Tess Clare Reclaims Her Power on Fearless Debut Album 'Diva 98'

After years of releasing singles and building momentum, Los Angeles indie pop artist Tess Clare is making her boldest statement yet with her debut album, Diva 98. More than just a collection of songs, the 13-track project serves as a declaration of self-belief, chronicling the complicated journey of embracing confidence in a world that constantly encourages self-doubt.

Created during a period of creative frustration and personal uncertainty, DIVA 98 represents the moment Clare stopped waiting for permission to make the album she had always envisioned. Instead of chasing external validation, she leaned into authenticity, crafting a cinematic indie pop record that transforms vulnerability into strength.

Drawing inspiration from artists including Charli XCX, Lorde, Caroline Polachek, Prince, and Tracy Chapman, the album blends theatrical production with intimate songwriting. Across tracks like "Hourglass," "Hit List," "It Girl," and the title track "Diva," Clare explores ambition, identity, insecurity, relationships, and the desire to become the fullest version of herself.

Already boasting more than two million global streams and recognition from Spotify, Apple Music, the GRAMMYs, and Live Nation's Ones To Watch, Tess Clare enters this new chapter with unmistakable confidence. Diva 98 isn't simply an introduction; it's the arrival of an artist fully embracing her voice and inviting listeners to do the same.

You describe DIVA 98 as the moment you stopped waiting for permission to make the album you always wanted. What was the turning point that gave you the confidence to take that leap? Making this album saved me from burnout. I was at a point where I had been releasing music for years, but I had somewhat lost the freedom of making music just for the love of it. I was way too concerned with external validation. This album allowed me the time to slow down and really enjoy the process and the art of writing songs, both alone and with a wonderful, evolving group of co-writers. It was truly liberating and helped me to focus and not worry so much about where I was in terms of the music industry's standards of numbers.

The title "Diva" has followed you since childhood, but you've completely redefined what that word means. How has your relationship with that label evolved over the years? The label “diva” has evolved for me over the years as I’ve shifted into the woman I am today. When I was younger, I was called a diva when I was too loud or too confident. Said as a way to embarrass me, the word made me angry. Later on, my high school class gave me the superlative “biggest diva.” At this point, my sense of self was more solidified, and to me, I took this as a compliment, indicating that people truly saw me. Now, I wear the label with pride and have even made it my Instagram handle.

The album balances vulnerability with theatricality. How do you decide when to reveal the most personal parts of yourself versus creating a larger-than-life character through your music? To me, theatricality and vulnerability go hand in hand. My favorite artists beautifully portray this duality. In their work and in their lives, they understand that to have highs, you must have lows, and to understand light, you need to experience the dark. I think there’s something freeing in outwardly expressing my life experiences and performing a full, authentic range of vulnerable, raw feelings.

You've cited influences ranging from Charli XCX and Lorde to Prince and Tracy Chapman. Which artists had the biggest impact on DIVA 98, and how did you make those inspirations feel uniquely your own? Charli XCX and Prince. The throughline with both of these artists is how their craft isn’t just writing and performing a collection of good music, but the sonic and visual worlds they have both designed within their artist projects. My favorite kind of artists, especially when it comes to making an album, are the ones who go beyond the art of writing and singing and imagine their own alternate reality and ego to draw in others. Neither let commercial success control them.

After achieving playlist support, millions of streams, and sharing stages with artists like Billie Eilish and The 1975, what does success look like to you now that your debut album is finally complete? Success is such a funny concept because when you put my career in terms of millions of streams and having played a festival with well-established musicians, it seems like “I made it.” However, I still feel like I have so much to build and grow upon when finding my community of people with whom my music resonates. I still aspire to tour my music to cities all over the country and world, be able to do music as my full-time job, collaborate with other creatives who I look up to/ am inspired by… To quote myself, I’m “never gonna not want more.” Accepting that reality is the closest I come to being at peace with an insatiable hunger for what’s to come.