Dinah Jane Is Going Down The “Road Less Traveled” In Her Solo Era

It’s been a hot minute since Dinah Jane was in the studio. The former Fifth Harmony member took a much-needed break from music for the last three years to focus on her mental health. “Taking this huge pause was necessary so I can pursue this even further,” she tells Elite Daily. “I know in my heart and soul that music is my destiny. It’s where I belong.”

The 27-year-old California native is now ready for her comeback, showing a different, more real side of herself with Forever Summer. Jane’s EP, which drops in August, gives “that island girl flair” and is inspired by the singer’s Polynesian roots. She says her first single, “Ocean Song,” is “a prayer to the ancestors and call-out for them to guide [her] through this industry.”

Her latest single, “Road Less Traveled,” is an R&B love song about going in a new direction at its surface, but it also mimics Jane’s musical journey. She sings, “The road less traveled is the way I gotta go now / If I wanna be happy, it’s the one I gotta go down.”

There may not be a lot of Polynesian-inspired pop songs on the radio these days, but Jane’s ready to change that. “I'm rocking my own lane in the music industry for my people,” she says. In the exclusive stills from the music video for “Road Less Traveled,” which is coming soon, Jane is all smiles as she drives along the coast and dances on the beach.

That joy is the same she exhibits at VidCon 2024, sitting down with Elite Daily and talking about this new solo era she’s entering. Below, Jane goes further into her EP Forever Summer, her plans for touring this year, and if a Fifth Harmony reunion is still on the table.

Elite Daily: What can you tell us about your EP, Forever Summer?

Dinah Jane: Aside from “Ocean Song,” the rest of the EP is all fun and filled with cute love songs — maybe some toxic ones. I love having fun in the studio. It's really hard for people to get me out of the booth.

ED: What can your fans expect from this new you?

DJ: I’m owning where I come from. I am born and raised in Orange County, California. There's definitely a different frequency here than in LA. I want to expose that a little bit more. Not only that, but I also want to bring my culture to the forefront — playing with island sounds and making island R&B.

I wrote a lot of these songs. They are personal records that had a meaning to me before, but they still resonate to this day. I'm glad they’re coming out so people can hear them, and I can tell my fans all the tea and the gossip. I have a really interesting dating history.

ED: What has it been like self-promoting your new EP on social media?

DJ: It's been a lot of fun releasing “Ocean Song.” It’s amazing to see my worlds come together. It's like my Hannah Montana moment, being an industry girl and then being an island girl. I'm so grateful that social media has given me the opportunity to expose my culture so loud and proud, and I haven't done it this loud before ever in my career.

Being an independent artist, there's so much freedom and it's really in your hands what you want to say, what you want to do. I'm grateful for my team for carrying me through and reminding me, “Girl, have fun.”

ED: How has social media changed within the music industry?

DJ: Today's age is more about being real, raw, and not finding perfection in presenting yourself. That's something I struggle with. Being an artist and transitioning into expressing myself more freely is hard because I've never allowed people in this far or allowed them in this much. Social media is where I get stage fright, so it's all about finding that safe space where I can be myself.

ED: You just announced a hometown show in August. Will you be going on tour soon?

DJ: Yes, I'm really excited for tour. Before I officially hit the road and give a full performance, I’m doing this hometown show. Coming from a girl group, I hid my vocals for so long. This is a moment for you to hear me.

When I do go on tour, I’ll give it my all with dancing and singing — the whole Dinah Jane experience.

In this industry, we don't really highlight enough vocalists nowadays. I miss performing with just a mic and a band, so I want to do that and dedicate this to my fans for being so patient with me before I hit the road. When I do go on tour, I’ll give it my all with dancing and singing — the whole Dinah Jane experience. Get ready for your hair flips, girl.

ED: You took three years off for your mental health. How does it feel coming back?

DJ: I'm still healing. Sometimes coming back into this industry, there's little moments where I'll get PTSD. But at the same time, I find the beauty in it. This is where I belong. Music. I don't want to just be a robot and not really feel things. I needed to take a pause and dedicate this time solely for myself.

ED: What inspired you to really share your Polynesian culture in this next era?

DJ: The faces I live with at home. I'm the oldest of 27 grandkids. Being the oldest, taking care of them and whatnot, they get so excited when they hear my name. So any place that I'm at amongst my own people, they give me that reminder that they’re here to carry me.

I am the first of my community to reach such heights, but I also want to pay homage to the people who came before me, such as Fiji, J Boog, and Aaradhna. The voices I've lost, my family who've passed on, they kind of influenced me to go this direction. It means everything to me that I'm in this position, and have this type of platform to encourage our youth and the next generation to hone into where they’ve come from.

ED: You have a few collabs on Forever Summer. What does it mean for you to work with other AAPI artists?

DJ: I wanted to highlight AAPI artists because our voices deserve to be heard, and our music deserves to be listened to. We don't get the type of promotion or marketing that other artists may get, but if we carry each other, it'll carry through how it needs to.

ED: On Zach Sang's podcast, you mentioned an unreleased collab with Normani from your Fifth Harmony days. Would you want to work with her again?

DJ: I would love to, actually. When we were on stage in Fifth Harmony, Normani and I vibed the most. We learned from the best, our mother Beyoncé. We have a lot of similarities. We'll see what happens, but also, congratulations on all her success. I’m so proud of her for dropping her first album, Dopamine. It's amazing.

ED: Do you have a favorite track?

DJ: I really love “Insomnia” and “All Yours.” That's my song. To see Normani finally take the pressure off and be like, “Here's my craft, my work of art.” It’s amazing to see.

ED: Have you listened to Camila Cabello's new album?

DJ: Yes, C,XOXO. I really like this Miami flair she's giving. I didn't expect this from her, especially the blonde hair.

I'm grateful I was able to be in communication with her recently. We found out my mom had cancer a few months ago, and all the girls reached out, but Camila was so sweet. She gave me a sweet message. We're all in a healing stage. I'm grateful to know that we've all grown from that time together, and are able to be women and lean on each other still.

It can get scary and intimidating in this industry, but at the end of the day, we'll always support each other no matter what.

ED: You’re all doing your own thing now, but would you ever be down for a reunion?

DJ: The Fifth Harmony noise is definitely active. When I saw fans blowing up “All In My Head” and “Sledgehammer” online, I was like, “It's in the people's hands.” Who knows? The fans may get what they want, but it's in their hands. It's amazing to know our power is still here. Our love for our fans is here, too.

ED: What are you most excited for in 2024?

DJ: I'm really excited for tour! I thrive off of live shows. That's where the fun starts.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.