NEW YORK – The talented Greek-American singer, songwriter, and Eurovision Sing for Greece star Victoria Anastasia Arvanitis is preparing to release a new single.
Just a few months ago, we interviewed the beautiful and down-to-earth 25-year-old singer who had just stepped off the Eurovision stage, after competing for the chance to represent Greece.
She ultimately placed in the Top 28 out of almost 270 contestants in Eurovision’s Sing for Greece with her original song ‘Whatcha Doin’ To Me.’
Since then, she has been back in the studio and working hard on new music, including her newest single – and perhaps one of your future new favorite songs – ‘Self Sabotage’, which is set for release on Thursday, June 11.
Ahead of its release, Arvanitis spoke with The National Herald about what inspired the song and how it came about.
The talented singer-songwriter shared that “the song explores that feeling of asking, “Am I protecting myself, or am I self-sabotaging?” “Why is this so hard?” — I think a lot of people can relate to that.” (Photo: Courtesy of Victoria Anastasia Arvanitis)
She explained how ‘Self Sabotage’ was inspired by “another failed dating experience. After it ended, I sat down at the piano with a lot of emotions and started questioning everything. I was asking myself, “What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I find the right person? Am I too picky? Too quick to judge? Should I be giving people more chances,” Arvanitis told TNH.
“But somewhere in the middle of writing the song, I had a realization. I thought, ‘No. I need to trust my gut.’ A lot of the instincts I have now come from lessons I’ve learned the hard way.”
“I’ve ignored red flags before, and those experiences taught me something. At the same time, there’s still a sadness that comes with it. Maybe I am scared by my past experiences? As time goes by, you can’t help but wonder if you’re the problem. That’s really where this song came from – that battle between trusting yourself and questioning yourself.”
Exploring her inspirations for the song further, the singer explained how growing up, she thought she’d be living in her own rom-com – romantic comedy – by now. “I think a lot of us did, and you’ll actually hear a little nod to that in the song.”
“You imagine that by a certain age you’ll have met your person, you’ll have your happy ending, and everything will just fall into place. Then reality looks a little different, and you’re sitting there thinking, “wait… what happened? Where is that kind of love?”
“To be honest, this song is me questioning all of it. Dating, timing, expectations, myself, love – everything. It’s vulnerable, and very real.”
Victoria Anastasia Arvanitis in the studio. (Photo: Courtesy of Victoria Anastasia Arvanitis)
Named after what she felt like she was doing [self-sabotaging], she shared how the name encapsulated the feeling of blaming oneself when something doesn’t work out.
“The song explores that feeling of asking, “Am I protecting myself, or am I self-sabotaging?” “Why is this so hard?” – I think a lot of people can relate to that,” she added.
Although the song came to life a few months ago, Arvanitis noted that “every dating experience, every conversation, every disappointment” in the lead up to and following her experiences helped shape the lyrics to the song.
“I’ve been building it ever since I started dating again,” she said.
“After writing the song at home on my piano, I brought it into the studio with the incredibly talented Michael Piroli and Daniel ‘DJK’ Kaiser.”
“I went in there, showed them the song, ranted to them about my dating life. We laughed and [I] cried. We yapped, ate pizza, and then boom, we started creating, and the song truly came to life.”
The young Greek-American with Polish roots expressed her excitement ahead of the song’s official release, while sharing feelings of joy and nervousness
“I’m really excited, but definitely nervous too. This is one of the most vulnerable songs I’ve ever released. There’s nowhere to hide in it. It’s very honest,” Arvanitis said.
“My biggest hope is that people hear it and feel less alone. Music has always been how I process my emotions and make sense of things, and if this song helps even one person feel understood, then it did its job.”
Singer/songwriter Victoria Anastasia with pianist/arranger Michael Piroli and recording engineer, mixer, and mastering engineer, Daniel “DJK” Kaiser in the studio. (Photo: Courtesy of Victoria Anastasia)
As a song created to represent a current chapter in Arvanitis’ life, she shared how she hopes everyone who listens to the song can take something from it.
“If there’s one thing, it’s that they’re not alone,” she admitted.
“Whether you’re single, heartbroken, frustrated, or starting to lose hope, those feelings are more common than we think. We all go through seasons where we question ourselves.”
“And most importantly, trust yourself. If something feels off, pay attention to that feeling. Your intuition exists for a reason. Sometimes protecting your peace isn’t self-sabotage – it’s self-respect.”
The song will officially release on Thursday, June 11 and be available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and all major streaming platforms.
Teasing at the thought of more shows, Arvanitis noted that people should stay tuned on her social media for upcoming performances, and even a potential EP or album…
To learn more and keep up with the latest on Victoria Anastasia Arvanitis’ music journey, check out @itsvictoriaanastasia on Instagram, Victoriaanastasiamusic on Facebook and @officialvictoriaanastasia on YouTube.
