It’s only been a year since singer and songwriter Dom Innarella dropped his first song ever. Which is kind of amazing when you consider where the 15-year-old is now: racking up millions of Spotify streams, covering Justin Bieber for over 500K adoring TikTok followers and jetsetting to Japan for an international music festival.
But despite that rapid rise to stardom, the proud New Jersey native hasn’t forgotten where he came from. Far from it, actually: His latest single, an impossibly catchy love song called “Magic” (out today!), is an homage to his musical roots.
“Music has always just been in my blood. I used to always sing with my grandfather, doo-wop song after doo-wop song,” Dom remembers. “If you listen to “Magic”, it has that same soulful, timeless type of feeling to it.”
Dom isn’t sure if he fully claims that “old soul” label (“Everybody I meet always says that about me, and I’m like, I guess it’s just the music I grew up on!“). But one thing he *is* sure of? Himself—and his big dreams for the future. He sat down with us to spill exactly how he’ll make them a reality.
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Girls Life: With a song like “Magic”, do you draw inspiration from your own life? From other artists? From movies or books?
Dom Innarella: Honestly, all of those. But I think I lean more towards the personal route. If I’m feeling happy one day, I’ll want to write a happy, jolly song. And if I’m feeling sad or emotional, I’ll put that into my music, too.
GL: Is it hard to bring those real-life experiences to the studio?
Dom: That’s a great question. It is challenging when I get to the studio and all these people are around. Sometimes it’s hard to get vulnerable in that moment and speak to what I’m really feeling. But everyone I work with I’m super comfortable with—we’re like a family. So that definitely makes it easier.
GL: What’s your musical superpower?
Dom: I mean, I play a couple of instruments: piano, guitar, drums. But that’s been a more recent thing. Definitely my biggest instrument is my voice. I’ve loved to sing literally since I could talk.
GL: Any advice you’d give to someone else who’s hoping to pursue their passion for music too?
Dom: I was always one that studied the greats. I would watch videos on how they’d perform, how they’d approach being in the studio. There’s this Michael Jackson quote that I come back to. He said, “Study the greats and become greater.” I think if you want to be an entertainer, you have to focus on becoming the greatest version of yourself.
GL: And who’s on your “Mount Rushmore” of artistic influences?
Dom: You gotta put Michael Jackson up there to start. Bruno Mars also just released, in my opinion, one of his best albums ever, so he’s definitely up there. Stevie Wonder is literally a legend, an icon. And Whitney Houston, who, to me, is the greatest female vocalist of all time.
GL: It’s crazy that it’s only been a year since you started releasing music. What has surprised you most about being in the spotlight?
Dom: Seeing the amount of people that my music resonates with—it’s a beautiful thing. I think the wildest thing is also just visiting L.A. and getting recognized in public. And in two weeks, I’ll be in Japan, performing at a music festival there. It’s insane.
GL: Wow, talk about a bucket list destination.
Dom: Literally. I’m checking it off! I don’t know if there will be a lot of time to sightsee, but I do really want to get a chance to take in the scenery, the cherry blossom trees, all that. Oh, and go to a jewelry store there.
GL: Besides traveling, what are your biggest goals for the coming year?
Dom: I’ll say this, you can definitely expect more music. But my ultimate dream, the one I’ve had since I started doing music, isn’t to win a Grammy or any kind of award— although those things are amazing. For me, the dream for years has been to sell out Madison Square Garden. Before I turn 16.
Stream “Magic” HERE and check out our IG for more fresh music recs!
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