Q&A: Boyu Journeys Through A City of Failed Hopes and Dreams in Latest Single, “NYC Ate Your Soul”
A CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN DREAM – Boyu critiques the chase for money and success that draws the young and ambitious to New York City. A lively alt-pop song, “NYC Ate Your Soul” offers smooth vocals atop a warm and relaxed melody.
Inspired by his own experience in working in corporate banking, “NYC Ate Your Soul” is a stark reminder that moving to a new city and pursuing your dreams doesn't always result in success. Though, the single creates an intriguing contrast to Boyu’s own achievements. Fresh on the music scene, Boyu began creating music only a year ago and has come out of it triumphantly. Packing up his corporate banking job in the midst of a pandemic, Boyu now works in a tech startup that offers him a wealth of time to continue creating his music.
Initially a classical pianist, Boyu later began experimenting with guitar, drums and digital production before embarking on his 2021 dive into the music industry. Throughout this journey, he also discovered a deep love and reverence for lyrical storytelling. Through studying the words of artists such as Eminem and Drake, he began learning how to convey emotions and tales through his lyrics.
Read on to learn more about Boyu, his latest single, and how he creates his fun and youthful tracks.
LUNA: Congrats on your newest single! Can you share a bit about what inspired this song? Is there a story behind it?
BOYU: Thank you so much! Inspired by a true story, the narrative of "NYC Ate Your Soul” follows an aspirational young woman as she navigates through the frenetic NYC buzz in attempts to elevate her status to appeal to ‘old money' Wall Street men, only to be tangled in the shadows of inhibition. I drew inspiration from my own personal narrative working in corporate banking and trying to make it prior to the start of my music career so this song is a unique twist to the time-old tale of youthful aspirations and seeking out boundless opportunities in the Big Apple.
LUNA: You began releasing music only a year ago! How has your music creation evolved since then? Is there anything you now know that you wish you knew when you were first starting out?
BOYU: So much has changed since I released my debut song “Flower Garden” in April of last year. I remember vividly on release day, it was literally snowing in Boston and to celebrate, I bundled up and trekked to the grocery store, waiting in line to buy a bouquet of flowers and ice cream. While in the queue, I couldn't even imagine living the life I’m living now, befriending all these talented musicians, videographers, and creators, playing live shows with my own band, being integrated into the indie music community. If there’s anything I now know that I wish I knew when starting out, it’s that manifestation is real, believing in yourself is extremely powerful, & as long as you diligently work towards your vision daily, you’ll attract the things you ask for in this universe.
LUNA: You’ve spoken before about how lyrics and the stories told within songs have inspired you. Would you say lyrics are the most important element of a song for you? How long do you spend perfecting your own lyrics?
BOYU: Lyrics by far are the most important element of a song for me. I grew up listening to a ton of lyrical rap that significantly influenced my writing style to be narrative driven. Some of my favorite narrative driven rap songs include “Mockingbird” by Eminem, “Power Trip” by J. Cole, and “Under Ground Kings” by Drake. It’s difficult to quantify how long I spend on perfecting my lyrics as it differs for each song, but “NYC Ate Your Soul” took roughly a week.
LUNA: Is there a common theme you’re drawn to when writing your music? What stories are you most passionate about telling?
BOYU: That's an entertaining question since I’ve been told by several people now that all my songs are about women and love – my ex was not a fan of that (laughs). Looking back at my released discography, I guess that’s true. However, I have some songs I wrote recently sitting in the vault that are more introspective and about me.
LUNA: Are your songs always personal to you or inspired by something external?
BOYU: I would say half and half. I have some really personal songs that I’ve yet to release and I have some songs that I’ve written about other people after hearing or witnessing their experiences. There’s also a few records that I’ve written about myself, but I’ll change the POV to make it seem like it’s someone else’s story but those haven’t been released yet.
LUNA: How do you overcome writer's block when creating your lyrics?
BOYU: I’ll go on a solo adventure to reset my mind – hiking, driving along the 101, hammocking, reading by the beach, trying out new restaurants, exploring new neighborhoods in LA. I never try to force out ideas.
LUNA: Having started out working in corporate banking, what was the major motivator in diving into pursuing music? What empowered you to follow this talent?
BOYU: When COVID hit the U.S. and all companies went remote, I had a lot of time to myself to reflect. I came to a realization that work had consumed my life for the past year and deprived me of my mental health and ability to work on my passions – i.e. music. COVID made me aware that life and society can change in an instant and the time we have on this earth is precious, so why waste it doing something we dread? Instead, we should follow our dreams, listen to our heart and trust in the universe to work its magic. Thus, for the next twelve months, I’d drive from Boston to NYC every other weekend to work on my album with my producer and frequent collaborator Zenii. Then at the end of my Boston lease in May, I had around twelve songs under my belt, packed up my bags, and moved across the country to L.A. to pursue the dream full time. I still work a nine to five during the week to fund the music journey, but it’s now at a tech startup, so I have a much better work life balance to focus on music after.
LUNA: What are your main creative goals for the next year? What are you most excited for?
BOYU: The main goal for next year is touring. There’s nothing more exciting than playing live shows with my band and seeing the crowd rock out, full of big smiles and positive energy. I also love connecting with the fans after and learning about their lives – I think it’s really cool how people from all walks of life can unite in one room over the common interest of music. I’m most excited to keep growing and developing as an artist and connecting with my fanbase – I aim to see them on the road next year!
LUNA: How would you describe the vibe of your music?
BOYU: Feel good indie pop summer vibes
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