Inaya Day Talks White Party Palm Springs, New Music, & More

Named one of Billboard’s “Greatest of All Time Top Dance Club Artists,” music icon Inaya Day will be sharing the stage with fellow legends Robin S, CeCe Peniston, and Crystal Waters at this year’s White Party Palm Springs.

The annual event, often cited as the largest gay circuit party in the U.S., is set to run May 12-14 at the Palm Springs Convention Center and Hilton Palm Springs. The powerhouse quartet will bring their electrifying vocals to the popular White Party T-Dance on Sunday.

“White Party Palm Springs has been home to some of the most iconic performances, featuring renowned artists like Deborah Cox, Kylie Minogue, and Lady Gaga,” White Party Global Executive Producer Chris Diamond says in a press statement. “This year, we are honored to have four legendary house divas grace our stage and create an unforgettable experience for our attendees.”

Day, who found her beginnings in gospel music, has turned heads with her performances of club classics such as “Keep Pushin’, “Nasty Girl,” and “Hold Your Head Up High.” She also writes, creates, arranges, and sings backup vocals and/or hooks for prominent artists, and has been featured on tracks by Michael Jackson, Missy Elliot, P-Diddy, Queen Latifah, among others.

OFM sat down with Day to talk more about her upcoming White Party appearance, as well as her passion for house music, upcoming projects, and more.

Let me begin by asking, how excited are you to perform at this year’s White Party Palm Springs?

I am very, very excited to perform at the White Party! I have my sisters in song with me, and it’s been a while since I’ve performed the White Party. The last time I did it was with Jeffrey Sanker, and we all miss him. I’s going to be great to go there and feel his energy again.

You will be performing at the iconic White Party T-Dance, taking place on Sunday, May 14. Without giving too much away, what can attendees expect from your set?

Ah! I am going to do a wonderful medley that the White Party has requested, and I’m going to have a new hairdo and a fly, fly, fly outfit (laughs). Then of course, always expect my soulful gospel grounded vocals.

What do you always hope audiences take away from an Inaya Day production?

I hope they can take away and realize that I do this because I must. If I don’t sing, I feel like I would just crumble and wither away. So, I do it because I must for myself, and I do it because I must for other people. Art is to make people feel something, so I hope that through my art and presentation, somebody will feel something, feel better, feel great about the day, and maybe have a new outlook on life. Something as simple as singing a couple of songs that people really love can change their whole mood and attitude. I just hope that what I do and what I present can have that effect.

You will be performing alongside fellow dance music legends Robin S, CeCe Peniston, and Crystal Waters. What are you looking forward to the most about sharing the stage with them?

I am really looking forward to just hugging them because this pandemic has separated us so much. Those are my girls, and heck, I sang at Robin S’s wedding. We all went, mind you. All the ladies you named, we all went to Robin S’s wedding years back and we were there together. So, it’s going to be great for us all to be in one place together again. We see each other here and there, but to have us all in one pot, boiling and mixing it up, that’s going to be so hot!

It sounds like you have all created quite a sisterhood.

It is totally that. These are my girls.

Have you always had a passion for music and entertaining?

Yes, as far back as I can remember.  Of course, I started singing in church when I was about four years old, but I started singing professionally by the time I was 13. I was singing background vocals for noted recording artists, and I was in musical theater around the same time. So, I’ve been doing this professionally since I was a kid, and in house music alone, this is my 28th year. I feel very blessed.

What specifically drew you to house music?

Oh, man. I’ve always loved it. A friend of mine named Cassandra, who recently passed away, we were in high school together, and we were going up the elevator one day. I’m giving away my age now, but she had a Sony Walkman, and she’s like, you’ve got to hear this new music! It’s killin’! It’s like shouting music for church, but it’s like disco – you’ll see. She then put the Walkman on my ears, and I was like, whoa! I don’t remember what I was listening to, but I loved it from the very first moment I heard it. I then made a lot of house demos and stuff, but I had never put a house record out.

I was living in Germany doing Little Shop of Horrors, and the show’s director knew dance music producers. The same dance music producers who helped me make “Keep Pushin’,” my first single. So, “Keep Pushin’” came out of that. I thought it was just another demo, but the next thing I know, it had gone worldwide and blew up. Now, it’s a classic, and I’m very, very, very blessed to be in it. Then my second single, “Hold Your Head Up High,” that one hit as well, and I was like, this is a sign that I’m supposed to do dance music.

What do you appreciate the most about house music culture?

I appreciate the way everyone seems to stick together and know that it’s a no judgment zone. It’s a place you can go where everybody seems to love everybody else. It gives such a good feeling because there is no negativity in house music. You just can’t find it. When the music comes on, everybody throws their hands up, throws their heads back, and let loose. People are more engrossed in the music and loyal to the people that make the music, so I wouldn’t trade house music for anything. It’s the best.

You have collaborated with some iconic artists such as Queen Latifah, Missy Elliott, and even Michael Jackson. What do you always take away from these experiences?

I always try to learn something. What I love about Missy is that she’s always authentic. Whatever comes to her mind, and if it feels good to her, she’s going to put it on the record. That’s what I did with “Gossip Folks.” When I sang the hooks and stuff for that remix and created everything, they just let me go. They were like, yes! Same happened with Michael Jackson. I was in Germany, so he sent the music over, and we were supposed to do a remix.

His team was like, Inaya, we love your work. Let’s see what you can come up with. I was like, okay! Music was sent back to Michael, and he was like, I love everything she did, and he kept everything. He didn’t discard anything. Even the stuff I made up on my own that he didn’t ask for. That was really cool. I’ve taken away that people love what I have to offer, but I love what they have to offer as well. I then mix them both together, and I come out with a nice amalgamation of wonderful!

Do you have any new music in the works right now?

Indeed, I do! I have some music coming out with DJ Spinz, who is one of my favorites, and DJ Mike Cruz, with whom I have three Billboard number ones. We’ve done so many songs together, but those three number ones, I hope we can repeat that. We have a song coming that’s called “Inside Out,” and it’s a killer. I cannot wait for everyone to hear it.

What are some future goals you hope to accomplish with your career?

I have a small record label, so my prayer, hope, and aspiration is to push and start focusing on it because I’m always so busy doing my stuff. I don’t have the time that I want to dedicate to the label, and there are so many vocalists that need to be highlighted. A lot of times, these days, the DJs are highlighted, so now that we have them nice and secure, we need to get them up on their pedestals. We need to get the singers back up there to join them, so that’s what the aim is for me with this record label. Really focus on vocalists and get some really good music out. That’s where I see myself going. Pushing towards that.

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you’d like to mention or plug?

Yes, I have a project coming out with an artist that is well-known and an icon. I’ve done a bunch of her songs reimagined before, and with this project, I’ve been working on it for five years. I have never ever in my life worked on a project for this long. The videos and everything have already been shot, so I am looking forward to this. We’re not waiting for the final touches with mixes and mastering, and then we’re going to strategize on when to release the Kraken!

Stay up-to-date and connect with Day by following her on Twitter and Instagram @inayaday. For the latest information on White Party Palm Springs, visit whitepartyglobal.com.

Photos courtesy of Brian To and Inaya Day