YAZ on Finding Her Voice with Dancing in My Room
With Dancing in My Room, YAZ invites listeners into something deeply personal - music that wants you to feel seen.
By Isabella Pettitt
F
or a certain corner of the internet, YAZ needs no introduction. The London-based singer-songwriter, Yaz Caramanli, who goes by YAZ, released her debut track in 2022, and since then she has only risen. Her music, a sublime fusion of pop and soul, began taking shape when she started out as a YouTuber at the age of just thirteen, gradually building an audience before stepping fully into music.
However, the debut of her first EP, Dancing in My Room, arrived last month with the fullest articulation yet of what her voice is capable of. Across the project, she explores the highs and lows of growing up, from romance and friendship to self-doubt, with a sincerity that feels both deeply personal and quietly universal.
Below, she talks about her accidental beginnings, writing alone before taking songs into the studio, performing live for the first time, and what she hopes listeners will take with them.
Can you tell us a little about how your journey into music began? Was there ever a moment you knew this was what you wanted to do?
Mr Valentine was a demo I had no intention of releasing, which is actually why I posted it. There was no big plan in place which I think allowed people to interact with the song naturally and it was very of its time, which helped. The spontaneity combined with support from the girls online just worked.
A lot of your songwriting feels deeply personal. Is there ever such a thing as too personal when it comes to putting something into a song?
I never really think about if a song is too personal, it's more if I like the sound and feel it's an important conversation lyrically. Songwriting is my way of navigating life, so naturally it's gonna be personal. I think that's a beautiful thing and our experiences are pretty universal anyway.
You've spoken about balancing music with sharing your life online. Has your relationship with those two sides of yourself changed over time?
I think in the context of social media algorithms, music and to be honest just being a woman in general - I used to try to compartmentalise myself and box into one thing. I've realised the beauty of it is that I'm a 3 dimensional person - I love sharing my life online and I love writing and performing music, they can exist at the same time, in the same person.
How has growing up in London shaped the way you write and the music you make?
As a songwriter, my experiences naturally trickle down into lyrics and of course your environment has a big part to play in your experiences. Genre wise, I grew up around all types of music - garage being one of them. London is so rich in culture and I am hugely inspired by British artists like Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, the list is lengthy.
You still write your songs alone before taking them into a session. What is it about that process that feels so important to you?
Writing in my room allows me to experiment without any judgement, even if it's subconsciously - when you're in a room full of people trying to write a song, you might not say an idea in fear of rejection. Especially because my songs are so personal, I love bringing an idea, words and phrases to a session that already mean something to me and then allowing my producer or writers to 'make it bigger'.
Your debut EP, Dancing in My Room, is finally out in the world. What do you hope people take away from it?
'Dancing in my Room' covers so much emotional ground. 'Everything You Do' is simple and romantic, 'Room For Two' is about feeling left out in a friendship group, 'Literally Me When I Was 11' is like a letter to my younger self (and current self whenever I'm feeling doubtful). I hope my listeners feel seen by this music and like they're not in this thing alone. There's so much pressure and figuring out for us all to do, and so whether my music feels front facing or like an escape from that, I hope it means something to someone.
You recently performed live for the first time. What was that experience like?
Performing my music live for the first time was maybe the happiest and most present I have felt. It was as surreal as it was grounding, it was in a room with all my friends, family and a few amazing listeners. I'm so excited for what the future holds with live performances, I'm really lucky to have a very talented band and team behind the show.
What's next for you? What are you most excited about?
I want to perform, I love singing live. For now I'm very excited for people to live with 'Dancing in My Room', it really reflects me and I'll do my best to connect it with the right people. I'm always writing and as I'm getting clearer on my vision / what I want to contribute, I'm excited for all the material to come.
To finish, what's one piece of advice you'd give your thirteen-year-old self?
Listen to yourself, dream bigger, keep on working hard and stop worrying! You're right where you need to be.
Dancing in My Room by YAZ is out now.
Photography courtesy of YAZ & Rain Talent.
1 Like
Cherub Magazine
Subscribe to our newsletter