Yuna to the fore, hijab and all

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s most famous singing export, Yuna, is revelling in the attention she is receiving on American radio with her latest single, “Crush”, a duet with renowned R&B artiste Usher.

However, the interest in Yuna, whose full name is Yunalis Mat Zara’ai, is not just for her songs, but also for her image.

Referring to reports in the United States calling her a poster girl for hipsters who wear the hijab, the San Francisco Chronicle asked her if it was a role she had planned to take on.

“They highlight the fact that I’m Muslim, and I am not afraid to say it too. I know many artistes don’t admit to it.

“However, as a musician, it doesn’t matter what faith you believe in.

“My religion is a private matter and I don’t discuss it, but because I practice it with my image, it starts a conversation and I respect that,” Yuna told the daily.

Despite having a law degree and coming from a conservative family, Yuna says there are no expectations from her parents for her to get a regular job and leave her music career.

“My parents are really happy for me. They know I am conservative too, but modern. Most importantly, they understand what I am trying to do out here,” Yuna said, according to the Chronicle, who spoke to her recently on the success of “Crush”, which was taken from her upcoming third album, “Chapters”.

Clarifying that not all Muslim women in Malaysia wear the hijab, Yuna admitted though that there is pressure on her from both the Western world and the Muslim world.

“I know that I am the only person doing this, the pressure is coming from both sides and I am in the middle. But when you have the greatest parents in the world, it’s easy to handle it,” she said.

The Alor Setar-born singer will turn 30 on Nov 14 and is relishing the new decade she is about to enter in her life.

“I want to embrace it, as a new person. I don’t want to hold back, in the way I write, the way I sing, the way I see things.

“I want to show the fans that I am not 19 anymore, because I think many of my fans still think I’m a baby, and it’s kind of weird.

“I look young and what experiences I have had in the past means I can’t just stay the way I was when I first came out here,” Yuna told the Chronicle, referring to the 10 years she has spent building her music career.

She added that what she had learnt, how she had grown and all the experiences, good and bad, went into the making of her new album “Chapters”.

“I learned so much from the things I’m proud of and the things I regret, my mistakes. I felt it would be good to collect all of this and just put it into something positive,” she said, according to the Chronicle.

Yuna’s third studio album, “Chapters” will be released on May 20, 2016 on Verve Records and aside from Usher, it also features collaborations with Jhene Aiko and DJ Premier.