Yna tackles “day and night” contradictions in new single “Paradox”

“Music has been the one way to express the things that, ironically, words can’t”, responded Yna in our conversation over Zoom last week. The answer reflects the question of how they incorporate parts of their own identity into music. Whether that would be through the lens of a queer lover, or a perspective on struggling with mental illness, they recognize that these personal aspects are what can make songs so ultimately rewarding. 

The newly Chicago-based artist recently moved to the city for a “fresh new start”, inspired by the DIY scene and local art community. They also cite inspiration from artists and producers like Lizzy McAlpine, Jeremy Zucker, and Frank Ocean: “I love artists whose production is cinematic and ambient and who are really in tune with their lyricism.” 

A Yna song starts with a simple foundation of melody and lyrics before she gets into “production mode” and starts integrating more musical layers. “I want people to hear all of these elements and kind of drown in the soundscape…I was a film major so I was really drawn to soundtracks and I like to imagine how people would feel if this was a movie…I also dance a little bit too so I try to think of instruments in terms of their musicality and how they fit together–it’s kind of like a puzzle to me”. 

Between balancing a 9-5 and her personal life, they mentioned it can sometimes take a month or a few months to get a song to its final form. Their new single “Paradox” was a faster process however, written and produced in a matter of weeks. Born from the frustration of one's own indecisiveness, the track is a stripped down acoustic melody with vocals panning left and right to further emphasize the fluctuating feeling. The singular guitar is purely nostalgic, sitting right inside the bounds of the singer-songwriter genre and evoking what I like to call porch music realness. This minimalistic style is paradoxical in itself compared to her previous styles, and there’s a reason for that: “I wanted people to listen to the lyrics and the story rather than relying on the production” she noted. That being said, I really wanted to pick her brain on a few lines in particular. 

If I can't figure myself out can anybody?: 

“I was just thinking a lot about being a burden. I realized more recently when I became more in tune with myself that I hated how being a contradiction to myself could affect my relationships with other people…If I can’t figure myself out and that’s so frustrating I wouldn’t want to put that on anyone else. It’s kind of like a call for help to have someone understand me and hoping that they also understand what it’s like to feel like a paradox.” 

What a conflict of nature I’ve become: 

“It’s a question I always ask myself…why am I always a contradiction? Why am I such a paradox? How did I become this person? I think it was a sense of frustration with myself… writing that lyric was a way for me to really express like ‘wow what a conflict of nature I really have become.’” 

While it was initially supposed to be released months into the future, they decided to release this single early “for the sake of the song” and with hopes that it would resonate with others struggling with the same feelings. The rawness in a track like “Paradox” truly creates space for Yna and listeners alike to feel a little more vulnerable and a lot less alone. 

“I do want to shout out Sophie Chevako who directed the music video with me, Judii and Dayana for being part of the video, my partner Cee, our engineers and entire crew, and Sloane for being the coolest manager ever,” they added. “I’m so grateful and I wouldn’t have been able to come up with this final product if not for the love and support from them.” 

You can catch Yna at their upcoming shows this fall in Chicago, and be sure to keep an eye out for new releases in the future!