11 minute read
LYNA MAHYEM // Interview
If you were looking for a new female icon of the French entertainment industry, here she is and her name is Lyna. Funny, caring, persevering and talented, Lyna is a real sunshine in the French urban landscape.
Speaking to A Rap & A Cup Of Tea, Lyna shares her motivations, the things she cares about and the authenticity she has put into her new album. Blessed with a great heart, Lyna didn't hesitate to actively take a stand against harassment with one of the main titles of her new album "S.O.S". The melancholy of her lyrics but also the hope she conveys echoed in the hearts of her fans.
Advertisement
From the joys of love to the heartaches, Lyna has managed to conquer an intergenerational audience. As if she wanted to cleanse away the pain and rage in life, the artist from the Paris region opens up in this striking interview.
How would you describe your unique musical style to an English-speaking audience eager to know more about you?
I would say that I'm both crazy and authentic. Hence the title of my new album: Authentic.
As a matter of fact, I wanted to talk to you about it, can you tell me more about the meaning behind it?
For me, there's no place for fake things. Only real things speak for themselves, and I think that's what I portray to people: authenticity. I like to be natural. I'm just too lazy to change personas between the stage and real life. If I have to go buy a loaf of bread tomorrow and I have a hole in my sock, I don't care. (laughs) I don't care if I have to be all dressed up every time. I think that's what people like too, and I get that a lot. That's why I named it Authentic, because I brought out everything I had in my heart.
On this project, there is a beautiful ambivalence of themes, whether it is love, the ups and downs of a relationship, or even heartbreak, not to mention songs like "S.O.S" or "Je Te Promets" which are genuine songs addressing serious issues. How did you find this fine balance?
I wanted to evolve and really offer something new compared to the previous album. I didn't want to sound redundant. We climb the ladder step by step but nevertheless we move forward, we don't hover and I needed some new inspiration, something new. This album is versatile, it's eclectic, and I needed that to be honest.
When you first started the album, did you have a clear idea of what you wanted to do, or did you think "I have nothing to lose, I'll experiment everything"?
For my first album, I was under a kind of pressure where I was told that I should follow a guideline not to confuse my audience, so I kept on this rather urban side. And then I said to myself : "Come on, I'm going to do what I want to do. If I want to write a variety of songs, I'll do it. If it's an electro thing, I'll do that too". I'm like that, I go by instinct, in the moment. I enjoyed making this album, just like that, without D.A. Today I just found out that "Mal De Toi" is n°1 on Shazam, it's an amazing thing! It's so great to see that taking a risk was the right thing to do because I'm rewarded.
Something I found really cute on this album is the track "1,2,3" where you yourself said that you wanted to come up with a kind of nursery rhyme because it's a music that is easy to remember and above all that you wanted to reach out to children. Where did you get this idea?
I always have this child-like side in me. I might find myself on a manhunt with my friends tomorrow or playing hide and seek. At the end of my release party, we were running around popping balloons... I'm 26 years old and my friends are in their thirties you know... (laughs) Truthfully, I mostly took into account the fact that I have a huge community of young kids listening to my music, so it's important not to keep them out of the loop. And it's mostly me playing around, it's a risk I wanted to take. Many people have understood the entire album except for this track. Yet I wanted to give this song a trendy touch in terms of tones that everyone can enjoy: both adults and youngsters.
I think that what comes out the most of the album is this concept of mutual respect. Whether it's in "Paris" where you say "My life is not yours, yours is not mine", or in "Alors C'est Ça La Vie" with "Everyone is a victim of people's views and opinions". Is this one of the themes that you wanted to put forward?
Yes, totally. In each of my albums, I always want to convey a message. My influences when I was younger were Wallen, Kayna Samet, and without knowing them personally at the time, I felt like they were big sisters. For example with Kayna, through her lyrics she always conveyed preventive messages. You could feel her being protective of her audience. And me, this is what I want to pass on to my audience. That's why every time, I instill through my music, respect, values, principles.
Speaking of things that are important to you, we could say that you are very much committed in combating harassment. It seems to be an important cause for you...
