Boyu
Boyu is one of the most exciting and refreshing artists out there. He’s just released his new single “Miata Trip” and it’s a brilliant record.
Boyu created a pop/hip-hop dynamic record inspired by the highs and lows of a psychedelic trip.
I’ve been studying Boyu’s music for a bit, and I love how versatile he is in his music. I know he will keep getting better release after release and his audience will keep growing every day. So make sure to keep an eye on him :)
“Miata Trip” is now available worldwide :)
Photo credit: @neptunearthouse
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
Hi! I'm Boyu, a LA-based indie-pop/rap singer-songwriter. I combine story-driven lyrics accompanied by lush vocal stacks over pop & hip-hop influenced production. I was initially trained in classical piano before turning my attention towards drums, guitar, and production. The best way to describe my music is mixing Dominic Fike, Jeremy Zucker, and Blackbear all into one sound, that's me.
What did you grow up listening to?
I grew up listening to a lot of rap and hip hop in middle school and high school, artists like Eminem, Lil Wayne, Drake, J. Cole & Wale would be on repeat. My music taste shifted in college to more pop, with artists such as Halsey, Ed Sheeran, Mike Posner, & Bruno Mars dominating my playlists. Lately, it's been a ton of indie-pop up and coming artists on my radar.
When did you start writing songs?
I started writing songs when I was 14. I would look up Drake and J. Cole instrumentals and write raps over them - they were all super corny at the time but my mentality was the more I wrote and recorded, the better I'd get. I didn't really share these songs with anyone until I got the confidence to put out a 20-song mixtape a few weeks after I'd graduated high school. You can't find this mixtape anymore on the internet, I made sure to wipe out all my entire catalogue before I started the Boyu project.
What gave you the confidence to be an artist and release your original music?
I used to be super low-key about sharing my music. Around college, I'd show my friends the songs that I'd written and they would be genuinely impressed to the point they didn't believe it was me on the track. With each praise and compliment, I gained more confidence in myself and this encouraged me to go back to the studio and create better music.
"Miata Trip" is your new single - what's the inspiration/story behind this song?
“Miata Trip” is a dynamic pop/rap song inspired by the highs and lows of a psychedelic trip. Akin to the euphoric peaks of a trip, the verses/bridge represents liberation of the soul, uplifting & carefree, paired with bright happy chords/melody. In contrast, the chorus/outro rap symbolize the dark downward spiral when stuck in a self-deprecating headspace, with minor chords, angsty flow/production, & slowed BPM. Likened to Dominic Fike, Roy Blair, & Mac Miller, 'Miata Trip' quite literally takes you on a sonic 'trip' throughout each section. This is by far the most ~fun~ song I've made- in honesty, this record is 4 songs amalgamated into one ~4 minute record.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process? Who helped you create it?
I wrote 'Miata Trip' back in September/October 2020 (pre pandemic - wild to think about). As stated prior, 'Miata Trip' is really 4 different songs with the verses being one, the bridge being the second, the chorus being the third, and the rap verse being the 4th but at the time, I was listening to a lot of Dominic Fike & Roy Blair and they have several songs that mash different moods together into one. I thought that was super dope, so sought to emulated that. I then took it to my homie Zenii in NYC and we built the track out later that year. This record by far was the most time consuming and complicated one to create, due to varying dynamic sections, mood shifts, and BPM switch ups so I truly appreciate Zenii in helping me bring my vision to life - I'm super pleased with how it turned out. During live shows, 'Miata Trip' is by far my favorite song to perform - there's nothing like witnessing live time the crowd reaction when the song shifts moods and BPM.
What's your favorite thing about this song?
Having this song embody the definition of 'genre-bending' - alternative, pop, rap/hip-hop all in one track? This is it. Also, the last 16 bar rap at the end really brings me back to my rap days so in a way, it feels full circle.
What made you want to release "Miata Trip" as a single?
Every time I perform 'Miata Trip' live, people come up to me after the show, dap me up and compliment me on how sick that song was. Then they'd ask something along the lines of "where can I listen to this?" and I'd have to deliver the bad news and inform them that it's actually an unreleased song. It became such a recurring conversation that when I was analyzing my release pipeline for 2022, I felt it would be a disservice if I didn't prioritize this record, coming out earlier in the year, so here it is, out in the world for everyone to hear endlessly, not just at my live shows.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
The artwork is actually a still from the music video, coming out shortly after the audio is released, directed by my homie Mase. My homie FLASCH then did some cropping and color grading and put the 'parental advisory' sticker on the front and it was ready to go!
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
The hardest part is realizing that once a song is released, it's not yours anymore, it belongs to the universe. There's something really special about being the only one who gets to hear unreleased music that may never make it out into the world, it's like my own little secret that no one knows about. The other hard part, more so as a DIY independent artist, is doing everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, yourself - from making songs and videos, to marketing and promo, to playing live shows and putting yourself out there in the scene, the list never ends. You truly have to love what you do to survive in this industry.
The best part is having the platform to share my message and have people around the world resonate with my music/creations whether that be my music, photos, music videos, or future merch/NFT drop (shhh). I also enjoy connecting with the fans, whether that be via Instagram DMs or mingling after a live show - it's extremely rewarding to see how my music impacts so many people that I'd never met before - it always puts a smile on my face at the end of the day.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
People's attention spans are getting shorter, and as a result, songs are getting shorter as well. The industry is primarily focused on singles rather than full length projects such as EPs or albums. TikTok has changed the music landscape with several TikTok artists blowing up and signing record deals over a 10 second viral sound/video. If I could change one thing, I'd want people to appreciate full length projects that tell a narrative throughout the tracklist, rather than have a string of singles here and there, chasing after what would 'blow up on TikTok'.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
Redistribution of wealth. Interpret that how you please.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
No one can truly understand your vision and dreams but yourself - and that's a powerful thing.
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