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Hannah Diamond

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Hannah Diamond
Hannah Diamond on the Moroccan Lounge in 2023
Hannah Diamond on the Moroccan Lounge in 2023
Background information
Birth nameHannah Amond[1]
Born (1991-06-20) 20 June 1991 (age 33)
Norwich, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • photographer
  • visual artist
InstrumentVocals
Years active2012–present
LabelsPC Music
Websitehannahdiamond.com

Hannah Amond (born 20 June 1991),[2] known professionally as Hannah Diamond, is an English singer, songwriter, photographer, and visual artist. She has recorded on A.G. Cook's PC Music label since 2013, beginning with her debut single "Pink and Blue".[3] Her music and visual art employs an aesthetic of hyperreality and heavily produced cuteness in tension with sincerity.[4]

Diamond released her debut studio album, Reflections, in November 2019, followed by her second studio album, Perfect Picture, in October 2023. She also works as a photographer, producing visual artwork and promotional materials for herself as well as other artists and publications.[5]

Music career

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2012–2015: Beginnings

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Diamond met GFOTY through a friend, and GFOTY introduced her to A. G. Cook.[6] After a vocalist failed to show up to a session with Cook, the two worked on their first musical collaboration. In 2012, they recorded Diamond's first solo song, titled "Attachment".[7] Diamond released her debut single "Pink and Blue" through PC Music in October 2013. The song resembles a lullaby, with a harshly synthetic quality.[8] The attention received by "Pink and Blue" helped to introduce the fledgling label,[9] and it placed 5th on Fact's list of "The 100 best tracks of the decade so far".[10]

The following January, Diamond appeared on A. G. Cook's "Keri Baby". The song toyed with the idea of Diamond as an MP3 file or a digital entity on a screen.[11][12] Diamond made her first live performance in April, at Basement in London.[13] She released "Attachment" as her second single later that month. "Attachment" is a melancholy ballad about modern relationships, with a high-pitched melody backed by farcical harmonies.[14][15]

Diamond's third solo single "Every Night" was released in November 2014 and became PC Music's first single available through the iTunes Store.[17] The song discusses feelings of desire and showcases a more bold personality than Diamond's earlier songs.[18] Her vocals are childlike and staccato, supported by "oh-ooh-oh" harmonies.[17][19] The production drew comparisons to La Bouche and "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen.[17][20] "Every Night" received nearly 200,000 plays on SoundCloud within two weeks, and it became Diamond's first song to appear on a Billboard chart, reaching 28th on the Emerging Artists chart.[17]

March 2015 saw Diamond head to the US to play the PC Music showcase at the Empire Garage in Austin, Texas as part of SXSW. Her performance was very well received with The Guardian calling it a "well-crafted performance, as much about the aesthetic and choreography as the camp songs"[21] and according to Flavorwire was the one "who impressed the most."[22] On 8 May 2015, Diamond performed as part of a PC Music show at BRIC House in Brooklyn, New York as part of the Red Bull Music Academy Festival. The show was billed as the premiere of Pop Cube, "a multimedia reality network".[23] In November 2015, Diamond released her song "Hi" with a music video made in conjunction with i-D magazine. After having the resources to produce her first music video, she selected "Hi" as a "way of tying up my older material, and a good way of introducing my next phase".[24] Diamond had begun recording a full-length album, originally planned for release in 2015.[24][25]

2016–2021: Reflections

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February 2016 saw Hannah Diamond collaborate with Charli XCX on a new track titled "Paradise", which featured on XCX's Vroom Vroom EP, the first release on XCX's label Vroom Vroom Recordings. According to the singer, the label will combine her "love for bubblegum pop with mystery and darkness."[26] In October that year, Diamond released the new single "Fade Away" with a lyric video via PC Music.[27] On 22 December 2016, Diamond released a free single, "Make Believe", which was produced by easyFun and A.G. Cook.[28][29]

On 13 December 2017, she released a new mix, Soon I won't see you at all, which contains three new tracks, one of which is a cover of "Concrete Angel" by Gareth Emery. It was made available on YouTube for streaming with a link to a ZIP file of the mix in the description.[30] On 16 November 2018, Diamond released "True", which is the lead single from her debut album Reflections.[31]

On 17 September 2019, Diamond released the song "Part of Me" with Danny L Harle. Just over a month later, on 30 October, Diamond released the single "Invisible" with its accompanying music video. With this release, she also announced the release date for Reflections and revealed the album artwork. On 13 November, Diamond released another single leading up to the release of her album, titled "Love Goes On". The song was released with an accompanying music video.

