‘Pressure makes diamonds’: How Delta Goodrem found her Power

From performance pressures to serious ill health, Delta Goodrem has faced her share of life’s challenges. Her new fragrance reflects her strength and confidence.

They say that with great power comes great responsibility, and Delta Goodrem is someone who believes that more than most.

Although the stunning singer-songwriter has grown up in the spotlight, she has never felt burdened by her fame, preferring to see success as an opportunity to help others.

“I have always taken on that public life is a responsibility,” Delta says.

“With that comes discipline and also being patient.

“It is a complete honour to have grown up in the public eye and to have shared my journey with so many.

“Those words are how I feel. It is not lost on me that I have had a unique experience, and I don’t take that for granted.”

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Platform to connect

Whether she’s acting, singing or releasing her new fragrance, Power, Delta uses her various creative projects to connect with people.

“All of these aspects of my life feel like they are time portals for people to jump into at any time they want to — be in a moment with me in their life and that’s a beautiful human connection we share,” she enthuses.

“There’s a genuine connection with people that I’m truly grateful for with some people having been on the journey with me since day one and getting to go through life together.”

At first, being centre stage wasn’t an entirely comfortable experience for Delta but, like her personal style and beauty routine, it’s evolved with time.

And today being in front of a crowd is often where she feels her most powerful.

“I’ve found that the more experience I’ve had, the more enjoyable it has become,” she says.

“There is always pressure, but pressure makes diamonds.

“My goals from the day I started have always just been to reach out and to connect with people — from songwriting, performing and being creative in new and different ways.

“Diving into opportunities and experiences bring me joy.”

The scent of Power

One of the opportunities she has grabbed with both hands has been creating her latest fragrance.

The aptly named scent, Power, has been a labour of love for Delta, who has been involved in all aspects of its creation, from the notes of the perfume itself to the bold silhouette of the bottle.

“The word (power) represents an internal feeling rather than something you have over people,” she says of her perfume’s name.

“Strength. Confidence. Empowerment. It’s a knowing of yourself. Power, the fragrance, tells this story.”

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The power of Delta Goodrem

These themes are echoed in her songwriting, too.

Unlike a lot of singers who mostly pen music about heartbreak, Delta’s music is always infused with her trademark optimism.

“I write best when I’m happy and having fun. I don’t actually prefer to write when I’m processing something that is happening,” she says.

As such, recent songs such as The Power and Keep Climbing as well as her breakthrough ballad, Born to Try, encourage listeners to discover the power that comes from change and togetherness.

Delta sings from experience, explaining that the challenges she has faced ultimately helped her to grow in confidence.

One such challenge occurred when she found herself having to relearn to speak after a complication from surgery to remove a salivary gland in 2018.

“Even though it was a challenging and confronting chapter, I learned so much,” she says.

“The experience of going through a communication challenge was another understanding of what some people live with every day.

“It was a time of going back to basics and resetting.

“It was the start of simplifying, getting back to the piano and just sharing my heart.”

Influences that shaped Delta Goodrem

Looking for the silver lining to every situation is classic Delta.

She is similarly philosophical about her 2003 experience with Hodgkin lymphoma.

Delta was just 18 and at the start of her career when she received the life-changing diagnosis.

Thankfully with radiation and chemotherapy, Delta was able to overcome the disease.

Almost 20 years later and cancer patients still reach out to Delta to share their stories.

Although looking back at such a difficult chapter could be painful, Delta understands that as a high-profile survivor, she can be a source of comfort and strength to others.

“When it comes to talking to people who are in the fight, it is a gift to be able to bring some love and light to them in that time,” she says.

Decades earlier, her musical hero Olivia Newton-John had provided that same strength to Delta.

The Grease star, who had undergone treatment for breast cancer, sent Delta a long letter of encouragement.

Delta first met Olivia when she was seven years old and on holiday to New York with her mother, Lea.

That brief encounter would eventually evolve into a deep and lifelong friendship.

“Her kindness and warmth in that first interaction had a profound impact on my life,” Delta says.

“Olivia influenced my earliest years as an evolving artist.

“I was truly blessed to find friendship and mentorship from Olivia.

“Our special moments over the years have been a huge influence on me.”

As well as Olivia, who passed away in August, Delta counts her mother as a guiding hand.

It was Lea who encouraged Delta to always follow her heart and dreams, telling her young daughter that she could do anything in the world “if I put my mind to it and worked hard”.

She was right.

And that attitude has been what makes Delta truly powerful.

Written by Siobhan Duck.