About

Yuna is more than the sum of her influences. The semi-popular Malaysian singer-songwriter says she’s influenced by Feist, Coldplay, and Bob Dylan, but she certainly doesn’t sound anything like them. (About the most she has in common with them is that they all make music and have good pop sensibilities.)That’s a good thing. Chapters has a unique air to it, despite its existence in the over-saturated R&B marketplace right now. Despite that, many of her songs offer original takes on the genre. Crush (which features a soulful Usher performance), has a chorus that plays with staccato elements influenced by reggae. Yuna’s performance on Your Love would fit well in a Bond film (I’d happily lobby for her to sing a Bond track, actually).Perhaps it’s her background, but Yuna’s music has an ever-so-subtle hint of world music inspiration that I really like. It’s R&B that isn’t afraid to treat its audience as intelligent beings who are willing to take their time to digest something. The music is a multi-layered affair, more complex than what most of Yuna’s peers are doing. – Unsung Sundays