Welcome to Music Friday, when we spotlight songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, YouTube phenomenon Vidya Vox blends Indian classical flavor with pop and electronic punch in her 2017 release, “Diamonds.”
From the very first lines, Vox frames fine jewelry as much more than a fashion accessory — it’s identity, confidence, power and passion.
She sings, “Diamonds and gold / Mehndi and bangles / So beautiful / She moves like an angel / Dance like she don’t got a / Care in the world like / Eh le le le le, le le le lo.”
In the official video, Vox leans into that imagery with a head-turning stack of adornment — gold bangles climbing her wrists, statement rings, a dramatic necklace, diamond nose chain and a “tikka” pendant on her forehead. Even "mehndi" — henna designs painted in intricate patterns on the skin — gets its own shout-out, linking beauty to ritual and artistry.
That connection matters because in many Indian families, fine jewelry is part fashion, part inheritance, part financial security. Gold especially carries a special cultural weight: it’s associated with auspiciousness and prosperity, it’s gifted at milestones and it often becomes a wearable family heirloom — passed down with stories attached. So when “Diamonds” spotlights gold and gems in the same breath as movement and charisma, it’s tapping into something deeper than sparkle: jewelry as status, symbolism and belonging.
“Diamonds” also reflects Vox’s bigger story — building a career by turning cultural fusion into a signature sound. Born Vidya Iyer in 1990 and raised in Virginia after immigrating from India as a child, she carved out her lane online, bypassing the traditional label route and growing her audience directly. Her channel now counts about 7.61 million YouTube subscribers, and the “Diamonds” video sits at roughly 41 million views.
Along the way, collaborations — including work with musician/producer Shankar Tucker — helped shape her East-meets-West style, and touring has turned the “YouTube sensation” label into a real-world stage presence.
Please check out the video of Vox performing “Diamonds.” Featured in the video is British singer-songwriter Arjun Coomaraswamy. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…
“Diamonds”
Written by Shankar Tucker and Vidya Vox. Performed by Vidya Vox.
Diamonds and gold
Mehndi and bangles
So beautiful
She moves like an angel
Dance like she don’t gotta
Care in the world like
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Flames reachin’ high
But can’t touch the fire
Catchin’ her eye
Her burning desire
She know she got it
When she sing her song like
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Look up at the sky
The stars never shine all alone
Tonight is the night
Take a deep breath
Let it go
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Lost in the night
Your rhythm takes over
Flames in the eyes
Keep drawing him closer
Exotic hypnotic she knows
He’s about to move up on her
She got it, she got it
God knows he can’t hold back no longer
Dancing so close
The temperature’s rising
She just don’t know
How sexy that smile is
She knows she’s got it
When she sings the song like
Eh le le le le, le le le lo.
Look up at the sky
The stars never shine all alone
Tonight is your night
Just take a deep breath
Let it go
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le, eh le, eh le, lo
No, no, no, no, (Eh le, eh le, eh le, lo)
Girl, you’re one of a kind (Eh le, eh le, eh le, lo)
I know you’re feelin’ the vibe (Eh le, eh le, eh le, lo)
Just give me tonight (Eh le, eh le, eh le, lo)
It’s the way that you smile (Eh le, eh le, eh le, lo)
Baby, I’m losin’ my mind (Shining like gold)
You gotta be mine
Girl, you’re one of a kind
I know you’re feelin’ the vibe
Just give me tonight
It’s the way that you smile (Don’t shine alone)
Baby, I’m losin’ my mind
You gotta be mine
Girl, you’re one of a kind (Shining like gold))
I know you’re feelin’ the vibe
Just give me tonight (Woah)
It’s the way that you smile
Baby, I’m losin’ my mind
Eh le le le le, le le le lo (Let it go)
Eh le le le le, le le le lo (No)
Eh le le le le, le le le lo (Let it go)
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Eh le le le le, le le le lo
Credit: Screen capture via YouTube / Vidya Vox.