Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Yunalis Zara'ai, aka Yuna, has come a long way since her MySpace days and her 2012 Pharrell Williams-produced self-titled debut. While her early materials exist mostly in the dreamy realm of folk-infused indie-pop, her subsequent output has crossed over into the R&B/hip-hop territory in a way that not many pop upstarts could pull off (her third international studio album, Chapters, welcomes guest appearances from some of the biggest names in R&B like Usher and Jhené Aiko).
Now, after a four-year hiatus following her marriage and relocation to Los Angeles, the 32-year-old singer-songwriter returns with her latest offering Rouge. Speaking about the record, Yuna has likened it to the colour red ("It's the colour of becoming this woman I am") because it represents how content she is with life ("I'm comfortable with my relationship, with my focus on my career"). Listening to this 11-track collection, it's clear that this is the voice of someone completely at ease with herself.
In fact, Yuna's swagger is on full display here whether it's on the funky G-Eazy-guested lead single Blank Marquee ("Who are you without me? You're just a blank marquee/ Trying to cop my steez/ Get your own POV") or the girl-power disco anthem Pink Youth, which features English rapper Little Simz ("They ain't ready for this pink youth/ We come up to fight/ Like diamonds shining in the sky/ Girls like you and I). The album's most poignant moment, however, manifests itself in the form of Likes, a collaboration with emerging rapper Kyle in which she essentially vents about her struggle as a Muslim woman/female artist.
Elsewhere, we're treated to a handful of mid- to slow-tempo R&B tracks ((Not) The Love Of My Life, Teenage Heartbreak, Amy, Does She). This is where fans can perhaps breathe a sigh of relief since these tracks boast the production that feel somewhat familiar. The album comes to a stunning close with Tiada Akhir, a Malay-language piano ballad set to the sound of background rainfall.
Quotable lyrics: "Let me leave another comment out of spite/ Let's hope I get more likes" (Likes).
Listen to this: Castaway, Pink Youth, Likes, Does She, Tiada Akhir.
THE PLAYLIST
Violent Femmes / I'm Nothing
Given the current political (correctness) climate, it seems fitting that legendary American folk-punk outfit Violent Femmes would feel inclined to re-record I'm Nothing, a track off their 1994 sixth studio album New Times. This new version, done in a collaboration with iconic skateboarder Stefan Janoski (he also contributes to the vocals here), coincides with the launch of Nike SB's Violent Femmes-themed sneakers and comes with rollicking electric guitar riffs. "Are you a Republican or a Democrat?/ A Liberal Fascist full of crap … Are you a gay or are you straight? Do you believe in love, or do you believe in hate?/ I'm nothin', I'm nothin', " frontman Gordon Gano and Janoski harmonise, giving labels a giant middle finger.
Ammy The Bottom Blues (Feat. Na Polycat) / Sieo
Thai singer-songwriter Ammy The Bottom Blues has enlisted Polycat vocalist Na for Sieo, the debut cut with his new label ME Records. Inspired by the perspectives of "underdogs and losers", the mid-tempo song draws influences from the 60s and 70s and revolves around Polycat's favourite theme of puan pra eak (a protagonist's sidekick). "In the script of your love story, I'm only an extra," Ammy begins, followed by a bridge sung by Na: "The more I dream about it, the more it gets further and further/ Away from your heart." All well and good, although sieo, which in Isan dialect means "friend" or "buddy", might not be the best choice for a song title.
Rosalía / Aute Cuture
Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalía is going full-blown pop with Aute Cuture, a clap-trap jam that gives the haute couture culture a razz it occasionally deserves. Set to a campy mélange of flamenco, reggaeton and other strains of Latin pop, the track is an infectious earworm much in the same manner of its predecessor Con Altura. "Hands in the air if you've been ripped off," she sings, calling to arms those who have succumbed to overpriced fashion before proceeding to pair sangria with Valentino and "el Palace" with "el chino". Does that make any sense? Oh, who cares, this is a hoot!
Yellow Days / It's Real Love
UK singer-songwriter George Van Den Broek returns with a new single under his solo project Yellow Days called It's Real Love. For the uninitiated, Van Den Broek has been showcasing his knack for fusing carefree, jazz-infused indie-pop with confessional songwriting since 2016. The following years saw him consistently churning out gems including 2017's Is Everything OK In Your World EP and last year's breakthrough hit The Way Things Change -- both of which deal with general well-being and mental health. With It's Real Love, however, he's taking a romantic route, singing in his signature drawl about being well and truly smitten: "Many people don't know/ That when you feel love in your soul/ Well, you feel it… Take control/ And a love that's true."
Oscar Scheller, Lily Allen / 1%
No, this is not an Occupy Wall Street protest song. Quite the contrary, 1% is largely inspired by UK producer Oscar Scheller's conversation with a girl who was taking ages to reply when his phone battery was on 1%. Yes, the modern-day low-battery anxiety now has a song dedicated to it and it happens to be quite lovely. "I wish you stood in front of me/ But you're behind a white screen … Three dots, well, they can mean anything," Scheller rues, only to have Allen shooting him down during the second verse ("One of these days you'll push me to my limits/ You're gonna spoil it for both of us, won't you just please give in"). Man, modern romance is tough.
