I have a memory of a conversation I had one day in 2016, but I have no idea why my brain has retained it. I was driving in a van, making a delivery for work and one of my co-workers was helping me. We didn’t really know each other, and there’s a pretty big age gap, so we didn’t have much to talk about. Out of nowhere she started asking me random questions, and we went back and forth a bit getting some info from one another. She asked me who my favorite musician was, and I don’t remember who I said (Dylan, Josh Ritter, Wilco, Conor Oberst…probably one of those) and when I asked her who she liked, she said Daya.

Now, I had no idea who Daya was. I had heard the song she did with The Chainsmokers, which I think everyone in the world had heard-it got certified platinum 9 times, so it was a bonafide hit. But other than that, no clue who Daya was or what she did. Turns out she had her own album before that song came out, and had a couple platinum hits as a solo artist (“Hide Away” and “Sit Still, Look Pretty”). At that time, my brain was very challenged to accept that Daya could be anyone’s favorite artist.

I suppose it’s because this girl was in her very early 20’s, and at her most popular, Daya was all of 16 or 17 years old. So the music was very relatable for her. I haven’t seen or heard from my coworker in about 5 years, but I’m sure she would be happy to know that after a run of years where Daya didn’t get on the charts, she’s back with new music and a new tour ready for her comeback.

I hadn’t checked on Daya over the last few years, so I had no idea how busy she’s been. She appeared at the US World Pride opening ceremony, has been collaborating with GLAAD and the Trevor Project, and working with some of the biggest writers and producers for her new album.

I really wanted to check out this single, “Love You When You’re Gone” out of curiosity. Needless to say, I was surprised by how good it is. A solid breakup song that shows growth in both style and substance from a young artist. We’ll see how the rest of In Between Dreams holds up when it’s released on September 16th, but based on this I think it’s going to be a return to the top for Daya.

Fans are going to be happy that she’s playing some smaller venues when her tour starts in October. Mostly between 400-700 seats, so it will be a nice, intimate show. If you’re interested in checking it out, you can find all the dates here. In Chicago, Daya will be playing Subterranean on November 5th. Tickets here.