SAAY Talks Musical Influences and Her New Single “Domino”

INTERVIEW

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INTERVIEW ✦

Originating from South Korea’s music scene, singer-songwriter SAAY first made her debut as the leader of the five-member K-pop girl group EvoL back in 2012, promoting as a unit for nearly three years together.

Then, following EvoL’s disbandment in 2015, SAAY courageously shifted her focus to the demanding pursuit of a solo career, transitioning from her idol group roots to a more independent and artistically liberated path involving her affinity for R&B, hip-hop, and soul influences leading to several dark horse hits like the confidently constructed “ZGZG” and “RollerCoaster,” or the vibey single “Player.”

After dropping the delightfully dreamy track “RollerCoaster” nearly seven months ago, SAAY has now officially made her sleek industry return with the English digital single titled “DOMINO,” authored and co-composed by SAAY. From a narrative standpoint, “DOMINO” differs from the majority of SAAY’s previous releases by diving into the intricate emotions that have built up throughout her layered journey in the music industry — creating a story that uniquely pertains to her present-day life as an artist.

More specifically, SAAY’s track reflects the conflicting sensations of anticipation and anxiety that come with striving for success. However, the excitement of progress is ultimately overshadowed by the fear that a single misstep could lead to everything crumbling down, akin to a domino effect.

With the song and official music video for “DOMINO” out now, we’re chatting with the singer-songwriter about the significance of this particular chapter of her career.

SAAY

Congratulations on your new single! Can you tell us about the concept behind "DOMINO," and the message you aim to convey through the song?

SAAY: “DOMINO” represents the complicated feelings that have accumulated over the span of my life and career: anyone who yearns for success can experience conflicting emotions in the form of anticipation and anxiety. Working step by step towards perfection increases the excitement but the fact a single mistake can make everything crumble also increases apprehension, just like a domino. I felt I needed to express these emotions, for us; for me. It's a medium-tempo R&B hip-hop song that combines classical and hip-hop. Starting with the a cappella from the intro, it's an interesting song that opens up all possibilities for the development of the second half of the song! It's not limited to a specific genre, but it's a song that embodies my unique musical position.

Collaborating with WE DEM BOYZ and IBAN for the "DOMINO" music video must have been an exciting opportunity. What was the creative process like working with these talented dancers? 

SAAY: Before I became a singer, I had worked as a street genre dancer for a long time, so I am always thirsty for the process of moving my music and expressing it with choreography and performance. I made the choreography for this song myself, and my previous performance songs: OverZONE, ENCORE, ZGZG, Talk To Me Nice, and so on, I have made the choreography and directed the performance myself. This song was also thrilling to share the process of choreographing and melting the messages that this song expresses through performance directing with my talented and cool dancers. Each of them becomes an emotion, not a person, and they express their feelings in this song, and I made it because they expressed it in the direction I imagined and wanted. But it's work that I'm really satisfied with for myself.

SAAY

"DOMINO,” along with a lot of your previous work, leans into a captivating R&B sound that feels very natural to you. What is it about the genre that you’re most drawn to – and are there any specific R&B artists who have inspired you? 

SAAY: I love and listen to all kinds of music genres. Growing up, I experienced and learned Korean traditional music, rock, heavy metal, J-pop, R&B, and hip-hop, and now I am an artist who can express all genres. Among them, the genres that I am most expressing and pursuing in my album are pop, R&B, and hip-hop. The artists that I have admired the most while growing up are Jackson 5, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Amy Winehouse and Prince, TLC and N SYNC, Snoop Dogg and Timbaland, D Angelo and Erykah Badu, and Pop R&B hip-hop artists who represented the 90s-2000s.

In addition to R&B, you’re experienced in other styles like hip-hop, pop, and soul. How do you navigate between these genres while still working to create a recognizable sound that’s uniquely "SAAY"?

SAAY: Music actually only has different titles for genres, but if it's music, it's all connected as one. Growing up, I came in and learned countless and diverse genres, so my goal is not limited to one genre, but to try as many genres as possible. Since I've been doing music since I was young, I'm naturally focusing on what only SAAY can do, what I'm best at, and what I can express, so I think "SAAY's music" comes out naturally. The fans call it "SAAY VIBES."

You've been involved in various aspects of your music production, from writing to choreographing. How do these different roles contribute to shaping your artistic vision?

SAAY: It really helps me to express the message that I really want to express honestly. My name starts with 'SAY' which means 'to speak,' and adds the meaning of +A to SAAY, so it really helps me to be a musician who tells my story through art, just the limitations that I can't realize as a human being. Writing songs, choreographing, directing, and leading all productions is a big deal, and it takes a lot of effort and energy, but maybe that's why I feel a lot happier and more proud when a really satisfactory result comes out. I can improve my next steps and become a better artist.

Looking ahead, what can fans expect from your future projects after the release of "DOMINO," both musically and creatively? 

SAAY: I'm planning to open my solo tour and meet global fans in person again. Starting with this single DOMINO, I'm planning to do a lot of musical activities. I'll be there soon to meet you in person, so I hope you stay healthy and happy until then. See you soon! Bye!