If You Really See Me
Photographed by Hannah Siegfried
Photography: Hannah Siegfried
Interview: Michelle Varinata
Love it or hate it, Instagram has become a hotbed for young talent who want to break the Internet. Whether it’s a few thousands, half a million, or even a million followers amassed, the majority of budding music stars are committed to becoming noticed regardless of where they live. So with a significant message, influential connections, and opportune discovery on the app, anything is possible, just take it from singer/songwriter Ysa Yaneza.
You may have seen her ten years ago growing up, living out a dream for Disney Channel Asia's New Year. But today, she is known for releasing eye-catching artistic music videos inspired by bubble gum pop of the early 2000s. Yaneza uses her music as a platform to speak up for the LGBTQ+ and comment on our obsession with past and present technology. Although it seems like she’s been living in the United States for a long time, the Filipina-born musician is actually based in Singapore, where it’s better known for housing millionaires than artists.
Michelle Varinata: You grew up in Singapore, but [you] are from a Filipino background. As someone who grew up in two completely different cultures, what are some challenges you’ve faced? Did you feel that it prepared you for living in the US?
Ysa Yaneza: Definitely. So, we are a minority here [and] it’s just like I [was] forced to adapt to the environment at a very young age. Being in Singapore, it's a diverse country [and] when I moved to the US for college, which is even more diverse, I’m also a minority.
MV: I see. I’m glad that you are able to adapt to it really well. It must feel really trippy for someone who’s literally like, fresh off the boat.
YY: I mean, growing up in Singapore, I already had an American accent. I don’t know where it came from. Probably from watching too many TV shows from the US [laughs].
MV: Ha! Same here. Did you go to an American school?
YY: No, I went to a local school.
MV: Wow!
YY: I would switch to a Singaporean accent [if] someone is talking in a Singlish accent. But, when you are talking to me right now, it automatically goes to American.
MV: Why did you move to Chicago among all the American cities you could’ve chosen?
YY: I applied to a bunch of schools and Chicago was one of the schools that accepted me in the end. I mean, it was more of a realistic choice in terms of tuition fees. But besides that, I heard good things about Chicago. I had a bunch of friends who applied to Columbia College Chicago, specifically, and I wanted to be exposed to the arts.
MV: I see. I realize that in Singapore, we’re surrounded by mainly American, British, Korean and Chinese music. Although we’re in an international melting pot, it’s such a paradox that Western music dominates our lives. As an artist, how do you feel about this?
YY: I think it’s a diverse place for music. It could get even more diverse. There could be more opportunities for everyone. Right now, [what's]dominating is the English and the Chinese music industry. Maybe it has something to do with the population – the majority is mostly Chinese. Maybe it’s the geography. So, of course, we have music from Taiwan or China [that] is selling so well here. But other [music] like Malaysian acts or other acts from other countries … it has potential.
MV: I guess that maybe the fact that our country has the history of being colonized by the British and that Western influence has sort of seeped through, right?
YY: For me, I am so used to it because I grew up in Singapore and everything around me was mostly [in] English. It’s also the first thing I noticed. I actually was born in the Philippines and moved here when I was six-years-old and I remember that I had to switch to English-speaking because I recall that I was speaking Tagalog, my native mother tongue. That was my first memory when I moved here. I was told I had to speak in English. I was only a child, and I guess looking back it's just about respecting the place that you're in, do what the Romans do, [so to speak]. I don't know.
MV: It's great that we're from a multicultural society, but I do realize now, compared to the rest of the world, not just in Singapore, but in the US, I do feel that the LGBTQ+ community finally went mainstream. I also just realized that a handful of mainstream artists like Miley Cyrus and Halsey talk about bisexuality in songs. You talk about it in your single “Tea." How did that become a topic in your music?
