Artist Spotlight: Persian Pop Princess Darvishi loves Empowering Women

It isn’t everyday that you meet an artist who deems themselves royalty. However, singer-songwriter Darvishi finds confidence to do so in her identity as an Iranian woman. For Darvishi, “strength” is the trait she chose to leave a lasting impression on others. “I love bold women and I try to show that through my music,” she explained. “I hope people will see me as a strong lady.” Darvishi’s discography creates a space for women who feel overlooked and reminds them to have faith in themselves. To learn more about how her Iranian heritage has contributed to her sense of empowerment, EnVi spoke with Darvishi over Zoom.

On Becoming The Persian Pop Princess

Before committing herself to music, Darvishi was employed as a project manager at a tech company in New York. In between projects, she spent her free time and late nights singing and composing. Over time, Darvishi’s responsibilities at work increased, and she found herself exhausted with trying to maintain the balance. Her turning point? The COVID-19 pandemic. With a change in her schedule due to staying at home, Darvishi had time to reflect on her work. “I’m just going to pursue my passion because at the end of days in the world, where is the time?” she thought to herself. “If there was a time to try something new, this was the time to do it. And I’m so grateful I did, because I just never stopped.”

As an artist who has traveled across coasts to pursue her career, Darvishi’s sound has reflected each place she’s called home. Darvishi recalled fond childhood memories of those who made her home: her Iranian community. Regular weekend parties had her singing and dancing to Persian music alongside family and friends. However, after moving out of her hometown, her sense of community slowly became distanced. “I almost felt like I was getting more Americanized there in the Big Apple,” she joked. Still, she’s held on firmly to her cultural identity, “It’s been on and off a little bit, but [the Persian community] has never left me because I can always go home.”

The title “Persian Pop Princess” has become part of a running bit during Darvishi’s live performances. It’s self explanatory: she’s Persian, she sings in the pop genre, and she’s a princess. She revealed the name was rooted in a high school banner tradition where she declared herself as the graduating class of 2015’s “PR1NCE55 OF PERSIA.” After she decided on her path as an artist, the name evolved into a persona Darvishi channeled. 

When asked about who the Persian Pop Princess represents, Darvishi highlighted her strengths. “She’s very sassy and confident and says what she’s thinking. Sometimes I’m a little timid with that kind of stuff offstage,” she revealed. “Something about singing onstage makes me feel so bold unlike how I usually feel day to day, so she’s a really special character to me and I admire her and want to be her.” 

Picking Up The Pace With “Jelo”

As a lifelong pop enthusiast, Darvishi’s immersion into the genre was natural. Her early tracks established her love of the genre, appealing to a wide set of listeners. Still, Darvishi knew her music was missing something essential to who she wanted to be as an artist. “By the time I was in LA I decided I wanted to add my heritage to my music,” she recounted. “Maybe a year or two after I moved here, I knew I wanted to be Darvishi. I leave it all there for people to see.” Darvishi’s decision to honor her Iranian heritage began through integrating cultural symbols in her discography. One such example is her song, “Esfand,” which references the esfand seeds that are burned to ward off the harm of evil eye. 

With a growing desire to be culturally inclusive, Darvishi reflected on her audience. She wanted to be more bold with her music. “I was writing mostly in English and then I realized, well, there’s a lot of [Iranian] immigrants here,” she recalled. “Maybe I should find a way to include them and that would probably be through lyricism and the songs I sing.” She enjoyed educating her multiracial audience on Persian traditions, and wanted to expand further. As an act of including Iranian immigrants into her discography, the Persian Pop Princess notably incorporated more Farsi and cultural symbols. 

Darvishi’s latest single, “Jelo” builds upon her Persian Pop Princess persona, exuding confidence and empowering others. Rather than drawing on her personal experiences, “Jelo” was written as a way to hype herself up. Just as the song’s title translates to, “forward,” Darvishi sang her way through hardships. This track pulls the fun pop sound and periodically infuses the ney flute to give the song its own flair. As the ney’s volume rises, so does Darvishi’s conviction. “Pretty girls run the world / feel that power flow,” she declares in the chorus.

Central to the song’s message is the community of strong women supporting each other. Darvishi’s love for sisterhood is prevalent in the music video, as she is backed by a quartet of skilled dancers.  Each element of the choreography was intentional, as Darvishi added her own input. “I wanted to add a little bit of Persian dance so I spent some time with the choreographer,” she explained. “It was a very magical moment figuring it all out.” 

Notably, Darvishi took inspiration from the Zan, Zendegi, Azadi (Woman, Life, Freedom) Movement for “Jelo.” Spurred by the courage of Iranian women to protest their oppression, she wanted to highlight how women are strong in their own right. Clad in gold accessories, the dancers flow between sharp and fluid movements. Rather than confine a woman to one image, the dancers show they are always evolving. As the women strike their ending poses, they represent how each individual’s strength lends itself to a greater cause.

Music is Darvishi’s entry to carry on the legacy of other strong women, whom she hopes to make proud. “It’s been a big part of my life, there are a lot of strong women around me and I think it’s rubbed off on me.” She added, “I want to continue rubbing that off on other people.” In regards to women who inspired her own drive, Darvishi named her grandmother among other Iranian icons, such as Leila Forouhar and Googoosh. 

Fingers Crossed for the Future

It’s been six years since Darvishi released her first single, “Taste Like Summer.” Reflecting on the past, Darvishi dug into her experience in college and time as a project manager. On the creative side, her experience as a Production Assistant became essential in the execution of her artistic visions. Darvishi explained how she is very hands-on and discusses plans with each individual, from the director to dancers and every crew member in-between. Music videos have clear messages and stories told, with each action monitored by Darvishi before even stepping on set. “I talk with the director, and say, ‘these are my ideas, can we make sure this happens?’ and also help with editing,” she informed us.

To build the foundation leading up to a release, Darvishi’s organizational skills have her project manager role to thank. Darvishi professed her love for physical media and forms of organization. “I do not do anything until I’ve planned it out on my calendar, a physical calendar,” she declared. “So me and my planner [are] besties, and I really try to plan my rollouts because it’s fun for me to plan things.”

While she’s found her rhyme and rhythm as an artist now, Darvishi wasn’t always sure how far she would take her career. “Little girlypop could not have guessed any of this,” she joked, referring to her younger self. “From a very young age, I don’t know what it was in my gut but it said, ‘You’ll get there somehow. I don’t know how, don’t know when, but you will get there.’” Through her own resilience and drive, Darvishi has continued to make her dreams become reality.

Outside of her career, Darvishi has more goals she claimed she wanted to achieve. She looked off-camera for a moment, before talking briefly of her vision board. With each new year, Darvishi pins down new dreams she hopes of fulfilling. As for aspirations for the near future, she couldn’t contain her excitement about performing. “I really want to be touring soon. I just love performing and anything with singing. Singing is my favorite thing to do in the world and the more I get to do it the happier I am.” 

You can listen to “Jelo” now, available on all streaming platforms. Stay updated with Darvishi on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

On the hunt for another artist with an empowering music journey? Check out EnVi’s Artist Spotlight on Desmonda Cathabel!