On 31 October 2019, she announced her first headlining tour "The Invisible Tour" and added new dates on 1 November 4 and 28 November 2019. The tour began on 4 December 2019. On 22 November 2019, her debut album Reflections was released, and the tracklist was revealed the day before. On 5 February 2020, she announced that she would be the opening act in 4 shows for Carly Rae Jepsen’s Dedicated Tour. The Reflections remix album was released in April 2020,[32] and the vinyl was released in early 2020.

In 2020, Diamond featured on the remix for 100 gecs' "xXXi_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXx" alongside Estonian rapper Tommy Cash, and appeared on A. G. Cook's two 2020 albums 7G and Apple. In 2021, Diamond appeared on the Danny L Harle single, "Boing Beat", from his debut album Harlecore, and featured on the remix for A. G. Cook's "The Darkness", alongside Sarah Bonito of Kero Kero Bonito. She appeared on labelmate Namasenda's debut Unlimited Ammo mixtape in October 2021, and designed much of the project's single and album artwork.[33]

2022–present: Perfect Picture

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Diamond begun teasing a second album in mid-2021 via social media.[34][35] After debuting a new song at PC Music's Pitchfork Music Festival London showcase[36] and previewing it on TikTok,[37] Diamond released the single "Staring at the Ceiling" on 24 February 2022. A year later, she released "Affirmations" as the second single from the album. "Perfect Picture" was released as the third single on 17 August. The same day, her second album with the same name was announced for release on 6 October.

The fourth single, "Poster Girl", was released on 14 September.[38] The announcement was met with accusations that Diamond copied Swedish singer Zara Larsson's cover art for the album of the same name.[39] Diamond addressed this, stating that "there is no joy to be found in using someone else's experience", and affirmed the legacy and influence her own photography and art from PC Music have had on culture.[40]

Visual artistry

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Growing up, Diamond followed the work of fashion photographers such as Mert and Marcus, David LaChapelle, and Nick Knight.[7] She studied fashion communication and styling, and her early work focused on internet celebrities.[41] She is a member of Diamond Wright, which has made promotional images for QT, latex clothing brand Meat, and PC Music artist Princess Bambi.[16] In 2015, she shot Charli XCX in global commercial campaigns for Boohoo and Lynx Impulse.[42] Before the founding of PC Music, Diamond worked with Cook on marketing material for makeup brand Illamasqua.[41] She has also done work as co-editor and director of photography for LOGO Magazine.[16]

She cited the futuristic visuals for TLC's "Waterfalls" music video as influential for their emphasis on technology.[43] Diamond's music is often inspired by high-definition imagery and fashion campaigns.[6] Cook describes her as an artist "in control of [her] own image", noting Diamond's involvement in producing the promotional material.[5] Her cover artwork uses heavy photo retouching to produce unnatural, hyperreal versions of herself.[41][44] The covers show Diamond in front of empty, one-dimensional spaces.[45] Her outfits are influenced by London streetwear, and she is known for wearing her trademark pastel pink puffer jacket.[5][46] January 2016 saw Diamond feature on the cover of OKgrl, a new online platform created by stylist Louby Mcloughlin & DVTK, the ex digital directors of fashion brand Kenzo.[47] Diamond has also spent time designing typefaces, including a new font which was featured in the lyric video for her song, "True".[48]

As a photographer, Diamond's work includes a 2018 cover feature for DIY, featuring Years & Years' Olly Alexander.[49] Diamond shot Sophia Webster's Spring/Summer 2019 campaign,[50] the cover feature of the second issue of the French magazine Jalouse, which features Migos rapper Offset,[51] and a L'Officiel editorial for Charli XCX promoting her new album Charli.[52]

In 2020, Diamond took over a creative director position for UK alt-pop band Sundara Karma.[53] Along with the band's frontman Oscar Pollock, she co-directed the music video for their single "Kill Me",[54] In addition to making a series of promotional graphics, including the single artwork.[55] Shots from their visual collaboration were featured on the cover of DIY magazine in 2019.[56]

Discography

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Hannah Diamond discography
Studio albums2
EPs2
Singles14

Studio albums

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Title Album details
Reflections
Perfect Picture
  • Released: 6 October 2023
  • Label: PC Music
  • Formats: LP, digital download, streaming

Extended plays

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Title Album details
Reflections Remixes
  • Released: 22 April 2020
  • Label: PC Music
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
Reflections Hard Drive
  • Released: 24 November 2020
  • Label: PC Music
  • Formats: Digital download

