Dasha’s career has been on a high ever since the release of her pop/country smash “Austin (Boots Stop Workin.’)” The focus track from her debut album What Happens Now? brought her to viral status on TikTok in 2024, reaching 10 billion views before making its way to achieving platinum status in the US and seventeen other countries.
Navigating Fame And Handling Negative Comments
With such success, Dasha has been thrust into the spotlight, entering a world of public scrutiny and constant pressure to maintain a perfect image. She has had to navigate through the challenging waters of negative comments and has had to learn how to shake things off in the face of criticism.
While appearing at Country Radio Seminar (CRS) in Nashville, Tennessee, as part of her Cycle Of A Song Panel for “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’),” Dasha recalled a particular time when she felt singled out for her image on stage.
Remaining Authentic Even In Embarrassing Situations
It was during the 2024 Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Parade in New York City when Dasha experienced a makeup blunder while singing her “Austin” hit in rainy weather. Leaning into the microphone, her lipstick smeared across her face due to the mix of snow and rain. Recalling that embarrassing episode that she was unable to fix because she was live on-air, Dasha shared a reminder that she is not the picture of perfection and that she would rather embrace the flaws that make her who she is as a real person.
“I had been outside in the rain for two and a half hours, waving my little hand around, and I decided to wear red lipstick because ’tis the season,” Dasha recalled of the lipstick malfunction. “Why wasn’t it stain-proof? I don’t know, but I’m just a girl, and there was lipstick all over my face on national television [and] I didn’t realize at the time how much lipstick was on my face… I saw it on the monitors, kind of, and I was like, ‘Ooh, oopsies, a little smear.’”
Dasha said she didn’t realize how big her lipstick smudge had gotten until she was mid-flight, on her way to spend Thanksgiving dinner with her family.
“It was very obvious, as you guys probably saw if you watched the parade,” she acknowledged.
“I’m Not A Cookie-Cutter Perfect Artist”
Despite the unexpected visual flaw in her performance and the aftermath reactions that she faced from fans on social media, Dasha says instead of panicking, she made it a point to turn the moment into a win for her and her team. Rather than sulking, she faced the dilemma head-on on TikTok.
“I made this TikTok video making fun of myself…” she said of a video she posted set to “Just A Girl” by No Doubt. “And I think it’s cool to have that level of realness, maybe.”
“I could have freaked out [and] gotten super insecure,” she acknowledged. “Been like, ‘Oh my God! God forbid, I’m not a cookie-cutter perfect artist right now and did everything perfectly. Oh my God.’ Or [I could just] address it. I think you just gotta call it out.”
“And thank God that’s my personality,” she continued. “I mean, I lost a hair extension the other day on stage and clipped it back in front of the whole audience, and I’m just a girl, guys. I’m just being real with you.”
Even though Dasha went through the blush-worthy incident on national television, she says the experience has helped her grow as an artist.
“This past year, being thrown into the weeds, I learned a lot. I developed myself a lot as a person, as an artist, and I realized that the best way to do it is just to be yourself because there’s no other f***ing way around it,” she explained, adding that “Being an artist is the weirdest job in the world. You’re so picked apart, and you’re so celebrated at the same time.”
Realization That She Is Now A Role Model For Young Girls
Dasha went on to say, through her song and attitude, “I gained so many young fans last year.”
“There are little 8-year-old girls in cowboy hats riding the rails in my headline shows. It is the coolest thing ever. I remember looking up to Taylor Swift as a kid, and Kacey Musgraves and being like, ‘Whoa, I want to be like them.’ Now I recognize, oh my God, I’m in that position where these little girls open up to me on how they want to show up in the world.”
Dasha hopes her fearless nature will rub off on her young fans, who aspire to one day work in the entertainment industry.
“Through my music and my lyrics, through my socials, through who I am, my main purpose is, I want to be a role model for them to show that it’s okay to not have it all together,” Dasha said. “I want you to be so empowered in who you are, exactly who you are, and f***ing show it.”
Advice For Her Young Fans
Sharing a message with her young fans, Dasha said, “It was so strange to figure out how to stay balanced in so much love and so much hate…. I don’t think any human is supposed to ever have those mixed conflicts….‘You got this!”
She continued, “The more fearless you can be, the better because as an artist, the fire, the passion, and the music, it has to start with you. I have the best team in the world. I cherry-picked every single one of these motherf****ers up here, literally. But that being said, as the artist, you have to have the fire. You have to have it begin with you. If you don’t have the vision, if you don’t have the decision made, they’re going to make it for you. And you have to remember that. So yeah, I would say trust your gut and be fearless. And don’t overthink anything. And just run it. Just run it. Go, girl. All set.”
Recently Released New Song, “Not At This Party”
Along with her “Austin” smash, Dasha is well on her way to securing more hits with the release of her brand-new song, “Not At This Party.” The track, which dropped on Feb. 28 via Warner Records, features an uptempo dance beat and finds the singer in a different state of mind, as she fails to get over an ex while spending time at a party.
“I’m not at this party, I’m back in your backseat / You’re pullin’ it over, you just had to have me / I can’t hear this music, ’cause I’m hearin’ you yell / You’re so in love with me, but right now you need to work on yourself, mm / And they think I’ve moved on with my life / That I’m havin’ a good night / Out here on this dance floor, just like everybody / But nobody here knows just how bad you got me / I’m not at this party,” Dasha sings throughout the chorus of the song.
Dasha co-wrote “Not At This Party” alongside Ashley Gorley and Ben Johnson. “Not At This Party” gives fans a taste of what to expect from Dasha as she continues to take the country and pop worlds by storm in 2025.
