Yuna

 Her voice is laid back, sultry, and soulful.  Her genre is defined as Indie Rock, but you can hear the influences of folk, electronica, and R&B.  I also love her unique style.

Yuna is an independent singer and song-writer from Kedah, Malaysia.  She started writing her own songs when she was 14 years-old and later learned how to play the guitar.   She has been performing in acoustic shows since 2006.  While participating in the music scene, she was studying law at Universiti Teknologi and graduated with a Bachelors of Legal Studies in 2009.  Her crossover to the US music scene happened in 2011 when she signed with the FADER label.  Her US debut album, self-titled Yuna, was released in 2012  with the single “Live Your Life,” produced by Pharrell.  She is now signed with Verve Music Group and planning new music for 2013.

I stumbled upon her album while sampling music from around the world…a habit I picked up from my DJ college days and have yet to drop.  Every track on this album has a different character.  You can tell the lyrics took a lot of time and feeling to compose.  The melodies are light-hearted, fun, and refreshing at the same time.

I think her style is worth noting as well.  I like to see people use their style as part of their personality.  I love the way she incorporates the hijab with her outfits to have that casual chic look.  She is also a lover of color, like me, which I think she plays with very well.

Her recent album is beautiful.  It is one of those you can enjoy the entire album without skipping any tracks.  My top favorites are “Live Your Life” and “See You Go.”  I highly recommend you check her music out.