Yuna returns with ‘Menanti’, first Malay single in seven years; set to launch EP in April
KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 — Yuna fans can rejoice as the Malaysian songbird has returned with a brand new single. The track titled Menanti marks the 36-year-old singer’s first Malay-language song after a seven year hiatus.
Produced and composed by Yuna along with Berlin-based singer songwriter and producer Kenny J Macartney, the single which is a mixture of folk and R&B, is also a personal track for Yuna whose real name Yunalis Mat Zara’ai.
“This one for me is personal, as I was writing the lyrics, I couldn’t think of anybody else but my late cousin Amy whom I was very close with, she was my bestie, and her untimely passing still saddens me.
“My world crumbles whenever I think about the fact that she is no longer around.
“So naturally, that sadness was poured into it, and when I presented the song to my friends, they told me they felt a sense of sadness upon hearing it although it’s a love song,” Yuna said in a press statement.
She added that she first worked on the song back in August 2021 when she returned to her home away from home in the US after spending 18 months in Malaysia due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, the real work on the song began in 2023 after going through some old files. Yuna added that she initially wanted to write an English song but what came out was in Malay.
Yuna also shared that she has been busy with releasing and promoting her past albums in the last seven years which include Chapters, Rouge and Y5.
Aside from the single, Yuna will also be dropping a Malay-language EP at the end of April this year.
“It’s hard to make promises to fans in Malaysia every year because of my commitments in LA. After all, I want to produce something I’m proud of for them, rather than putting something out there just for the sake of it, you know, and it wouldn’t be fair as well.
“It’s very hard to do well in both countries at the same time, and I don’t believe in multi-tasking as it was a mistake I’ve made in the past.
“Now I realised when I have a focus I get to achieve a lot of things such as receiving the ‘Gold Record’ from the Recording Industry Association of America for Crush featuring Usher, and also the opportunity to work with other artists like Tyler The Creator, G-Eazy and Pink Sweats,” she said.
The Terukir Di Bintang singer also shared that her time abroad has shaped her into becoming the person she is today.
“I think I’m more certain of myself as a person now than ever, previously I used to take things way too seriously, but now I’m more relaxed. I’ve achieved things that were beyond my expectations, despite the challenges and criticisms I faced.
“I am proud of myself for pursuing my dreams rather than to impress people, I used to be a workaholic which turned out bad for me.
“So now I’m more focused on doing work that matters, and then take a break to focus on what’s most important, which is my health, my family and life,” she said.
Menanti is now available on Yuna’s official YouTube channel.
It is also available to stream on music streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer as well as Joox.
