Authenticity isn’t easy, but YAZ is putting everything into her new era whether it’s easy or not. With her latest single, “Difficult” peeling back the layers of her own personal life lyrically, YAZ told us how she’s all about making music that validates people, because that’s what validates her.
Talking about her new sound, influencer-turned-music artist YAZ told us, “this EP is a lot more personal and real to me.” Kicking it all off with “Difficult,” she’s opening up to her audience in a way that’s really raw, but also really valuable. “Songs like “Difficult” are really important,” YAZ explained, “because it talks about that weird relationship we have with doing things for ourselves.”
Here’s what happened when we sat down with YAZ to find out the inspiration behind her latest single, “Difficult,” what’s inspiring her new era, and more.
You’ve called your latest single ‘Difficult’ your “realest, most self-aware song yet.” Is that something you’re actively trying to bring to your music more?
“When I first started writing music, I was studying artists and trying to find a formula [for my writing process]. But as I’ve written more and more and time’s gone on, it’s just a part of the way that I live now. [My writing process has] just naturally progressed into this kind of journal, like a way of processing what’s going on around me. [Being] self-aware [in my music] is kind of a byproduct of that, rather than something I’ve set out to do, but I think my music’s definitely got more personal, and this EP is a lot more personal and real to me.”
How does it feel being so completely open and raw with your fans about real experiences?
“I don’t think about it at all when I’m writing. I choose what music to put out based on how it makes me feel, rather than worrying if I’m sharing too much. And I think, as with any music, people interpret it into their own lives more than they think about what it says about me. I think it’s validating for other people to hear something and feel heard and seen, but it’s also validating for me because I’m just saying how I feel and then people are saying they feel the same. So it’s really validating both ways.”
You said, talking about the emotions behind ‘Difficult’, that “sometimes as girls we feel a lot of guilt for no reason,” which is so true. How do you try to combat that?
“I think [as] girls, we’re handed so much responsibility from a really young age. Like, emotional responsibility, and we’re taught to always do the nice thing and the right thing. So when you don’t do that, and you put yourself first, you might feel really selfish. I think [how I combat that guilt is by] rewiring that way of thinking and addressing it, and I guess talking to my friends. Songs like “Difficult” are really important, because it talks about that weird relationship we have with doing things for ourselves.”
Your new EP is dropping soon. Can you describe the main inspirations behind it?
“Lyrically, it’s just [about] my life and things that are happening around me. I leaned on more of a country vibe. I was listening to a lot of Fleetwood Mac, and The Carpenters – those were the two artists that I had on repeat the whole time throughout making this project. And I was watching a lot of rom-coms. I feel like that definitely informed the vibe that I was making.”
Do you have a favourite rom-com?
“How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.”
I know you’ve taken inspiration from the 60s and 70s in this new era. What would you say attracts you to the sound of these decades?
“I feel like the words that people used in songs in the 60s and 70s are just so sweet, and conversational. It wasn’t overly-complicated. Like Stevie Wonder, for example, his writing is so clear. Also because most of the music, I’m pretty sure, was played live, all of the instruments complement each other rather than doing too much at one time. The instrumentation and the gentle, romantic language that they used [is what] I love.”
You’re a London girl. Has the city impacted your music at all?
“I’d say my friends have impacted my music a lot, because [they help me] understand where my music exists in people’s lives, how they interact with it, and how it can change an environment completely.”
Having been out in LA lately, have you had any major ‘culture shock’ moments?
“The food’s obviously different. I feel like the billboards are really different here – like the billboards are huge, whereas in London, you only see stuff on the tube. It’s a lot more in your face here. I feel like the humour’s different, and they don’t really understand my accent a lot of the time.”
I know you started out on YouTube, when the internet seemed so much smaller – how has social media’s evolution changed your approach to music since then?
“When I first started posting, I wasn’t thinking that anyone was watching me at all. I kind of want to go back to that mindset because it’s so freeing, you’re focused on what you’re creating rather than people’s response. I wasn’t worried about how I was being perceived. I guess I’m just trying to hold onto that, but it’s my relationship with social media [that] has changed over the years. Now, I want to use it for the things that it’s meant for, which is sharing art and interacting with new people rather than like doom scrolling and comparing and all of the negative things that come with it.”
Speaking of social media, you hear a lot from emerging artists that there’s this pressure to go viral. Do you, do you feel that?
“I’ve definitely felt that pressure, but now, with this music that I’m making, I’m so proud of it and I really do believe in it and I think people will resonate [with it]. If that [doesn’t mean] immediate success and virality, I’m so fine with that. Obviously, I wouldn’t complain if my song went viral tomorrow, but the reason that I wouldn’t is because I believe in what I’ve made.”
What do you think is the most challenging thing about the music industry right now?
“It’s so oversaturated. There’s a lot of people trying to do the same thing. Also, I think people decide if they like music a lot of the time based on if other people like it and other people know it. So the difficult thing right now for me is finding people who do like [my music] and [making it] gradually turn into something bigger than me. But I’m really honestly loving making music right now and I’m trying not to focus too much on the way it performs. Everyone has an opinion, so it’s just about channelling what you listen to and making sure that you know what you think is what you think, and it’s not what everyone else is telling you to think.”
What would you say music needs more of in 2026?
“It’s cringe as hell, but more me.”
Lastly, if you had to give thirteen year old YAZ, just starting out on YouTube, some words of wisdom, what would they be?
“I would say, you can do so much more than you’re dreaming about. Dream bigger and bigger and be more delusional and listen to yourself more. Keep on doing what you’re doing and stop worrying about everything.”
Featured image via @nicolengai_ ©
