NAYA YEIRA: «The more I follow it, the more it tells me what it wants to be.»
- CZMOS Redazione
- 9 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Naya is an Indonesian singer who grew up between Jakarta and London. Her artistry has long been shaped by a rich blend of cultural influences spanning Indonesian music, Western pop, alternative sounds and film.
Inspired in part by her father’s work as a film director, she developed a passion for storytelling and world-building from an early age, later weaving those influences into music that balances emotional vulnerability with richly textured, cinematic soundscapes.
Her debut single, “Peace of Mind,” introduced her heartfelt blend of R&B, pop and hip-hop influences through a post-breakup ode to self-love, earning early tastemaker acclaim and a co-sign from Timbaland.
We’re grateful to have such an artist to showcase in the magazine: an artist who expresses herself in a cinematic way, letting people into her world while still discovering it herself.
We had the pleasure of talking with her. Here is what she told us.
NAYA YEIRA about what she’s been feeling.
1. Your work often feels like it exists in a space between reality and imagination. Is there a part of your inner world that you can only access through creating, and not through everyday life?
A lot of my songs begin with a feeling I can't quite name. I'll have random lines in my Notes app, little melodies, voice notes or visual ideas, but I don't actually know what they're about yet. Writing is how I figure it out.
It almost feels like I'm discovering the song rather than writing it. Halfway through I'll suddenly realise, "Oh... that's what I've been feeling."
That's probably why my music feels quite cinematic or dreamlike. It's less about documenting reality and more about translating emotions into a place or a world that people can step inside. Creating is where I understand myself most honestly.
2. You were born in Jakarta and developed your artistic journey in London. How has living between these two cultural contexts shaped the way you understand yourself and create music? Are there elements of your Indonesian identity that naturally enter your work, even when they are not immediately visible?
Growing up between Jakarta and London has shaped almost everything about the way I see the world. I've never really felt like I completely belong to one place or the other, and I think that feeling naturally finds its way into my music.
Indonesia will always feel like home to me. It gave me such a strong sense of family, warmth and community. At the same time, I think I was quite comfortable there and maybe a little afraid to be different creatively. London gave me the freedom to experiment, question things and really discover my own voice as an artist.
Even when it's not immediately obvious, my Indonesian identity is always there. Sometimes it's in the stories I tell, the emotions I'm drawn to or the values that sit underneath the music. Other times it's hidden in the sounds or little details. It's less about making "Indonesian music" and more about carrying those experiences with me into everything I create.
3. Your music brings together alternative R&B, soul, electronic experimentation and pop without fitting neatly into one genre. When you begin creating a song, do you start from an emotion, a sound, a visual image or a story?
Usually it starts with little fragments. It could be a lyric I've written down, a melody stuck in my head, a visual image or just a feeling I can't explain. I collect all these little pieces until something starts making sense.
I rarely sit down knowing exactly what I want to write about. I honestly feel like the song already exists somewhere, and I'm just trying to find it. The more I follow it, the more it tells me what it wants to be.
4. Is there a part of your creative identity that audiences, or even the music industry, have repeatedly misunderstood? If so, what do you wish people would notice beyond the most immediate version of Naya Yeira?
I think people sometimes assume the first music you put out is who you are forever. My earlier releases came at a time when I was still figuring myself out as a songwriter and artist, and I've grown so much since then.
What I'm most interested in now isn't just releasing songs. I love building worlds where music, visuals and storytelling all become part of the same experience.
A lot of what I make is completely DIY with my producer and close friends. We make the artwork, music videos and creative concepts ourselves, and I've been teaching myself tools like Blender and TouchDesigner because they feel like another language for expressing the emotions behind the music. I want people to step into a whole world, not just listen to a song.
5. Since CZMOS is based in Italy, we always like to create a small connection between our guests and our country. Is there an Italian artist, musician, filmmaker, designer or other creative figure who has influenced or inspired you in some way?
I've always loved Ghali. I grew up listening to his music, and what really inspired me was how naturally he blended rap and melody while staying completely true to himself.
As someone who's also grown up between cultures, I really connected with artists who weren't afraid to embrace every part of their identity instead of trying to fit into one box.
I've also been lucky enough to spend more time in Italy recently, including opening for Craig David at a members' club in Lake Como, which I'm incredibly grateful for.
It was such a special experience, and it made me appreciate the country's creative scene even more. I'd love to spend more time creating and performing in Italy in the future.
From Indonesia to London, and finally here in Italy with CZMOS.
An artist who is still discovering herself, but at the same time puts out music as if she has been in the industry for years.
New worlds are being shaped, and we believe she will take us into a completely different universe.
Listen to her latest single here: https://lnk.to/raffleticket
Thank you, NAYA.
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