Guest writer Richie explores why Daya is hiding away from the Columbia campus.

Besides the academic resources the Ivy League is known for, we also find our institutions hosting plenty of concerts. This fall, artist Daya added two more schools to her Ivy League tour. Now, you may be asking, “who is Daya, and why should we care?” I guarantee that you know at least one of her songs: “Don’t Let Me Down,” “Sit Still Look Pretty,” or “Hideaway.” Now, what matters is less so her popularity, but the fact she still hasn’t come to Columbia. 

Her presence has already graced half of our Ivy peers: Harvard, Princeton, UPenn, and Cornell. So, why hasn’t she visited Columbia, which is so conveniently located in New York City? Other colleges claim that she makes a great college performer due to the relatability of her lyrics. 

Let’s analyze some of them to see if Columbia students just don’t relate.

“Crashin’, hit a wall / Right now, I need a miracle” 

Now, I don’t know about you, but in those four a.m. nights where I have slammed 3 Celsius and a shot of MiO, I feel this lyric to my core.

“Where do the good boys go to hide away, hide away?” 

If you want to know why this lyric is applicable, just look at the Columbia Confessions Instagram page. There is PLENTY there. 

“Don’t let me down” 

The other day I saw the line to get into Barnard extend quite literally into the street like they were trying to bridge to the other side of the sidewalk. I’ve also tried almost every dining hall here. These are just a few of the moments that come to mind when I hear this lyric.

All her other lyrics fall into the same relatability, that is, besides one.

“I’m never gonna be that girl / Who’s living in a Barbie world” 

Could Daya be referring to great alum, Greta Gerwig? While this song was released years before the Barbie movie, perhaps the animosity has carried over. My theory is that Daya auditioned or tried to include one of her songs in the Barbie movie, only to be rejected by the hand of Greta Gerwig. She ended up fulfilling her own prophecy of the song. Because of that rage, she has decided to swear off performing at Columbia for the near future. We may have to wait for the anger to die out before these lyrics can grace our ears in person. This is the only reasonable theory that has come to mind. There just can’t be any other reason she hasn’t performed at our institution. No, I will not be accepting criticism.

So until she comes, we may just have to settle for overpriced tickets and functions with a few too many bodies.

Image via WikimediaCommons and Bwog Staff