The talented Croatian singer-songwriter Mia Dimšić won many hearts when representing Croatia in Eurovision 2022. She performed with her song “Guilty Pleasure.” With deeply personal lyrics and heartfelt melodies, Mia has continued to grow as an artist. She put out her introspective album “Monologue” and is keeping up to date with meaningful performances posted for her audience.
Below, Mia reflects on her journey in Eurovision, the inspiration for her songs, and the creative process that drives her to write them. She also gave a hint of her latest projects, such as newly released album “Društvena Pravila.” She teased her exciting future plans for her fans.
Eurovision 2022 was a huge moment for you! What was the most relevant challenge to represent Croatia on such a big stage, and how did you prepare yourself?
Representing Croatia in Eurovision was definitely the highlight of my career and a big honor! I prepared for it in all sorts of ways and, I got to admit, I definitely hadn’t been aware of just how much work it takes before I won Dora, the Croatian song selection. I was rehearsing my vocals and choreo, I was traveling all over Europe to promote my song, I did loads of interviews, podcasts… it was a very intense period but I wouldn’t have it any other way. The biggest challenge was organising everything in a very short amount of time. If the day lasted for 80 hours, it probably still wouldn’t have been enough.
Your song “Guilty Pleasure” was loved by many Eurovision fans. Can you say a little something about the inspiration behind this song and what it meant to you on a personal level?
The inspiration was a recurring dream about someone I felt I wasn’t supposed to be dreaming of, just like the opening line states. It’s a pretty literal and honest description of some of my utmost desires, but along the way it made me ponder the big romance questions I’ve always felt confused by. The concept of monogamy is something that is deeply ingrained in human society, and yet something all of us seem to be having such a hard time abiding by. It’s a question that doesn’t seem to have a straight answer, and might never get one, and that is endlessly fascinating to me.
Looking back, what has been most memorable of your Eurovision experience, and is there anything you’d recommend to future artists who might be representing their country?
I would definitely recommend that they go to as many Eurovision events and pre-parties as they can, for it’s there that you meet most of the artists and delegations and where friendships and relationships occur. For instance, the venue we performed at in Amsterdam was where many of my heroes, including John Mayer and Ed Sheeran, performed as they were starting out and I found that mind-numbing. I came there for the first time ever and i had a crowd sing my song with me. That was insane!
I locked Spotify on your album “Monologue,” which has been playing in a loop for the past few days. Your album is so personal. Where did you draw inspiration to go in that more introspective direction with this album, and how does it differ from other work?
Thank you, it means a lot! I feel like writing in English alone is what made a huge difference in the way I expressed myself and that automatically made the album different to the rest. English is more flexible as a language and you can say more stuff in the same amount of syllables, so writing these songs felt fun and playful even when the topics were a bit dark. It is really nice to hear someone say the songs feel personal because for me that is the whole point. It’s a privilege to be able to put your life stories to music and maybe have some people relate to it in their own ways.
Which song do you feel the most connected to on “Monologue,” and why? Maybe you could talk a little about some of the inspirations behind it?
“As I watched you sleep” is one of my favorites because I don’t think there is many more intense moments in a relationship than the moment you watch someone sleep for the first time. It was a recording of the moment when I truly asked myself, possibly for the first time, if maybe there is more to life than running around on your own and my first mini-glimpse into the beauty of doing life with someone else by your side.
When writing music, is there one specific experience of yours, or feelings that keep on surfacing when it comes to your songs?
I love writing about all kinds of experiences. It doesn’t even have to be about big feelings or events. If you feel strongly about a button on your jacket, a song about a button on your jacket can without a doubt touch people. Life in itself is so inspiring that any encounter, person or thing can turn on the creative drive.
Less than two weeks ago (September 2024), your songs, which have been continuously released for the past few years and to which were added “Nova Godina,” “Ajmo u đir,” “Ti i Ja,” and an acoustic version of “Sunce moje,” were packed into an album, “Društvena pravila.” (Translation: Social Rules) What is the social rule that, if you have the power, you would change tomorrow?
I would make a rule against asking other people when they’re going to settle down, marry, have a kid, etc. I don’t like the idea that every life has to follow a set pattern in order to be deemed fulfilled and healthy. There are as many life patterns as are people in this world and anything you wanna be doing, as long as it doesn’t hurt other people, you should go and do.
I’m sure people wait to see you live on stage at the SoAlive Music Conference 2024 in Sofia! What can your fans expect from your show at City Stage Club on 3rd October, from 22:45 to 23:30 (local time)?
I also can’t wait to perform at the conference. My band and I are very excited! We are going to perform a mini set combined of my original songs and a couple of our favorite covers. Originals will be mostly from the “Monologue” album.
And last, but not least: what is in the pipeline? Maybe some new projects, or something exciting your fans should keep an eye open for?
I’ve been working on a really cool project that I can’t yet announce but I will soon, and apart from that I’ll be playing all around and promoting the new album till the end of the year. Also, I hope there will be time to start writing regularly again because a new album in English is in order as well. 🙂
