Itsmelinaworld is an artist of many talents – from crafting lofi beats on her new EP, “Passage through Takayama,” to building a 3+ million network of followers, Melina’s omnivorous approach to her music and creative work has helped her to quickly make a name for herself in the creative industry. As a former model turned artist and digital strategist, Melina is able to inject a unique sound and feel into her work by drawing on her immensely diverse background. Now she looks to the future, weaving together an artist’s passion for her work with a level-headed approach to business and marketing, ready to show the world what else itsmelinaworld has in store.
When speaking about her new EP, “Passage through Takayama,” Melina shared the inside details on her creative process and musical inspiration: “My EP is about feelings; each song is a mood. My inspiration comes from life around me and memories of childhood. Music has been my escape for as long as I can remember – I started playing the piano at age 11 when my parents went through a divorce. Playing the piano was really my escape from reality and, looking back, it was also my therapy.”
Listening to itsmelinaworld’s newest EP, it is easy to hear those emotions and memories weaving their way through each track; infusing her music with that certain cathartic melancholia that has come to define the lofi space. Yet despite the artistic confidence evident in her freshest work, Melina talks openly about the struggles she has had to overcome in the creative process and the daunting task of building her own business.
“I think finding your own sound can be one of the hardest things to accomplish. It took me three years to feel comfortable with the way my music sounds. You have to be consistent and really believe in yourself when making music; focusing on the creative process without letting the competing voices of money and others’ expectations drown out your unique sound. I think I’ve finally gotten my signature sound down, and now I just want to hone in on it.”
Strong words of advice from an artist who has had to navigate the business, as well as creative sides of the music industry. As a former model turned content creator and marketing maven, Melina is all too familiar with the unrelenting demands of the business side of the creative industries. Yet by drawing on her diverse array of experiences, Melina has filled a niche that so many creatives and businesspeople alike fail to address on their own; that of the self-starting musician, able to quickly adapt to new markets and new sounds while staying true to a greater creative vision. Through trial and error, Melina has managed to fill this niche in the music industry, achieving a level of recognition that few if any musicians find on their own.
Speaking to her unique blend of business and beats, Melina shares that her “mindset is completely different when it comes to business and artistry. With business a positive mindset and resilience will always win. But with art, some of the most broken souls of our time have given us the most beautiful music. So, I think that being true to whatever your mind is telling you is the right mindset, especially when writing music.”
Moving forward, Melina is thrilled to share her most recent EPs, and hinted at a new experimental project that she has been working on for the past several months. Based on our conversation, Melina’s musical repertoire is only set to expand as she looks into new sounds, new inspiration, and new creative avenues. We’ll be following Melina on Instagram (@itsmelinaworld) for sneak peeks into her creative process and to keep up to date with her most recent releases.
You can follow Melina on Instagram (@itsmelinaworld) and find her music on Spotify or wherever you listen