rosa (born Lluvia Rosa Vela).[1][2] Often described as a blend of R&B and dance, their music spans a wide variety of genres including pop, hip hop, jazz, bossa nova, and electronic.[3][4] The band is known for their independent approach to creating and releasing their music.[5][6] Their debut album Dance Without Me was released in February 2020.[7]
History
Origins and formation
Via Rosa
Born in Austin, Texas and raised on an Indian reservation in northern California, Rosa grew up touring with her parents who played in a reggae band.[8][9] Rosa developed an interest in poetry while attending charter school, which she began combining with beats she wrote in her late teenage years.[8] After attending a culinary school in Hollywood, Rosa moved to Chicago in 2010 to be with her grandmother who was battling cancer.[9][10] There, she joined hip hop collective THEMPeople and released her own musical projects between 2010 and 2014.[11][9]
Before meeting in 2013, Shehade and Rosa had individual careers in the music industry.[12] The duo were introduced by vocalist Jean Deaux, who at the time was collaborating with Shehade and was a friend of Rosa.[12][3] Originally the project was informal, but eventually solidified into a fully formed duo with Shehade producing and writing and Rosa singing and writing.[3]
2015–2017: Gallows EP
In September 2015, Drama released their debut single "Hopes Up".[13] The song was one of the first they wrote, later accompanied by a video in January 2016 directed by fellow Chicago native Christopher Kostrzak.[14] Following the release of an additional single "Forever's Gone" in May accompanied by a video directed by Chris Yoder,[15] the duo released their debut GallowsEP in November 2016.[16][17] Named for gallows humor, the release reflects on painful experiences with levity. Throughout 2017, Drama wrote and recorded remixes for the Gallows Remixes EP, as well as music for their upcoming Lies After Love EP. In March, the band opened for Sofi Tukker in Chicago. In the following months, they took stage in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City. In November, the duo opened for Jungle at Red Bull Sound Select at Metro Chicago.[18] The band would later release a collection of remixes from the EP in January 2018.[19]
2018: Lies After Love EP
Leading with the release of "Majid" in April 2018, the duo independently released their sophomore EP Lies After Love to stream through Hypebeast the following month.[12][20][21] The EP's title summarizes the lyrical content of its songs, which are about "affirmations and lies one tells themselves to get over a heartbreak" as Rosa explained.[20] The band supported the release with a series of U.S. tour dates on the US West Coast, which included a performance at Mamby on the Beach festival in June, followed by the Middle East and Europe in the fall.[20][9] The duo released the single "Ready for Love" in October 2018. The band also toured with French artist Jain in fall 2018 as support on his North American tour, which included sold out shows in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City. Drama ended the year with a tour that included shows in Boston and the East Coast, with a final performance at Lincoln Hall in Chicago.[22]
2019: Ghostly International
Drama released the single "Dead and Gone" in January 2019. The band completed their own 15-date North American headline tour in February 2019. In June, they released the single "Give No Fucks".
That year, Drama embarked on a tour that included over 20 performances, including a sold-out show at The Echo in Los Angeles[6][23] and a series of shows at South by Southwest (SXSW) in April.[24]
Drama signed with independent label Ghostly International in September. Shortly after, they performed at a showcase at Metro Chicago for the label's 20th anniversary.[25] The band released their first pre-album single "Hold On" with the label that month followed by a tour with SG Lewis later that fall.[5][26] In November, they followed up with "Gimme Gimme," and on December 5, they released "Nine One One."[27]
In November, following the releases of "Hold On" and "Gimme Gimme", Drama announced their debut album Dance Without Me as well as their 2020 North American, UK, and European headline tour dates slated to begin in February 2020, with sold out shows set for cities such as Los Angeles, Portland, Toronto, Boston, Chicago, Houston, and others. Before releasing the album, the band released "Years" in January 2020 with a video directed by Adam Chitayat.[28][7] The latter track was named "Today's Top Tune" by LA radio station KCRW in February.[29]
2020: Dance Without Me
Drama released Dance Without Me on February 14, 2020 via Ghostly International.[8] The album, hailed as a "powerful ode to heartbreak and the metamorphosis that comes from the spiritual journey to total self-love and acceptance" continues exploring the themes of love and loss that have pervaded the bands career.[30][8] The band initially embarked on their album promotion by touring various cities in Europe and the U.S., with notable sold-out shows in London, Paris, Hamburg, Berlin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Brooklyn, and more. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of these tour dates had to be canceled.[8][31] In response to the pandemic, the group transitioned to livestreamed stay-at-home concerts starting in April 2020. These virtual performances gained traction and continued to be a popular choice, with shows carrying on throughout 2021, often selling out.
In April 2020, Drama teamed up with UK electronic duo Gorgon City to release "Nobody", a single which came to fruition in the studio while Kye Gibbon was spending time in Chicago. The single was accompanied by a video shot in Chicago featuring a street dance interpretation of West Side Story as a tribute to their collaboration.[32] In September, Drama revisited Dance Without Me by releasing a remix EP also released by Ghostly International, featuring Poolside (band), Pional, Rezident, and Moglii.[33] They reteamed with Gorgon City for the 2021 single "You've Done Enough."
2021: Collaborations and return to in-person shows
In early January 2021, Drama teamed up with Poolside to release the dancefloor single "I Feel High," which the band described as a song that is "all about that invincible feeling you get when you’re young, and out with your friends." Poolside's Jeffrey Paradise commented "DRAMA took the song, originally embodying Poolside's signature laid-back vibe, and turned it into an energetic club anthem that ultimately celebrates the euphoric and occasionally carefree essence of life."[34]
In May 2021, Drama independently released single "Don't Hold Back," along with a visualizer for the song. This marked the band's first pre-album release from their upcoming EP, "Don't Wait Up," which was subsequently launched in early 2022. They explained that the track was about the fear of commitment,[36] and Zane Lowe described it as "heartbreak and bliss". The song was remixed by Tensnake in June.[37] On July 8, Drama released a remix of Brijean's "Hey Boy".[38]
In October 2021, Drama teamed up with Australian duo Flight Facilities to release "Move", a single that channeling "the classic sounds of the 1980s Chicago house".[45] That same month, the band released their second solo single of the year, "Dark Rain," which they described as a "song for the people who have found each other."[46] In November, they released the single "First Christmas".
In December 2021, Drama independently released Gallows (Deluxe), a compilation of tracks from Gallows presented on a limited run of vinyl records, along with an accompanying digital release that includes two extra bonus tracks – "Missing" and "Sweet Summer."[47]
2022: Don't Wait Up & tour
On February 21, 2022, Drama independently released EP Don’t Wait Up,[48] which follows the instances within a relationship "that keep a person pining, even when it becomes clear the situation is toxic". The track "Hit My Line" was particularly praised, described by Rolling Stone as "seductively danceable" and as "nailing the emotional intricacies of an imbalanced relationship."[49] The EP saw remixes by Emmaculate, James Curd, Robin Hannibal, Vandelux, Terry Hunter, Awsumo, Tensnake, and Disco Demolition.
In November 2022, Drama collaborated with Jamila Woods on a remix of her single "Boundaries".[50] On December 9, Ten City released Drama's remix of their single "Love is Love".[51]
In January 2023, Tensnake and Drama collaborated on "Rooftop," featured on Tensnake's album Stimulate. On March 23, the band released the single "Tighten It Up", which reached the 20th position on KCRW's Top 30 Chart.[57]
May saw the release of "Feel The Same". The band also released remixes for "Tighten It Up" and "Feel The Same", along with music videos for both singles.
In July 2023, Drama teamed up with Gorgon City again for the release of the single "Lost & Found", accompanied by a music video featuring Via Rosa.[58][59] In August, the band released the self-titled single "DRAMA", paired with a music video following three struggling characters from Chicago. The song was lyrically inspired by the band's live performances and the things they witnessed at their shows, and sets a tone that "embodies groovy runway energy", which Rosa's vocals described as "cheeky and hypnotic", and Shehade's production as "tough, playful, and energizing".[60][61]
Drama's music has been described as "happy sad", characterized by Rosa's poignant lyrics about love and heartbreak designed for healing and catharsis, balanced out by Shehade's production featuring "throbbing synths and R&B."[69][8][11] Rosa has cited Sade, Drake, Stevie Nicks, and Kurt Cobain among her lyrical influences, and Billie Holiday and Toni Braxton as vocal influences.[8] Shehade, who was influenced by Chicago house scene growing up, counts Jon Brion and Pharrell among his production influences. As they describe it, the duo's writing process involves Shehade accenting emotions evoked by Rosa's lyrics, which consist of revisiting past experiences to find new perspective.[11][8]
