iann dior has never been one to stay in one lane. The emo-rap artist has pushed boundaries in music and beyond since breaking through with his multi-platinum 2020 hit “Mood” alongside 24kGoldn. With over 3.7 billion streams and collaborations with Gunna, Lil Baby, Lil Uzi Vert, and Machine Gun Kelly, dior has cemented himself as a force in the industry. Now, he’s entering a new chapter with Nothing’s Ever Good Enough II, the follow-up to his 2019 breakout project, Nothing’s Ever Good Enough.

Reflecting on his growth since the first installment, the Puerto Rico-born, Texas-raised rapper acknowledges personal and artistic evolution. “It’s been quite a journey,” he says. “I was put in a lot of different situations, got to tour with a lot of cool people, and make a lot of cool music. But I think now I’m kinda just, like, falling into, like, I don’t know, just giving the realest product that I can give people for myself and just being super genuine. So, I’d say from then to now, I definitely gotten to know myself a lot more.”

With this new project, the 25-year-old aimed to evolve his sound while staying true to his experiences. “The first one was just me creating where I was at in that moment at that time. And I guess now is the same thing except evolving it and making sure that I’m not creating backward, just creating a new sound for myself,” he tells BET.

This time, he involved his fans more in the creative process. “We made a lot of songs to try to kinda curate this, and I involved my fans in the process of it, which was really cool, that we didn’t do last time,” Wanting a fresh approach, dior turned to Twitch to connect with supporters. “Not to be, like, a streamer or anything because that’s not really me, but more so to just, like, ‘Hey guys, I’m going live in here. If you guys wanna hang out and talk and get to know each other, then let’s do that.’”

Through Twitch, dior and his fans set a goal—1,000 subscribers in exchange for Nothing’s Ever Good Enough II dropping before an album. “They held their part of the bargain, and I held mine,” he says. Streaming also helped him rediscover his passion for music. “I kinda just stopped having fun making music, and I think it just got to a point where it was like, why am I doing this still? And they were the reason why.” Inspired by creators like Kai Cenat, Adin Ross, and FaZe Clan, dior saw streaming as a way to deepen his connection with fans while reminding himself why he started.

Looking ahead, dior has a few dream collaborations in mind, and at the top of his list is singer-songwriter Mk.gee. "Mk.gee is my favorite artist right now. I love how creative he is, and the direction that he's taking it in feels super nostalgic but so new," he says. Another longtime dream collaboration for dior is J. Cole, who played a pivotal role in his personal and artistic journey. "J. Cole took me out of a dark situation in life and kinda guided me through that without even knowing. To this day, I still think that J. Cole would be a dream collab of mine," he adds.

dior returns to the stage in March for his first headline tour since before the pandemic. "I haven't toured a headline tour in the U.S. since right before COVID hit. I'm just going out there to have fun and get back to where I was," he explains. He's also planning an interactive live stream where "the cameras don't turn off the whole time," giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at life on the road.

Beyond music, fashion has always been dior’s first love and a defining part of his identity. Growing up, he remembers his father never understanding why he spent every paycheck on clothes. “I'd work a job, spend my whole two weeks' worth of earnings, and buy a pair of shoes. And my dad had always questioned it. He's like, ‘Why do you spend all your money on one thing?’” For dior, clothing was more than just material—it was a way to express himself without words.

Now, he's bringing his vision to life with a brand he's worked on for some time. “The whole meaning behind the brand is there's levels to life. And when you put this clothing on, you feel like you're in the top tier. It makes you feel like the man,” he explains. dior wants his brand to reflect his belief that style is confidence, ensuring those who wear his designs feel empowered.

Rather than working with big fashion houses, dior is more drawn to independent designers and emerging brands. “I definitely wanna work with Torn Vision. That’s my brother’s brand, and I'd love to just sit down and curate some stuff with him,” he says. He also focuses on brands like Hellstar and Dreamboard, valuing collaborations that foster creative growth. “I wanna do things with those people that are coming from nothing because I know what that feels like. And if I could be a part of something big that's not anything yet, that's where I wanna be.”

As dior embarks on this new chapter, both musically and in fashion, one thing remains clear—he’s determined to evolve on his terms.