Matthew Koma has solidified himself as an important voice in pop, both as a singer and songwriter, but his new single sees him leading an important and deeply personal conversation. While you know him for singing on hits like Tiësto's "Wasted" or writing tracks like Zedd's "Clarity," listeners will get to a new level of familiarity with the just-released "Dear Ana." The video details his struggle with eating disorders via a tune that's accessible as it is moving.
On first listen, the Jai Wolf–featuring track may seem like a moody-yet-uplifting electro-pop track about a mysterious "Ana" figure. But when Koma sings, "I'm obsessed with protecting you" and how he's got a "a mouth of diamonds, but the shine, it's counterfeit," it's all referring to years of body image issues. While he's hesitant to put a name to his battle—he refers to his eating problems as "restrictive"—he's spent the last year and half focusing on his health and is now at a place to sing about and share his story. Read below as Matthew Koma details how the song came about, why it was so tough to talk about initially and what else we can expect in the latest chapter of his career.