Love This Track recently had the pleasure to speak to the incredibly talented Malaysian singer-songwriter, Yuna. Fresh off her sold-out tour in Europe, Yuna has become an international household name.
Back in May, she released her third studio album Chapters, which lead single “Crush” is #2 on the UAC Charts and the video has gained over 16 million views on YouTube. Born and raised in Malaysia, the singer-songwriter started out writing songs at young age and taught herself to play the guitar. She later signed to US Indie-Pop Fader record label in 2011 where she released her debut US EP, Decorate.
Since that journey, the singer has been nonstop with making music, creative visuals, performing around the world, & even dabbing in different ventures. She’s currently the face of Uniqlo, has been featured on Forbes 30 under 30, Nylon’s music issue, New York Magazine, Billboard, has her own clothing store, November Culture and just released a new clothing line titled Hatta x Yuna.
The singer is currently on the second leg of her U.S. “Chapters” Tour. Get the remaining dates information here.
On Musical Journey : “When I was 19, I started writing music, before that I was a singer. I also learned how to play the guitar and piano. After writing, sharing my music online, and performing in Malaysia, my songs got picked up by the local radio. A couple years after that, I got an offer to go to Los Angeles and work with producers.”
On Signing To A US Label: “Working with the Fader Label was exciting for me, it was my first time signing to a label. I was an independent artist back home and doing a lot of Malaysian music. Working with the Fader Label allows me to work on and release my English songs in the US. They put in the studio with Pharrell and they released my first album.”
On working with Usher: “It was cool. When I first met him, I didn’t want to encroach into his space and wanted to be respectable of him. When I wrote “Crush,” it felt like something was missing and ask him to be on the project & he said yes. He was super supportive, easy to work with and very professional. I look up to him and admire his professionalism.”
Artists She Wants To Work With: “I love Sia, I think she’s amazing, ColdPlay, and Beyonce, which I think I could definitely work with her and write her a song. I’m an artist but I’m mainly a songwriter. I’m definitely down to write for other people.”