Estella Dawn - PRESHOW RITUALS

In this Preshow Rituals segment, the pop artist, Estella Dawn, reveals what she does before taking the stage. You can check out the rituals below:

Oh, absolutely — the chaos is real, but it’s structured chaos.

I always start with a vocal warm-up. If I don’t, there’s a 100% chance I’ll sound like a dying kettle halfway through the first chorus. So I make weird noises for a solid 20–30 minutes: lip trills, hums, weird little vowel sirens — basically, I sound like a malfunctioning printer backstage. It’s not cute, but it works. Then I go through this mental rollercoaster where I’m like, “I got this,” followed by, “Wait… what if I forget all the lyrics and explode?” So I take a few minutes to stretch, breathe, and panic just enough to stay sharp.

Then the fun really begins: I always have to pee right before I go on stage. Even if I just went. It’s like my nervous system says, “Oh, you’re about to do something important? Let’s make it weird.” I also carry this tiny crystal with me — not because I’m deeply woo-woo, but because it’s shiny and helps me pretend I have my life together. And just before I step out, I whisper “let’s go” like I’m walking into the octagon. Is it over-the-top? Maybe. But it works.

Once I hit the stage, the nerves melt into adrenaline, and everything clicks. The lights, the crowd, the sound — it all becomes this focused blur where I feel completely present. But the moments leading up to that? Total chaos meets mini-meditation meets bathroom relay. That’s the ritual. Rock and roll, baby. 😅

Keep up with Estella Dawn on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter.