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[title]'I've always wanted to collaborate with Coldplay, but it's not happening yet,' laughs Yuna, 'and I am not even close.' Contrary to what she believes, there's probably no local musician better placed to emulate Rihanna and share a track with Chris Martin than the Alor Setar native, who moved to America nearly three years ago after signing a record deal with New York-based indie-pop label Fader.
In fact, her dalliance with the London alt-rock giants dates back to the mid-2000s, when she described her music as 'a cross between Mary Poppins and Coldplay' on her MySpace page. 'I'm stuck with that,' bemoans the now-LA-based 27-year-old with a chuckle. 'It's going to haunt me forever!'
Beyond her dream of working alongside the 'Yellow' hit-makers and coming up with an updated description for her music, Yuna chats to us about her latest LP 'Nocturnal', the rise of K-pop, and the responsibilities that come with being a Malaysian icon abroad.
With all the hype resulting from your well-received self-titled international debut in 2012, was it tough to follow up that success with 'Nocturnal'?
It wasn't difficult at all. With the last album, I travelled a lot - I was in the UK then I flew back to LA to work with different producers. It was really relaxed this time around. I kind of laid down my roots and made a conscious effort to have fixed working times. The songwriting was really swift; I wasn't struggling to write or anything like that.
You mentioned 'home'. Do you call LA home now?
Not really. Home, to me, is where I am and where I feel most comfortable. Obviously, Malaysia is home. In LA, my home is my apartment because that's my Malaysia. That's where I can cook my Malaysian dishes and just be myself, my Malaysian self. That's where I can sweep my floor with my Malaysian bamboo broom. I wouldn't really call LA home, but when I am in America, LA is where I am most comfortable.
Any plans to return full-time to Malaysia?
I'll be in LA most of the time because I am signed to Verve [Music Group], which is my first major label deal. My label understands that I am really attached to Malaysia, that I come home a lot. And I always try to have some projects here in Malaysia. A lot of people don't really know that I am based in LA because of work. They just think I am there to study [laughs]. I am there as a working artist. I need to cover the whole country to do promotional work on the East and West Coast, so I have to stay there. For instance, I wanted to come back [to KL] for my birthday, but I got an offer to perform on 'Conan' to promote my album.
It was your second time on that talk show, right?
Yeah. Stuff like that is always happening, so I have to be there.
You've played 'The Tonight Show' and high profile festivals like SXSW as well. Is there a gig in particular that has resonated with you?
I had a lot of fun performing at Lollapalooza in Chicago [in 2012].
Was it then that you realised you'd made it?
It was definitely surreal sharing a flyer with someone like Florence and the Machine. It's cool to know that they are open to new artists and sounds.
Do you think the perception of Asian artists in America has changed?
Just look at K-pop - who would've expected American fans to embrace it? It's really cool to be one of those artists who can break through the American market. I'm not trying to conquer America; I just want to make music and see if people like it. I think it's possible for Malaysian acts to break through, but they just need to work a bit harder. They just need to focus.
Is that lack of focus and hard work holding us back?
The younger artists are braver, but I am afraid that without the right amount of support they will slowly lose their confidence as they grow older. I came out when the independent scene here was booming. Everyone was making their own music and supporting each other to push music overseas. Right now, the independent scene has gotten a bit slow, and I'm not sure if there are enough gigs out there to promote Malaysian talent. Hopefully the new talents will find their way into the international market. First, you have to start gathering fans from home. Then, if [the support] is strong enough, they will carry you forward to where you want to be. That is what happened to me.
Do you feel the pressure of being a role model for Malaysians trying to break into the international market?
I don't see it as a burden. It's not like a responsibility, but you can't run away from that. I feel very honoured and humbled to have people think, 'If Yuna can break through, then why can't we?' It takes a lot of work, but I tell people to just have that focus. Always be humble and a learner, practice and do research. I don't see myself as the big sister, but if they come to me for advice, then of course I will share my experience. It'd be such a waste if I don't share that.