Krystalina

**Krystal Hope Dara** (born 27 December 1988), known professionally as **Krystalina**, is a New Anglian singer, songwriter, and dancer. Beginning her career as a back-up dancer and dance musician, Dara began receiving widespread recognition and media attention during the 2010s for her upbeat and artistic take on pop music.

Born in Queens to a middle-class family, Dara became interested in music and performing at a young age. Dara attended New York Arts Academy, where she focused her studies on vocal performance, and graduated in 2007. After completing her education, Dara began a professional music career. After struggling to find work as a singer, Dara initially decided to focus on dance, and became a back-up dancer in numerous pop music videos. In 2009, she was signed to independent electronic music label Edgehouse Music, and began releasing dance music. She released a number of singles with the label, and one studio album *Krystalina* (2011), which were all successful in the New York dance music scene.

Following a short hiatus, Dara announced that she would be leaving Edgehouse Music in 2013, and subsequently signed a recording contract with Manhattan Records, a subsidiary of Intercontinental Music Group. Her first single with the label, "Lemonade," was later released in May 2014, becoming an instant success in New Anglia and internationally. In her home country, the song became a top five hit, and additionally was certified triple platinum. As a result of the single's success, Dara later released her debut extended play *Sippin'* (2014), which reached the top five in New Anglia. She subsequently supported Elena Hans on her Electromagnetism Tour (2014–15), before beginning work on her first studio album with the label. Dara later released the single "Argentina" in November 2015, becoming her first number-one hit in New Anglia. The song was released as the lead single to her 1980s pop-influenced second studio album *Lipstick Kisses* (2016), which debuted at number-one in New Anglia and became the best-selling album of the year in the country. Following the success of the album, Dara embarked on her first headlining arena tour The Neon Goodnight World Tour (2016).

After returning from her world tour, Dara began experimenting more with electropop and synth-pop music on her third studio album *Nightclubbing* (2017), which later continued on her following albums *Rose Red* (2019) and *Cybersex* (2020). Altogether, the three albums have produced 18 international top ten singles, including the New Anglian number-one hits "Tied to the Rhythm," "Automatic," "Go-Go Girl," "Darling," "Cherry Lips," and "Cybersex," firmly establishing Dara as both a household name and the dominant force in New Anglian pop music. The three albums each peaked at number-one in New Anglia, while *Nightclubbing* also became the most successful release of her career, being certified diamond in New Anglia.

Dara has amassed seven number-one singles in New Anglia, four number-one albums in New Anglia, and has sold more than 100 million records worldwide in her career, making her one of the most successful New Anglian musicians of all-time. Variously described as the "Princess of Pop," "New Queen of Pop," and "Queen of Dance" by the New Anglian media, Dara has cultivated a popular and widely-recognizable image within the New Anglian music industry. Her accolades include six Doris Awards and eighteen New Anglia Music Awards, while *Rolling Stone New Anglia* named her the Musician of the Year for 2016 and 2018, while additionally naming her Breakout of the Year for 2014.

## Early life and education

Dara was born with the birth name Krystal Hope Dara on 27 December 1988 in New York City to parents Albert (born 1958) and Tina Dara (née *Muselli*; born 1961). Her father was born in New Anglia to Arbëreshë parents originally from the *comune* of Andali in Italy, while her mother is Italian-New Anglian with a family from Campania. Albert worked in construction, while Tina taught at a local primary school. The family was middle-class, and lived a life Dara has described as "modest." She was raised in the middle-class Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens. Dara is the youngest of three children; her elder siblings include Anthony (born 1985) and Daniela (born 1987).

Dara began her education in 1994, attending Catholic primary schooling in Queens. After completing primary school in 2001, Dara continued her education at a Catholic secondary school, completing her lower secondary education 2005. While in lower secondary school, Dara was active in her school's music and theatre departments, frequently portraying leading ladies in her school's musical productions. In 2005, she auditioned for a spot at New York Arts Academy, a selective public upper secondary school for the arts in Manhattan, where she was accepted. After being accepted, Dara began commuting one hour a day on the subway from her home in Ozone Park to her school in Midtown Manhattan, which she has said "took a toll" on her mental health. While at the school, Dara took classes on vocal performance and dance, and was a popular student. She graduated with her upper secondary school diploma in 2007, and opted not to attend post-secondary education in order to pursue a career in the music industry.

## Discography

*Main article: Krystalina discography*
* *Krystalina* (2011)
* *Lipstick Kisses* (2016)
* *Nightclubbing* (2017)
* *Rose Red* (2019)
* *Cybersex* (2020)

## Awards and nominations

*Main article: Awards and nominations received by Krystalina*