South Korean R&B singer SAAY took in the sights and sounds of New York City ahead of her solo US debut concert at Zone One in Brooklyn on Aug. 9.
Brushing her thick, long black locks back, SAAY surveyed the lush greenery of Central Park with wide eyes and a bright smile. She was in complete shock that this greenspace could exist in the middle of New York City, which was certainly living up to its name as the place where dreams are made of.
For SAAY it was at that moment she was able to take in that she was indeed living out her dream. This realization came shortly after SAAY left the stage of Fox News’ Good Day New York where she performed her hit single “DOMINO” live on national TV.
Like the fast-moving cars and sirens screeching by, the experience felt like a blur until she was able to stop and look around at the skyscrapers, the monuments in Central Park and neon lights on Broadway when the realization hit her that she was at the highest point in her solo career.
SAAY has been working in the music industry for almost her entire life, and as a singer, songwriter, producer, and overall creative director for her work, it’s been an arduous journey.
In South Korea as a teenager, SAAY made her first debut as the team captain for a five-member K-Pop group called EvoL. For many years she helmed the group in interviews and performances, and after about four years they were forced to disband in 2015. The sheer weight of failure nearly made SAAY crumble. She candidly told amNewYork Metro that she fell into a well of despair, even experiencing suicidal thoughts.
“In the K-Pop industry you have to get the perfect balance in everything. Of course, you have to do your best, and you have to have all of the good connections and everyone has to be perfect and one balance. We tried our best. The timing was bad and it disbanded. At that time, I faced the biggest failure of my life. I was the leader of the team, so my feelings of failure were big,” SAAY said.
The pressure of the K-Pop music industry was too much bear, and SAAY was forced to take a step back from performing and fight to continue to work by honing her skills as a songwriter and producer. Despite existing in a darkness of self-doubt and worth for two years, SAAY never gave up. She fought because music is the very essence of her being.
“I’ve been doing music for my entire life. Music is my life. It’s who I am,” SAAY told amNewYork Metro.
“I was struggling and trying to survive as a music producer for another artist. I started to write my own solo album while I was working as a producer for another artist. So here I am as SAAY,” SAAY said.
While South Korea has become virally known for its K-Pop music, there is a treasure trove of other artists from a wide variety of musical genres creating new songs and sounds that should also be acknowledged and appreciated. SAAY has a soulful voice with the ability to showcase that idols or artists are simply human beings who go through love, loss, and pain like everyone else.
She signed with Universal Music, and for seven years she cultivated the R&B powerhouse that she is today. As an Asian woman, and soloist, hailing from South Korea, this was by far no easy feat. However, SAAY’s talent to comprehend music on a whole different level combined with her singing abilities has defined the person she is today.
“Failure is the mother of success. That was the message I learned while growing up as an Asian woman in music. When you fail at something it’s okay, you just move forward. You have to learn and you can get a new vision, a new door opens,” SAAY said.
In her latest single DOMINO, SAAY takes everything she went through in her career. The pain, the anxiety, and constant fear of losing it all and put it into writing.
“We are all artists in our own way. As a human being we experience so many emotions, and have various feelings inside of us, but it’s hard to get them out. DOMINO was about anxiety I had when I just started music. I was 13 or 14 years old. I was so nervous for everything. I had depression and bad and dark energy; I couldn’t trust myself,” SAAY said.
“I was struggling. I was almost suicidal at the time. It was so hard. I couldn’t speak to my parents because everyone around me expected so much. I thought I could be the next Beyonce or Rihanna, and have a super star dream. But now I don’t care about fame, I just want to do my music for a living, do good projects and have a good career moving forward slowly and steadily,” SAAY added.
That self-doubt never fully goes away SAAY shared, but as she has gotten older she has learned how to acknowledge those thoughts and understand that it’s something that will pass.
“It’s a short thing. It’s hard to admit that feeling. I’m still struggling with all of these feelings, but it’s just a human thing. When friends tell me they are experiencing that DOMINO energy, I tell them I’ve been there and it will only be for a short time. Just let it out and don’t keep it inside,” SAAY said.
She found the light at the end of the tunnel, and she is not letting go for a moment. Amidst the weeping willow trees and scenic lake on 62nd Street and 5th Avenue, SAAY appears like an ethereal being floating through Central Park with her fluorescent pale skin, pixie looks, and coy smile.
“I’m just a human, a normal person. So, when that dark energy comes I just write [songs]. I have to let it out in my diaries. I have to say out loud to the world so I can get to the next level. I write real music with real emotions,” SAAY added. “My music is my emotional escape.”
Referring to her favorite film, “Love Actually,” SAAY could feel the magic and love all around her as she climbed onto the Gapstow Bridge—an iconic location for many romance films—and became giddy with youthful delight.
“I never imagined that I could be on a broadcast in the United States after having that devastating time. I feel so blessed that I’m continuing in the music industry. I can teach and give my own experiences to other idols. I feel so lucky,” SAAY said. “Follow the pure joy and happiness of making music. The fame, the money will follow afterwards. It’s happiness that is first for me.”
SAAY performance on Aug. 9 at the Zone in Brooklyn is another step in this all-star’s career. It will be followed by a concert in Los Angeles on August 15 at the Moroccan Lounge.
