“Before 2006, I had never heard of YouTube,” says the Texas native, who was introduced to the site by a friend. “I went up there to watch a fight that had happened at my school. I didn’t know people were singing on it.”
On a whim, Dondria bought a webcam and decided to upload a singing video of her own. Her choice: an a cappella version of Musiq Soulchild’s “Love.” Within two weeks, the video earned over 1,000 views and garnered tons of encouragement from visitors. Inspired, Dondria began searching for instrumentals that she could videotape herself singing along to. At the request of her rapidly growing online fan base, she posted various clips of herself covering songs from “Diary” by Alicia Keys to Rihanna’s “Unfaithful.”
However, it was her stirring rendition of Ciara’s “Promise” – which received over a million views – that took the budding singer from homebound diva to a complete Internet sensation.
“I thought to myself, ‘Wow, I really have something here,’” remembers Dondria of the overwhelming response to the video. “I didn’t get on YouTube to get a record deal. I was just having fun. But when I saw the feedback I was getting, I realized that a lot of people really liked my voice.”
One of those people happened to be So So Def CEO Jermaine Dupri, who tried for several weeks to connect with Dondria on both YouTube and MySpace. Thinking Dupri’s messages were from an impostor, Dondria initially ignored them. “I would get emails all the time from people claiming to be this or that. Most of the time, when I’d blow them off, they’d never hit back. But Jermaine persisted, so I called him up one day and the rest is history.”
Dupri flew the singer and her mom to Atlanta for what Dondria thought was a session with Jagged Edge to make a YouTube video. However, Dupri surprised the young artist by offering her a contract.
“JD was so extra cool,” she recalls. “He just walked over to me, and asked if I was ready. My answer was, ‘I was born ready.’” Officially signing with So So Def in 2007, Dondria, then 20 years old, had a record deal.
And to think, merely a year prior, the Southern songbird was just another small town girl from Sachse, Texas who got her start in music at the age of four by singing in church. “My entire family sang, but I didn’t get passionate about singing until middle school when my choir teacher suggested I take voice lessons.” Dondria took voice lessons, competed in talent shows and over the years studied the likes of Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and Etta James. She even spent a year at Tarleton State University as a music education major.
All of these experiences prepared Dondria for her long-awaited debut album Dondria vs. Phatfffat. Channeling her natural talent and years of training, Dondria pours her heart and soul into her first single, “You’re the One.” Written and produced by Dupri and veteran songwriter/producer Bryan Michael Cox, “You’re the One” is a timeless throwback to classic R&B and the perfect track to showcase Dondria’s range and vocal maturity.
“Dondria is like a young Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey or Alicia Keys,” says Dupri. “There is nothing that the girl can’t sing.”
Longtime Dupri collaborator and singer/songwriter Johnta Austin also sings her praises. “Dondria has a soulfulness that is just crazy,” says Austin, who recorded a duet with Dondria entitled “Crazy About Your Love.” “There hasn’t been a voice like hers since SWV. When we were working together, I was impressed by how natural she was.”
Her debut album released August 17th, 2010, Dondria vs Phatfffat – (“Phatfffat” is a nickname she picked up in college as a contrast between her skinny physique and ravenous appetite for food) – features a diverse mix of soulful ballads, real R&B and straight up dance records.
“I’m so in love with this album,” Dondria gushes. “You can play it from start to finish without stopping. I love the feedback I’ve been getting from my fans.”
If you haven’t purchased your copy of the album yet, you are missing a treat. Dondria updates a number of online pages daily with content – from a cappellas to covers to silly behind-the-scenes moments – and really leverages the power of the Internet to maintain her relevance and grow her million-plus fan base.
Subsequently, Dondria’s keen understanding of social networking coupled with her raw talent and charisma set her apart in the music industry and is a sure sign that this rising star will be around for a long time.
“As an artist, you need to utilize every aspect of putting yourself out there,” says Dondria. “YouTube made it so easy. It allowed me to show the world the ‘real me’ – my real voice, pitch and presence. Now, with So So Def, I have the opportunity to become a real R&B artist and live a dream. And I’m loving every minute of it.”
Still Be With Me
Dondria Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know that being emotional usually ain't my style
But since it's just me talking to you
There's a side that I wanna show
'Cause if I can't come to you, where else can I go?
Ever since we been apart, boy, life ain't fair
Remember when you left, remember what I said
Yes, I said a lot of things but half of them I didn't mean
And right now I couldn't be more sincere, listen to me
The first time I ever had my heart broken, it was by you, boy, you, boy
And the first time I ever had a real kiss, it was you, boy
(You taught me)
You taught me how to treat somebody sweet
(Ooh, ooh, ooh)
I remember when you told me that you love me
(Ooh, ooh, ooh)
And if I knew everything that I know right now back then
You would probably still be with me, boy
The fussin' and fighting's on you
Yes, there were things I did wrong but still you had your faults
And at times you couldn't take truth
I swore that I was in control, just knew I was invincible
But two or three months alone and I just wanted you back home
The first time I ever had my heart broken, it was by you, boy, you, boy
And the first time I ever had a real kiss, it was you, boy
(Ooh, boy, you taught me)
You taught me how to treat somebody sweet
(Yes, you did, yes, you did)
I remember when you told me that you love me
(Oh, boy)
And if I knew everything that I know right now back then
You would probably still be with me, boy
(Me, ooh)
[Unverified] baby, I miss you
[Unverified] and when I see you with her
All I do is [unverified]
And put the blame all on myself
(Yeah, heh)
The first time I ever had my heart broken it was by you, boy, you, boy
(It was the moment you walked away, baby, baby)
And the first time I ever had a real kiss, it was you, boy
(I remember you taught me)
You taught me how to treat somebody sweet
(You taught me how to treat somebody sweet)
I remember when you told me that you love me
(I remember, do you remember?)
