“I think it’s going to change my life,” said Shalma Eliana, or her current stage name YANA, as we conversed about her going independent. From posting singing covers online to signing on with a major music label to now venturing off on her own, the singer-songwriter now has the pluck and the precocity to brave the days ahead. The next item in her calendar? The launch of her first single as an indie artist, “Keliru”.
Like any good journey, it was not a linear one. YANA was first scouted when she was just 16. She circled back to that conversation at 18 years old and put herself straight to work. From this part of her career, YANA learned the ropes of the industry while making important connections that still carry her through today. But it was after a two-year-long hiatus in London—where she pursued her master’s—that she realised she could take more charge of her story as a singer-songwriter. “It felt right for me to challenge myself in a different kind of way. I realised I was too comfortable when I was in a label,” she revealed. The 26-year-old wasn’t looking a gift horse in the mouth. In fact, she is incredibly grateful for the experience. It’s the very thing that got her to where she is today.
As we approach the release of “Keliru”, YANA is looking at how far she has come. Today, she knows her raison d’être: to be the voice she needs in the world. And it all stems from her younger days, where all that teenage angst and heartache were soothed by simply listening to a good song. She cites Adele’s “Someone Like You” and Alicia Keys’s “No One” as some of her earliest musical memories. “There’s just something in me that connects so well with all these vulnerable songs. It makes me feel like I’m not alone. I’m just having a sad couple of days, but at least I know I’ll be okay,” she noted.
Even then, she understood the power of a song over the heart and mind. “I want to do that for my audience. With my next release, I don’t think I have ever been brave enough to be that brutally honest,” she started. “It’s such a hard song to put out because it’s about me figuring out my identity, so I had to do a lot of soul searching. If I felt like this, then I’m sure there would be people out there who would understand it as well. With my songs, I just want to let people know that it’s okay.”
MAX MARA, Dress
MAX MARA, Dress
The amount of control is also something that YANA is relishing once she puts herself in the driver’s seat. It’s a new kind of thrill, and even though she was tentative at first, she now finds comfort in testing the waters and pushing boundaries. Her favourite part? Being able to do things that might not make sense for others. “I love not having to over-explain myself!” she gushed. It’s a sentiment that many of us understand, even from outside the music industry. It’s the kind of unleashing that, in many ways, can be a catharsis that leads to greater things.
From working on her first independent project, the singer learned to trust her artistic instincts. Not just in her songwriting and production, but also when it comes to concepts and visual executions. “I’m slowly letting go of the fear, because I’m learning to be secure with why I do what I do.”
At 26 years old, YANA is still in the thick of becoming. The anxieties she bore are nothing but a symptom of youth. But already the singer is level-headed beyond her years, determined not to see the forest for the trees. “I try to remind myself that even your career doesn’t define your worth,” she started. “People don’t really talk about how much mental strength it takes to pursue your passions and how you still get back up even though you’re at the point of questioning yourself.” Amidst all the noise, she finds solace in a spiritual way, seeking peace in the quiet, which also becomes one of the ways she finds inspiration.
At press time, “Keliru” is slated for a July release. But if you’re expecting just a single, then you’re in for a surprise. In our probing discussion, YANA revealed that the song is part of an album titled Ruang Rasa. In English, it translates into “a space to feel”, which is very apt for the conversation we were having. Sitting across from me, the singer earnestly stated her position, with very little refrain and without any veneer. She mirrors the very thing she notes when asked about what an icon is. Someone who moves with confidence, without fear of being honest in their emotions. Someone who inspires others, even if it’s just one person.
MAX MARA, Dress
Photography: Ng Joe Ee
Creative Direction & Styling: Joseph Cheng
Art Direction: Nadia Aswardy
Hair: Cody Chua
Makeup: Crystal Fong
Photography Assistant: Ered Wong
Styling Assistants: Lorraine Chai
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