music
The Year of Aáyanna: Can You Take It?
Aáyanna catches up with Trutuyou to talk about her latest record, craving vulnerability and tapping into boldness.
By Daija Green | Posted on Feb. 10, 2023
The passionate Atlanta- based songstress, Aáyanna, began the new year unveiling her second record, "Can You Take It." Within days of its release on January 18, it was quickly embraced and added to five R&B Apple Music playlists. The record is a stunner, a blend of sweet-toned vocals on top of the raw and melodic sounds of an electric guitar. Aáyanna's delivery is direct and seductive yet still heartfelt, showcasing her ability to travel through beautiful paradoxes: boldness and vulnerability. The lyrics, can you take it, is a straightforward and sensual query, but figuratively, Aáyanna is asking, can you take her at her best and worst. "I'm a lot to handle. Sometimes I have a really big personality and like, can you take all of that?" says Aáyanna over our zoom call last Tuesday night.
After signing with the record label Avant Garden in 2021, Aáyanna had what felt like a second chance. "You don't get many second chances in the industry, so I wanted to use it in the best way possible." she admits. Up until last year, she had taken time to reflect on what she truly wanted as an artist. She reflects on her hiatus, sharing, "I want to do so many things and want to experiment with so many things. I struggled with how to make that make sense." Within that time, Aáyanna was able to find her bearings and thanks photographer and creative director, Dayja Jay for helping her make it happen. "For the longest, I felt like I didn't know who to go to for help, and now I have her." The two have been a dynamic duo, consistently crafting imaginative ideas that come to life with every release, leaving her listeners captivated and eager to find out what's next.
As for Aáyanna's expectations for the year ahead, she is confident that it will be a good one, "When I posted on the first week of January and said it's the year of Aáyanna. I really meant that." In addition to releasing another heartfelt single this Valentine's day, she also has plans to embark on an extensive tour next month with the R&B duo Emotional Oranges. In this interview, Aáyanna catches up with Trutuyou to talk about her latest record, craving vulnerability and tapping into boldness.
After signing with the record label Avant Garden in 2021, Aáyanna had what felt like a second chance. "You don't get many second chances in the industry, so I wanted to use it in the best way possible." she admits. Up until last year, she had taken time to reflect on what she truly wanted as an artist. She reflects on her hiatus, sharing, "I want to do so many things and want to experiment with so many things. I struggled with how to make that make sense." Within that time, Aáyanna was able to find her bearings and thanks photographer and creative director, Dayja Jay for helping her make it happen. "For the longest, I felt like I didn't know who to go to for help, and now I have her." The two have been a dynamic duo, consistently crafting imaginative ideas that come to life with every release, leaving her listeners captivated and eager to find out what's next.
As for Aáyanna's expectations for the year ahead, she is confident that it will be a good one, "When I posted on the first week of January and said it's the year of Aáyanna. I really meant that." In addition to releasing another heartfelt single this Valentine's day, she also has plans to embark on an extensive tour next month with the R&B duo Emotional Oranges. In this interview, Aáyanna catches up with Trutuyou to talk about her latest record, craving vulnerability and tapping into boldness.
It’s so good to speak to you again! We spoke back in 2021 before you signed with Avant Garden. How has it been since you signed? What has been the biggest lesson you've learned since the last time we spoke?
A lot has changed since we last spoke. I signed in August 2021. That’s when I had to take down all of my music. It took me until now to release something because taking everything down felt like a do-over. You don't get many second chances in the industry, so I wanted to use it in the best way possible. I started to really stress myself out about what the best approach should be as to what I'm putting out and what it should look like. I struggled with how to make that make sense, especially being a young age. I signed at nineteen, and I didn't know who the fuck I was. I just put a lot of pressure on myself. It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to release because I was afraid that I'd been making the wrong decision. I think my biggest lesson learned is to be ready for what you ask for.
You’ve expressed that "Can You Take It" is about wanting to feel desired after showing someone the most authentic parts of you. How important is this in your relationships?
It's extremely important. The older I get, the more at home with people I feel when I can be a hundred percent myself. I don't ever play a role with people, but with certain people, I only show a certain amount of who I am. I don't want to feel judged or like I can't be accepted. I can't afford to be around people that don't make me feel seen, safe, or heard. It's scary letting people in and allowing them to see you when it feels like they're choosing not to understand you or like they'll use it against you. One of the things I'm struggling with now is that I crave that vulnerability, and I want to feel seen, but I'm too scared of letting people see me because I don't want it held over my head.
A lot has changed since we last spoke. I signed in August 2021. That’s when I had to take down all of my music. It took me until now to release something because taking everything down felt like a do-over. You don't get many second chances in the industry, so I wanted to use it in the best way possible. I started to really stress myself out about what the best approach should be as to what I'm putting out and what it should look like. I struggled with how to make that make sense, especially being a young age. I signed at nineteen, and I didn't know who the fuck I was. I just put a lot of pressure on myself. It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to release because I was afraid that I'd been making the wrong decision. I think my biggest lesson learned is to be ready for what you ask for.
You’ve expressed that "Can You Take It" is about wanting to feel desired after showing someone the most authentic parts of you. How important is this in your relationships?
It's extremely important. The older I get, the more at home with people I feel when I can be a hundred percent myself. I don't ever play a role with people, but with certain people, I only show a certain amount of who I am. I don't want to feel judged or like I can't be accepted. I can't afford to be around people that don't make me feel seen, safe, or heard. It's scary letting people in and allowing them to see you when it feels like they're choosing not to understand you or like they'll use it against you. One of the things I'm struggling with now is that I crave that vulnerability, and I want to feel seen, but I'm too scared of letting people see me because I don't want it held over my head.