And if I knew everything that I know right now back then
You would probably still be with me, boy
Me, boy, me, boy, me, boy, ohh, me, boy, me, boy, me, boy
And I would probably still be with you, boy, you, boy, you, boy
Said if I knew everything that I know right now back then
You would probably still be with me, boy, me, boy
The song "Still Be With Me" by Dondria is a heartfelt ballad about a love that has been lost but not forgotten. The singer of the song is addressing her ex-boyfriend, whom she had a tumultuous relationship with. She starts off the song by admitting that she had difficulty reaching out to him, as she is not typically an emotional person. However, she recognizes that he is the only person she feels comfortable talking to about her feelings. Ever since their breakup, the singer has been struggling to deal with life without her ex-boyfriend. She acknowledges that she said hurtful things when they separated, but she did not mean them. The singer mourns the loss of their relationship but recognizes that both parties were at fault. She acknowledges that there were things that she did wrong, but she still wants to remember the good times they shared.
The singer reminisces about the past, especially how her ex-boyfriend taught her how to love and be kind to her partner. She remembers the first time they kissed and the first time she felt her heart break, both of which he was responsible for. The singer confesses that she still loves her ex-boyfriend and blames herself for their breakup. However, she wishes that she knew then what she knows now, as she believes that things would be different. She ends the song by repeating that she and her ex-boyfriend would probably still be together if she had known how to handle their relationship better.
Overall, "Still Be With Me" is a poignant and bittersweet song about a love that could have been but was lost due to misunderstandings and mistakes.
Line by Line Meaning
It'd taken me forever to call, I needed a little while
I was hesitant in reaching out to you, I needed some time to gather my thoughts and emotions.
You know that being emotional usually ain't my style
I am not one to usually show my emotions.
But since it's just me talking to you
Since it's only you and me talking, I want to open up.
There's a side that I wanna show
I have a side of me that I want to let you see.
'Cause if I can't come to you, where else can I go?
If I can't come to you to express myself, I don't know where else I could go.
Ever since we been apart, boy, life ain't fair
Since we have been apart, life has not been kind to me.
Remember when you left, remember what I said
Do you remember the things I said to you when you left?
I said that I didn't care
I may have said I didn't care, but truthfully I did.
Yes, I said a lot of things but half of them I didn't mean
I may have said many things, but only half of them were true.
And right now I couldn't be more sincere, listen to me
Right now, I am being completely honest with you, please hear me out.
The first time I ever had my heart broken, it was by you, boy, you, boy
You were the first to break my heart.
And the first time I ever had a real kiss, it was you, boy
The first person I ever kissed was you.
(You taught me)
You showed me how to love and be loved.
You taught me how to treat somebody sweet
You taught me how to treat someone with kindness and love.
I remember when you told me that you love me
I remember the moment you told me you loved me.
And if I knew everything that I know right now back then
If only I knew then what I know now.
You would probably still be with me, boy
We would probably still be together if I knew then what I know now.
The fussin' and fighting's on you
The arguments we had were mostly your fault.
Yes, there were things I did wrong but still you had your faults
Although I did make mistakes, the majority of the fault lies with you.
And at times you couldn't take truth
You had difficulty accepting the truth.
I swore that I was in control, just knew I was invincible
I believed that I was in control of the situation and nothing could harm me.
But two or three months alone and I just wanted you back home
After being apart for a few months, I realized that I wanted you back in my life.
[Unverified] baby, I miss you
I miss you, baby.
[Unverified] and when I see you with her
I don't know what to do when I see you with another woman.
All I do is [unverified]
All I can do is think about you.
And put the blame all on myself
I am blaming myself for what happened between us.
Said if I knew everything that I know right now back then
If only I knew then what I know now.
Me, boy, me, boy, me, boy, ohh, me, boy, me, boy, me, boy
Me, oh you boy.
And I would probably still be with you, boy, you, boy, you, boy
If I knew then what I know now, we would still be together.
It was the moment you walked away, baby, baby
The moment you left was the moment everything changed.
(I remember you taught me)
I remember the things you taught me about love.
You taught me how to treat somebody sweet
You taught me how to love and treat someone with kindness.
I remember when you told me that you love me
I remember the moment you told me you loved me.
And if I knew everything that I know right now back then
If only I knew then what I know now.
You would probably still be with me, boy
We would probably still be together if I knew then what I know now.
Me, boy
It's still me and you, boy.
Lyrics © Ultra Tunes, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHNTA AUSTIN, JERMAINE DUPRI, CEDRIC WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Moneii Mayhem
dedicated to my bestfriend who im in love with sooo much. he was killed this past Christmas eve. said so many things i didnt mean and i just wish i could have another chance
pinky&ren the one
I love this song so much
Shawn D. Dawkins
I like the whole album
Salute to my girl
Kayla Clark
i love This song ❤
gennybaby68
I love love love this song!!!,!
Triple A
😭😭😢😢 Damn I loved this song 💓
Jenee Starks
I love this song so mf much
Alexis King
💙
Tabatha Colvin
this is my sing I turn this sing on all day and it to my 🚼
Wesley Williams
Reminds me of Monica Trenches