Indeed, I believe that it is important to start with this one because harassment affects a lot of people, I myself have lived it. I wanted to be the spokesperson for these people who are afraid to speak up. I know that it was a kind of "therapeutic song" because I had a lot of feedback on that. We have to understand that we are victims and we can't feel guilty for what happens to us. You have to talk about it because if you don't talk about it, no one is going to help you. I thought to myself, "Being a public figure and having exposure, if I can extend my message, help people, etc. I owe it to myself to do so." That's why I wanted to talk about it, I wanted to help them. Making music is great, and exciting too, but there's more to life than that.
Do you think that the role of an artist is also a commitment?
Totally! Artist or not, we have to face a lot of things in life, and we have to help the others as long as we have this power. It's free and it makes a good deed.
Speaking of the feedback you had about this song, how did you manage all this? It must not be easy to be confronted with so many powerful stories...
At first, I have to say that you feel kind of uncomfortable in the sense of thinking "Shit, how can I find the words to answer that". Very often people go into details about what happened to them, and then, the fact that you don't know the person intimately, you can't be so straightforward with everyone. I try to take it easy. On another level, it moves me because these people probably have never seen me in person but still felt a certain degree of trust in me and decided to share their feelings with me. And that's a feeling I can't explain to you, it's a great feeling. When I look back at their feedback, I say to myself "This really helps and I owe it to myself to play this part". As long as I have the opportunity, I will do it.
Whether it's in this project or in your first album entitled Femme Forte, we feel 100% of the emotions that you convey and in your voice, a will to move mountains. Where does all this determination come from?
I come from a family of two older sisters and one older brother, my parents were shopkeepers and my mother always instilled in me this "hard-working" spirit. In life you don't get something for free. When I was younger, I used to look at my mother and admire her, I used to say to myself "She manages everything... Later I want to be like that". Same thing with my sisters, we have an easy way of doing things in the family. When you come from the hoods, you're much more easily singled out than in other, more privileged neighborhoods, so you have no choice but to make your own way. I don't really have to prove anything to people, but unfortunately, when you come from the hood, you have to do twice as much. That's where this hunger to succeed comes from.
Speaking about its opposite, in "Ciao", you mention exactly what turns you away from the path of success...
The first thing is the ego. We all have it in us and to me personally speaking it's a flaw. If you work with ego, you won't get anywhere. You will always meet people who will disrespect you, put you down, lie to you... It's all about manipulation and if someone gets inside your brain, you're dead. What you have to do is listen to yourself.
There are several feats on the project including Zaho, Bramsito, Thabiti and Jok'Air. Can you tell me about these collaborations?
First Zaho called me through my producer and he said: "She wants you on one of her songs" and I immediately replied: "Bro, it's not the first of April, don't fool around with me". At the end, it wasn't a joke. (laughs) It's a crazy thing, when I was younger I listened to her songs, it's one of my musical influences, and today I'm working with her. She greeted me with a lot of kindness, I felt like I was protected by a big sister. I was so impressed, she just does everything! She taped my participation and so on, she shared with me her tips and tricks, she put me at ease, it was incredible! As for Bramsito, we had already met and said we would do something together. This guy is a killer, he's super talented! I really enjoyed working with him and if you want a scoop he's even crazier than me!
I think you already knew Jok'Air?
Yeah, we already worked together on a project for Nike. I knew his team, his brother, all that. What amazed me with Jok'Air was his work method. Actually he doesn't write on paper or phone, he comes into the booth and he just comes out with a verse. I was really surprised! We all have our own styles and approaches to writing. (laughs)
I heard that you took singing and dancing lessons... That's the premium package of the artist!
See that! We're going international! (laughs) I really try to be a complete artist! I only took four singing classes, I've never had singing classes before, and I found it amazing how a bit of technique can change a lot of things! Dancing is something I did when I was a kid with the girls back home, it was always something I loved. It goes hand in hand with music I think. I intend to use it on stage! If you come to see me in concert, you'll get your money's worth! (laughs) I'll bring the States to France!