YY: I wrote that when I was a teenager. I’m at an age [now] where [as] a young adult … as a woman, I was really coming to terms with my sexuality. I really just wanted to focus on love. For the music video, I decided to work with a director who wanted to take things to another level. I like the concept. I went for what he saw in "Tea", and yeah.
MV: I saw the music video and it was cool. The music video must’ve been shocking for some people in Singapore. Would you agree with that?
YY: So, when I was conceptualizing the video, I was in Chicago. I didn’t think it was controversial maybe because I was in art school and same-sex relationships were normal to me. I didn’t think that anything was wrong with it. It was only when I came back to Singapore during my summer break, my mom asked me [what it was] and I explained that it was an artistic choice. I respect her view, but then, this is my view, and this is my work. It was interesting that it was only when I came back that I realized that it was not actually a mainstream [outlook] here yet.
MV: That’s so true though! I feel that so many families in Singapore are not accepting about their children being gay. I felt it around [here] and I have friends who can’t come out because of their families.
YY: They’re trying to stick to tradition. It’s kind of changing, but I don't know. It’s a church thing. [But,] I’m all for the LGBTQ+ community for sure.
MV: I’m glad that you support it. I feel like the LGBTQ+ community is starting to become a really strong movement in Singapore.
YY: For the past ten years I’ve been attending Pink Dot. Since I was 15-years-old!
MV: Wow!
YY: I remember my views on LGBTQ+ was kind of different when I was 15-years-old. All I knew was that my friend’s gay, [so] I will be here to support them. Now, I feel like it’s a higher … I feel like [I have] a larger purpose now to attend Pink Dot.
MV: Right. How did you get introduced to the LGBTQ community?
YY: It was mainly through friends coming out to me. And it was something that I didn't know was a thing until it was explained to me. I did grow up in Asia, and it's not as easy for people to come out here in general so, I only found out through close relationships.
MV: So what made you want to create your sound around that atheistic of the '80s and '90s?
YY: From the beginning it was always synths that got to me. Whenever I hear synths, I get very into the song. And also in a way, this is my introduction to me. I was born in the '90s, I watched teen movies, and this [sound] was my introduction to the music scene! [laughs]
MV: If there's any, which teen movie would you watch on repeat?
YY: It's probably Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and maybe that's why I moved to Chicago! [laughs]
MV: What made you relate to movie characters?
YY: I realized in the '80s, in the lyrics [musicians] love to mention the word “radio” or “television”, and that's actually something that I wanted to apply to my music. But the thing is, radio and television aren't really a common device that we use anymore. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm always talking about texting, especially in this upcoming song that I have called "Max", about online dating. For me, it's a really good way of documenting things.
MV: Do you feel like our generation is becoming too tech dependent?
YY: I don't know how I feel about it, but I definitely reflect on it in my songs. I have a song coming out reflecting on online dating and just how reality is different from the life [that] we have on the Internet.
MV: So true. Especially the things that people do for Instagram.
YY: I think for me, it's a fun thing. Getting to express ourselves in the best way possible, you know? Why not? It's like making your own magazine of yourself. I mean it's your account, it's your life, and you should just have fun with it. I think you should only take it seriously when it's causing problems in your relationships.
MV: I also saw that you're a producer. Was this something that you always wanted to do?
YY: It really started as a hobby. It was around 2013 - 2014. I was just playing around with music software. I had a lot of friends in Chicago who were doing music and would ask a lot of questions on how to do [something], and then I would just go back to my dorm and kind of just experiment. I started to take it seriously in 2015. That's when I told myself, "Okay I'm going to seriously release my music now," because I should do something.
MV: I'm glad that you're taking chances with your opportunities and really making the most of your talents. Do you have anything coming up in the New Year?
YY: I'll probably drop an EP next year. I'm still working on it, but in 2019, there will be more music. It's been really challenging. Trends are changing and I thought singles would be the best way to go, but I've just been noticing how people get their music. It's really playlist: Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. That's how people listen to music nowadays. It was interesting to learn about how people have changed the way they consume things.