Singles

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As lead artist

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Title Year Album
"Pink and Blue" 2013 Non-album single
"Attachment" 2014 PC Music Volume 1
"Every Night"
"Hi" 2015 PC Music Volume 2
"Fade Away" 2016 Reflections
"Make Believe"
"True" 2018
"Part of Me"
(with Danny L Harle)
2019 Non-album single
"Invisible" Reflections
"Love Goes On"
"The Darkness" (Remix)
(with A. G. Cook and Sarah Bonito)
2021 Apple vs. 7G
"Staring at the Ceiling" 2022 Perfect Picture and PC Music Volume 3
"Affirmations" 2023 Perfect Picture
"Perfect Picture"
"Poster Girl"
[edit]
Title Year Album
"Keri Baby"
(A. G. Cook featuring Hannah Diamond)
2014 PC Music Volume 1
"Drop FM"
(A. G. Cook featuring Hannah Diamond)
2015 Non-album single
"All I Need"
(Umru, Fraxiom, and Tony Velour featuring Hannah Diamond)
2022 comfort noise

Other appearances

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Title Year Other artist(s) Album
"Close Your Eyes" 2013 A. G. Cook Nu Jack Swung
"What I Mean" 2014 Non-album single
"Paradise" 2016 Charli XCX Vroom Vroom
"Out Of My Head REMIX" 2017 A. G. Cook, Mykki Blanco, Dorian Electra, Tommy Cash Non-album single
"Cool 3D World" 2018 Tommy Cash ¥€$
"xXXi_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXx (Remix)" 2020 100 gecs, Tommy Cash 1000 gecs and the Tree of Clues
"Acid Angel" A. G. Cook 7G
"DJ Every Night"
"Alright"
"The Darkness" Apple
"Acoustic Angel" Appleville (Golden Ticket)
"Where Are You Christmas?" Pop Caroler's Songbook
"Boing Beat" 2021 Danny L Harle, MC Boing Harlecore
"Play With My Heart" Tetris Beat - Essentials, Vol. 1
"Steel" Namasenda Unlimited Ammo
"Candyboy (Hannah Diamond's Shine)" Casey MQ babycasey: ultra
"Better Than That" Erika de Casier, caro♡ The Sensational Remixes
"Kiss" 2022 Himera Sharing Secrets
"Always and Forever" 2024 Sophie Sophie

