Across the Yunaverse: Yuna on making music her way

It’s an especially endearing sentiment coming from someone who has collaborated with other international stars like G-Eazy and Pharell Williams–someone whose breakout singles have topped the Billboard charts more than once, and whose dream-like vocals have featured on hit TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Arrow and Pretty Little Liars.

It’s no surprise to anyone that Yuna is a musical superstar. But what’s fascinating is how down-to-earth this star has remained after more than 10 years in the make-it-or-break-it music industry.

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“I think my character is very easy-going, and so is the way I make music. I meet people, and I'm like ‘Come lah, let’s make music together.’ Even when I started, I never felt like I had to be a certain kind of artist or appear a certain way,” she says. “When I moved to Los Angeles, it was something new, of course, and I had to bounce ideas with the people I worked with and we would mash our different experiences and cultures together and see what we came up with. It's been that way for me till today. Wherever I go, I tell people I am Malaysian, and I educate them about my country, its background and food. Being Malaysian doesn't necessarily mean I have to add the gamelan in every single song or wear a baju kurung when I perform. My words, my singing, my voice–it’s all Malaysian and every once in a while, it’s cool to borrow bits and pieces from the culture and music I grew up with here in Malaysia and use it in our production.”

Though not without her share of setbacks and challenges, Yuna’s international success as an artiste made a bold statement in the industry challenging the notion that one had to conform to a certain image or look to win fans and cut albums. 

It was guts, sheer talent and an innate stubbornness that saw her through those scathing early days as a twenty-something musical hopeful being told by record label executives: “Yuna, no one’s gonna listen to your English songs anyway,” or “Look around you. Who do you know that’s wearing a hijab and singing pop songs?”

“When I heard that, I was like ‘Me! I’m nabbing success in the indie scene. In my head I thought, why am I listening to them?” Yuna recalls. “I know my songs are good enough. I was not on board with what they were asking me to do. I wish I could tell more younger artists out there, if it doesn’t feel right, just walk away.”

Though her stubborn streak certainly helped, it didn’t mean she was immune to criticism or the fear of letting people down early on in her career.

“I was maybe 19 or 20. I was a college student, not a celebrity. I didn’t know how to handle the newfound fame I was getting. I would see gossip blogs saying ‘What is Yuna doing, who is she dating right now', and all these crazy things. When I went to the US, I wanted to start writing about real things that I was going through, like breakups and all. But then I thought, if I write this about break-ups, what will my fans in Malaysia think? I kept worrying about what people would say. But I overcame that fear in time. I decided ‘I’m going to write whatever I want and see where that takes me. Alhamdulillah, it’s been really good and I think I outgrew that fear. It only took me about five years (laughs).”

On top of writing music that’s true to herself, she dresses in similar fashion–experimenting with different looks and taking inspiration from her surroundings. “As long as I’m comfortable and confident in wearing something, I’ll just go for it,” she says. “It’s evolved through trial and error over a long time. I’ve definitely had moments where I see photos that people have taken of me and I’m like, ‘Yeah, no. Let’s not do that ever again.’ Especially with hijab styling, right? It’s tricky. Sometimes when I try something different, it doesn’t work. So then I try something else. In LA there’s a certain style, in New York it’s more metropolitan with oversized jackets and leather boots, that’s more my style. I see what looks good on other people and see how I can borrow their style and make it mine.”

Commenting on how far the music industry has come by way of diversity and inclusivity, Yuna offers a reassuring perspective. “After working in the US for over 10 years and releasing five albums, I see the industry is changing. I used to wonder who would listen to my music, and I didn’t know if people were going to like me. Then I started touring and people started showing up at my shows. I would go to Milwaukee and play for 200 people, selling out a venue. Even if it was just 200 people, I was like ‘I have 200 fans in Milwaukee, listening to my music?’ It was the craziest thing.” 

She adds: “People are open to the idea of hearing a Muslim girl who sings. Today, I see a lot of hijabi artists. There’s this one girl who goes by the name of ‘Nemahsis’. She’s like the Gen Z-era girl who’s kind of brooding, cool, doesn’t smile–but hijabi! And she’s an amazing singer and songwriter. So there’s definitely a space for musicians who look like me now and there is something for everyone.

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