You released the visual and song together. What inspired the concept for the visual?
I planned it for months. I wanted it to look like the viewer is my stalker. Whoever's watching the video is stalking me. The video is the viewer or my stalker's fantasies about me - me taking a bath, sitting in the shower, and being married to me. So that's why I'm looking outside the window at the end like I'm being watched.
I feel like you write music for the girls. Who is your ideal listener?
I think my ideal listener is someone who's open-minded because, like I said, I experiment a lot in my music, and I don't want anyone to get too married to anything that I do. I want you to like listening to me because you fuck with me. So I would say that's my ideal listener. I fuck with anybody who fucks with me.
I admire how your artistry is both bold and vulnerable. How do you balance the bold and sexy aspects of your artistry with the more vulnerable and personal elements?
I've just always been the type that hated confrontation, but I also can't keep anything in. So if there's something on my mind and I think it's better that I don't say anything, it's going to eat me up. I'm going to think about it all day. Every time that I see you or I'm with you, I'm going to be acting funny because of it, and then you're going to end up asking me what's wrong. So I'm going to tell you anyway.
As far as being sexy, it's funny that you say that because, for the longest, I hated that word. I think it has different meanings depending on who's saying it. I think when men say it, it's like the default word. It just feels so cringe. I'm not flattered when a man calls me sexy. But when a woman says sexy, it's more of a feeling.
It's power.
Exactly. I think it's whatever makes you feel good, really. I wear what I wear because it makes me feel good. I write about what I write about because it makes me feel good. My visuals are me choosing the best parts about myself and amplifying them. I think that being sexy is just amplifying the best parts of yourself.
I planned it for months. I wanted it to look like the viewer is my stalker. Whoever's watching the video is stalking me. The video is the viewer or my stalker's fantasies about me - me taking a bath, sitting in the shower, and being married to me. So that's why I'm looking outside the window at the end like I'm being watched.
I feel like you write music for the girls. Who is your ideal listener?
I think my ideal listener is someone who's open-minded because, like I said, I experiment a lot in my music, and I don't want anyone to get too married to anything that I do. I want you to like listening to me because you fuck with me. So I would say that's my ideal listener. I fuck with anybody who fucks with me.
I admire how your artistry is both bold and vulnerable. How do you balance the bold and sexy aspects of your artistry with the more vulnerable and personal elements?
I've just always been the type that hated confrontation, but I also can't keep anything in. So if there's something on my mind and I think it's better that I don't say anything, it's going to eat me up. I'm going to think about it all day. Every time that I see you or I'm with you, I'm going to be acting funny because of it, and then you're going to end up asking me what's wrong. So I'm going to tell you anyway.
As far as being sexy, it's funny that you say that because, for the longest, I hated that word. I think it has different meanings depending on who's saying it. I think when men say it, it's like the default word. It just feels so cringe. I'm not flattered when a man calls me sexy. But when a woman says sexy, it's more of a feeling.
It's power.
Exactly. I think it's whatever makes you feel good, really. I wear what I wear because it makes me feel good. I write about what I write about because it makes me feel good. My visuals are me choosing the best parts about myself and amplifying them. I think that being sexy is just amplifying the best parts of yourself.
What's the most gratifying feeling about your creative process?
When I see a physical product of something that was in my head. When I go into the studio, start writing something, and the song comes out better than I expected. Or when I'm recording, I'm like, this is ass, but I keep going, and then I end up liking it. It's like, damn, if I didn't keep going, it would've never happened.
What’s one word or phrase that you would use to describe this era of your life?
Gas. I'm just hitting the gas this year. It took me a minute to get to this point. I was very distracted. I got out of an on-and-off five-year relationship. I wasn't pouring enough into myself as I was into the other person. I was just taking care of everybody but myself. At the beginning of the year, I added my life path number together, and it said, this year is all work, no play. I was like, okay, we'll see. And then I got offered to go on tour, and I'm dropping song after song and visual after visual; everything is happening so fast. When I posted on the first week of January, and said, it's the year of Aáyanna. I really meant that.
What can we expect from you this year?
I'm focused on being present right now. If I think too much ahead of what's going on other than right now, I'll lose my mind. All I know is that I'm giving my all on this tour. I'm giving my all on the visuals that I'm dropping, and I have two more singles coming out.
When I see a physical product of something that was in my head. When I go into the studio, start writing something, and the song comes out better than I expected. Or when I'm recording, I'm like, this is ass, but I keep going, and then I end up liking it. It's like, damn, if I didn't keep going, it would've never happened.
What’s one word or phrase that you would use to describe this era of your life?
Gas. I'm just hitting the gas this year. It took me a minute to get to this point. I was very distracted. I got out of an on-and-off five-year relationship. I wasn't pouring enough into myself as I was into the other person. I was just taking care of everybody but myself. At the beginning of the year, I added my life path number together, and it said, this year is all work, no play. I was like, okay, we'll see. And then I got offered to go on tour, and I'm dropping song after song and visual after visual; everything is happening so fast. When I posted on the first week of January, and said, it's the year of Aáyanna. I really meant that.
What can we expect from you this year?
I'm focused on being present right now. If I think too much ahead of what's going on other than right now, I'll lose my mind. All I know is that I'm giving my all on this tour. I'm giving my all on the visuals that I'm dropping, and I have two more singles coming out.
To stay up to date on Aáyanna’s music and visual releases follow her on Instagram. Listen to “Can You Take It” on Apple Music and Spotify.
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