Tours

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Headlining

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Opening act

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References

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  1. ^ Wright, William. "From Inside Frieze London". V. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  2. ^ @Hannahdiamond_ (21 June 2016). "Thank u everyone for all the birthday wishes yesterday!!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. ^ "Hannah Diamond is the number 1 most blogged artist in the world today". Giant Men Management. 29 November 2014. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  4. ^ Bassil, Ryan (23 May 2014). "Trying to Make Sense of Hannah Diamond and Post-Ringtone Music". Vice. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  5. ^ a b c Jones, Charlie Robin (11 September 2014). "PC Music's Digital Dream". Dazed & Confused. 4: 178–183. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  6. ^ a b Stephens, Huw (25 March 2015). "PC Music Interview". BBC Radio 1. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  7. ^ a b Weinstock, Tish (12 February 2015). "hannah diamond and gfoty's beginner's guide to pc music". Vice. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  8. ^ Milton, Jamie (20 November 2013). "The Neu Bulletin (20th November 2013)". DIY. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  9. ^ Barchi, Aly (12 December 2014). "CMU Artists Of The Year 2014: PC Music". Complete Music Update. Archived from the original on 7 April 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  10. ^ "The 100 best tracks of the decade so far". Fact. 13 November 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  11. ^ Moynihan, Joe (13 August 2014). "PC Music: the 10 best tracks so far from 2014's most divisive record label". Fact. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  12. ^ Cliff, Aimee (21 November 2015). "PC Music Forever". The Awl. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  13. ^ Milton, Jamie (25 March 2014). "Hannah Diamond Confirms Debut Live Appearance". DIY. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  14. ^ "PC Music pop star Hannah Diamond drops digital ballad 'Attachment'". Fact. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  15. ^ Lau, Melody (29 April 2014). "Hannah Diamond: 'Attachment'". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  16. ^ a b c Sherburne, Philip (17 September 2014). "PC Music's Twisted Electronic Pop: A User's Manual". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  17. ^ a b c d Anderson, Trevor (4 December 2014). "Will Butler, Against the Current & Hannah Diamond: Emerging Picks of the Week". Billboard. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  18. ^ Bassil, Ryan (24 November 2014). "Hannah Diamond Released a Cute Song Called 'Every Night' That Perfectly Captures the Feeling of Falling for Someone". Vice. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  19. ^ Murphy, Sarah (24 November 2014). "Hannah Diamond 'Every Night'". Exclaim!. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  20. ^ Chapman, Alex (2014). "SoundClouds of the Underground: Holiday Party Edition". Interview. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  21. ^ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (20 March 2015). "PC Music at SXSW review – good taste goes out the window in pop makeover". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  22. ^ "From Online to IRL: Inside PC Music's Debut Live Show at SXSW". Flavorwire. 20 March 2015.
  23. ^ Pareles, Jon (10 May 2015). "Review: PC Music and Sophie in a High-Concept Extravaganza at BRIC House". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  24. ^ a b Whitehouse, Matthew (5 November 2015). "hi, it's hannah diamond | read | i-D". i-D. Archived from the original on 29 November 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  25. ^ Rettig, James (19 February 2015). "A. G. Cook – 'Drop FM' (Feat. Hannah Diamond)". Stereogum. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  26. ^ "Charli XCX and Hannah Diamond unleash rave-ready 'Paradise'". FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music. 26 February 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  27. ^ "Hannah Diamond Shares Addictive And Glossy Track "Fade Away"". The FADER.
  28. ^ Breihan, Tom (22 December 2016). "Hannah Diamond – "Make Believe"". Stereogum. SpinMusic. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  29. ^ "Make Believe". PC Music. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  30. ^ "Stream Hannah Diamond's Soon I Won't See You At All Mix". 13 December 2017.
  31. ^ "Hannah Diamond - "True"". Stereogum. 15 November 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  32. ^ Subscribe (22 April 2020). "Hannah Diamond releases remixes from debut album 'Reflections'". diymag.com. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  33. ^ "Namasenda: All guns blazing". Crack Magazine. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  34. ^ "Hannah Diamond on Instagram: "Thinking about HD2 after a busy couple of weeks girl bossing"". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  35. ^ Diamond, Hannah (26 October 2021). "Guess who just decided on their next single". Twitter. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  36. ^ Hannah Diamond - Staring At The Ceiling (Unreleased Track)(11/11/2021 - London), retrieved 10 February 2022
  37. ^ "HD💎✨ on TikTok". TikTok. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  38. ^ Rettig, James (14 September 2023). "Hannah Diamond Shares New Single "Poster Girl": Listen". Stereogum. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  39. ^ Murray, Tom (14 September 2023). "Hannah Diamond responds to accusations she copied Zara Larsson's album cover". The Independent. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  40. ^ Kelly, Tyler. "Hannah Diamond addresses similarities with Zara Larsson artwork for her new single, "Poster Girl"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  41. ^ a b c Hunt, El (11 June 2014). "Inside the hard drive of PC Music". DIY. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  42. ^ "Diamond Wright on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  43. ^ Harrison, Angus (3 February 2015). "Hannah Diamond Knows Meta is Better". Vice. Archived from the original on 4 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  44. ^ Joyce, Colin (24 November 2014). "Hannah Diamond: 'Every Night'". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  45. ^ Geffen, Sasha (30 March 2015). "PC Music's Inverted Consumerism". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  46. ^ Frank, Alex (19 September 2014). "A Visual Primer on PC Music, London's Weirdest New Subculture". Vogue. Archived from the original on 4 February 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  47. ^ "OKgrl is here! | Wonderland Magazine". Wonderland Magazine. 21 January 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  48. ^ "Hannah Diamond Announces New Album Reflections, Shares New Song "True": Listen | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. 16 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  49. ^ "LET IT BURN: YEARS & YEARS | DIY Magazine". DIY mag. 27 April 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  50. ^ "Wedding Crushers for Sophia Webster | Hannah Diamond". Hannahdiamond.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  51. ^ "Offset for Jalouse | Hannah Diamond". hannahdiamond.com. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  52. ^ "Charli XCX Has Leveled Up Through New Album 'Charli'". lofficielusa.com. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  53. ^ Kennealy, Cerys Kennealy (2 October 2020). "Sundara Karma unveil new single "Kill Me" with Hannah Diamond-directed video". The Line Of Best Fit. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  54. ^ Staff, Crack (1 October 2020). "Watch the Hannah Diamond-directed video for Sundara Karma's new single 'Kill Me'". Crack Magazine. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  55. ^ Diamond, Hannah (2019). "Hannah Diamond. Work". Hannah Diamond. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  56. ^ Wright, Lisa (8 February 2019). "LET THERE BE LIGHT: SUNDARA KARMA". DIY Magazine. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  57. ^ "Hannah Diamond on Twitter: "AVAILABLE TOMORROW AT MIDNIGHT UK TIME on the HD stone Merch store Special signed personal drop before they go on sale everywhere else stone Reflections full album and all the remixes Two hearts love u". Twitter. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
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