MANILA, PHILIPPINES — 2020 was a busy year for Malaysian R&B singer-songwriter Yuna. Not only did she come up with ‘Invisible,’ the unlikely sequel to one of her hit songs, have one of her songs included in Apple Music Malaysia’s 100 best songs, and stream a concert live from one of Asia’s largest aquariums, Aquaria KLCC.
She also released her newest bop ‘Dance Like Nobody’s Watching , ’ her newest single made available in December last year.
And it seems like all her hard work had paid off. Early in January , ‘Dance Like Nobody’s Watching’ hit a million plays on Spotify, with more than 200,000 streams coming from the Philippines.
Good morning! Just finding out my new single Dance Like Nobody's Watching has most streams in the Philippines! Mabuhay!! Anybody has the connect to the radio / TV stations out there let me know lets keep pushing DLNW!! This is just so so cool!#YunaDLNW pic.twitter.com/S5LmYIiknG
— YUNA (@yunamusic) January 15, 2021
A soulful bop, Dance Like Nobody’s Watching – or DLNW – talks about finding peace by being comfortable in one’s skin. It encapsulates the message of fully loving one’s self (without relying on anyone to do so) in a catchy, dancey tune that inspires one to get on their feet and move.
“DLNW is a song about dancing out your heartbreak. It’s based on my personal experience after going through a heartbreak, I never thought about it like that like, hey you can turn on your favourite song and dance your feelings away. I eventually found love for dancing and it was very liberating.”, shares Yuna.
Aside from her initial viral success online, Yuna is also known for her breakout single ‘Crush,’ which was recorded in collaboration with Usher. She then performed in Manila for the first time at Wanderland Music and Arts Festival in 2017.
Yuna also garnered a total of 49.9 million Spotify streams of her music, as seen on her Spotify Wrapped artist figures. At the moment, the Philippines remains the top country to stream DLNW.
I just love this so much. Crazy to think about how your song started and where it ends up playing the most! Top 5 countries for Dance Like Nobody's Watching –
Mabuhay Phillipines!! And also Poland?? 😍I aint even been to Poland!! Hi Poland!! pic.twitter.com/V7EA6iNDJ6— YUNA (@yunamusic) February 1, 2021
There’s a timeless groove to the R&B that Yuna makes. She perfectly crafts soulful pop that contains the sultriness of Sade, the flair of Aaliyah, and the sweetness of Brandy.
There are clear forebears upon her art, but her story is so singular that it’s hard to draw a line in the sand when it comes to Yuna’s lineage in the urban pop spectrum.
In 2020, Yuna splits her time between Kuala Lumpur and Los Angeles. She lists recent inspirations in Post Malone, H.E.R., and Anderson Paak. However, she really does think of herself in her own lane.
“I’ve done this for years and I still feel like I surprise people,” she laughs. “It’s fun because I get to educate people and I don’t feel a pressure to be a certain way. People have to understand that I’m different. Above everything, I’m just a normal human being who loves making music, who believes in something. I don’t feel like I need to conform. I need to be my own person first.”
