Tropicana September-October 2022 #144 The Home Issue

TROPICANA MAGAZINE
YUNA’S
HIGH FIVE
The global pause caused by the
pandemic was a blessing in disguise
for superstar Yuna
Yuna will release her fifth album, Y5, in the form
of four EPs and a final album throughout 2022.
The 35-year-old is recording the songs in stages
and will be releasing the new music in bite-sized
collections, which will allow each track to be
memorable in its own right. The first, titled Y1, was
released in March and featured three songs: Hello,
Pantone 17 13 30, and Cigarette.
Although the pandemic presented challenges
for musicians, the situation was beneficial for
homegrown songstress-turned-international
superstar, Yuna. Finding herself no longer
in constant motion helped the musician in
re-balancing her priorities and redefined how
Yuna wishes to approach her career as a musician
going forward. After spending 10 years on the
road, particularly in the US where she is based
in Los Angeles, Yuna returned home to Kuala
Lumpur in March 2020 for 18 months.
Because she had nothing much to do, the
alternative R&B artist turned her father’s office
into a studio and taught herself how to produce
music. “It was like the first few months when I
realised that I learnt how to write songs,” Yuna
recalls. “I discovered something new about
myself, that I can produce. And now I can write,
and I don’t have to depend on anyone else for
music.
"I was streaming my studio sessions for my fans
on Twitch and I kept thinking, ‘How do I want to
release this album? Do I want to keep it a secret
and two years later we have an album?’ I decided
I can’t do that anymore. There’s something very
powerful about being an independent artist and
knowing I can do this my own way.”
The second, Y2, which dropped two months later
featured three more songs: Girl U Used to Know,
24hours, and Make a Move. Yuna’s outstanding
path from aspiring musician to established artist
and producer is evident on Y5, an album that
marks the beginning of a new chapter in her career.
“Making this album takes me back to that time
when I was an independent artist making music in
my bedroom in Malaysia,” Yuna reflects. “To come
from Malaysia and be able to build a career out of
my music is incredible. I’ve been making music for
15 years, but I’m still learning.
"Now, I want to focus on making things that make
me happy, instead of the things that make me
stressed out. I want to find that balance. With this
new album, I feel reborn as an artist.” Apart from
her innovative new release strategy, Yuna has long
been a fashion trendsetter, using her influence to
talk about biased beauty standards in Asia and
making modest attire more stylish.
She has even garnered the attention of luxury
fashion house Chanel, which extended an invitation
to her to attend the Spring/Summer 2020 runway
show at the Grand Palais in Paris. High five, Yuna!
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