Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you fun songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Youtube sensation Vidya Vox merges Indian classical music with Western pop, hip-hop and electronica in her 2017 release, “Diamonds.”
This high-energy track opens with the description of a bedazzled Indian dancer. Vox sings, “Diamonds and gold / Mehndi and bangles / So beautiful / She moves like an angel / Dance like she don’t got a / Care in the world like / Eh le le le le, le le le lo.”
Indian culture puts a high value on fine jewelry and gemstones, and the Chennai-born artist who immigrated with her family from India to the US at the age of eight, is impressively adorned in the opening scene of her video.
She’s wearing more than a dozen gold bangles, multiple rings, a lavish necklace, diamond nose chain and a “tikka” pendant on her forehead. The term “mehndi,” which is noted in the lyrics, above, refers to the art of painting elaborate patterns on the skin with henna.
Co-written by Vox and her boyfriend Shankar Tucker, “Diamonds” was published to her official YouTube channel, which currently boasts 5.8 million subscribers. The “Diamonds” video has been viewed more than 26 million times.
Born Vidya Iyer in India in 1990, Vox grew up in Virginia, but always remained connected to her Indian roots. After majoring in psychology and biomedical sciences at George Washington University, she returned to her native India for two years to study music.
Due to her popularity on YouTube, the 28-year-old vlogger, dancer and actress has earned a cross-cultural, international following. She also regularly performs as a vocalist with the Shankar Tucker Band.
Please check out the video of Vox performing “Diamonds.” Featured in the video is British singer-songwriter Arjun Coomaraswamy. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…
“Diamonds”
Written by Shankar Tucker and Vidya Vox. Performed by Vidya Vox.
Diamonds and gold
Mehndi and bangles
So beautiful
She moves like an angel
Dance like she don’t gotta
Care in the world like
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Flames reachin’ high
But can’t touch the fire
Catchin’ her eye
Her burning desire
She know she got it
When she sing her song like
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Look up at the sky
The stars never shine all alone
Tonight is the night
Take a deep breath
Let it go
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Lost in the night
Your rhythm takes over
Flames in the eyes
Keep drawing him closer
Exotic hypnotic she knows
He’s about to move up on her
She got it, she got it
God knows he can’t hold back no longer
Dancing so close
The temperature’s rising
She just don’t know
How sexy that smile is
She knows she’s got it
When she sings the song like
Eh le le le le, le le le lo.
Look up at the sky
The stars never shine all alone
Tonight is your night
Just take a deep breath
Let it go
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le, eh le, eh le, lo
No, no, no, no, (Eh le, eh le, eh le, lo)
Girl, you’re one of a kind (Eh le, eh le, eh le, lo)
I know you’re feelin’ the vibe (Eh le, eh le, eh le, lo)
Just give me tonight (Eh le, eh le, eh le, lo)
It’s the way that you smile (Eh le, eh le, eh le, lo)
Baby, I’m losin’ my mind (Shining like gold)
You gotta be mine
Girl, you’re one of a kind
I know you’re feelin’ the vibe
Just give me tonight
It’s the way that you smile (Don’t shine alone)
Baby, I’m losin’ my mind
You gotta be mine
Girl, you’re one of a kind (Shining like gold))
I know you’re feelin’ the vibe
Just give me tonight (Woah)
It’s the way that you smile
Baby, I’m losin’ my mind
Eh le le le le, le le le lo (Let it go)
Eh le le le le, le le le lo (No)
Eh le le le le, le le le lo (Let it go)
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com.