Emily Vu
Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Emily Vu releases new single “Weekend” produced by Sir Nolan & SZNS.
The 18 year old artist released her debut single in 2019 “Whatever Happened, Happened”, which garnered over 1M streams on Spotify. Since then, Emily Vu has created a massive audience throughout social media.
With “Weekend”, Emily Vu is introducing the sound she always wanted to pursue.
“This song is so special to me because it's the first song that I've written and performed where I had a feeling that this was the type of music I want to pursue. This is my genre,” says Vu.
“Weekend” is now available worldwide.
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
My name is Emily Vu and I'm a singer/songwriter. I live in Los Angeles and my whole life revolves around my craft and my music.
If you could say something to your younger self, what would you say?
If I could say something to my younger self, it would go along the lines of "don't be afraid to put yourself out there, and don't be afraid to be different from the rest of the world."
What did you grow up listening to?
Growing up I listened to a lot of R&B. But, an artist I listened to heavily through my childhood was Ed Sheeran.
Do you remember the first record you ever bought?
The first record I bought was Shawn Mendes' first album, Handwritten.
When did you start making music?
I only started making music in April 2019, so not too long ago. I was just randomly making songs at home. The first time I ever recorded a song in the studio was in August 2019.
At what point did you know you could sing?
I kind of always knew I had a decent voice, even when I was a kid. My sophomore year of high school I posted my first ever cover song online and it made me think, “wow, I could maybe actually do this for the rest of my life!"
Who was the first person to ever believe in you?
The first person to ever believe in me would probably be my 5th grade teacher Mrs. Young. I would sing in her class all the time because we'd have these little talent shows. That classroom experience definitely shaped me into who I am today.
How would you define Emily Vu, the artist?
I would define Emily Vu, the artist, as lively. I'm always in a pretty good mood and you will never catch me without a smile on my face in or out of the studio.
How did things change for you since the beginning of your career?
Although I didn’t start my career too long ago, I have still grown a lot as an artist. I haven't always been as driven as I am now, in fact I think I was really lazy previously. But since I've been working more on my artistry, I've become a very goal-oriented person.
"Weekend" is your new single, what's the story behind this song?
My producer friend SZNS and I were in a session and going through YouTube beats for inspiration and we came across a really pretty guitar beat and decided to recreate it. At the time I was going through a little heartbreak myself so writing the lyrics was fairly easy. This song is so special to me because it's the first song that I've written and performed where I had a feeling that this was the type of music I want to pursue. This is my genre.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process?
My songwriting process differs based on who I'm working with. When I work by myself, I tend to sit on a piano grinding out really cool chords I hear and then at the same time just start humming melodies and saying the first thing that comes to mind.
What made you want to release "Weekend" as a single?
From the moment I heard the rough draft of the song, I knew I wanted to release this in the best way possible. I chose “Weekend” to be released as a single so it had its own time to shine.
What's your goal for this new single?
Well my goal would be to have it be a radio hit, for sure! I have no doubt that it could be a song that blows up, even if it takes months of pushing. I have so much faith in this single.
What's your favorite thing about being an artist?
My favorite thing about being an artist is that I'm able to express myself freely in song. I've never been good at saying how I feel about things directly and being able to put all that feeling into a song really helps me.
What major lesson have you learned since the release of your first single?
Since my first release, I learned that every little push matters. Whether it's just posting an Instagram story or texting people individually to go listen, any type of push for the song makes a difference.
What are your thoughts on today's global situation? How are you holding up?
At first it was very rough to adjust to being so isolated from everyone but over time I’ve become used to working on my own and that has made me a lot more focused.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
In my opinion, if people were kinder and more open-minded, the world would run much better. There’s so much negativity in the world right now and I think we all just need a little loving and to love more.
What message do you want to give to the world?
My message to the world would be, don't sleep on me. I'm going to change the world one song at a time.
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