Get Familiar with Y.A.K and His Debut EP Paranormally
The Nigerian singer and filmmaker speaks on his project and career.
Y.A.K, real name Yinusa A. Korede, wears many hats—filmmaker, music artiste, creative director, editor, colorist, media influencer, voice-over actor and event specialist. “I call myself a storyteller. All I do is to tell amazing stories either with music, film or whatever medium at my disposal,” he tells me when I ask how he manages to handle the different roles. “It looks like a lot, but it’s basically storytelling, and I sure do know how to tell stories.”
He’s not wrong. Take his short film Flesh and Spirit for instance. It tells an intriguing tale of a love relationship between a woman and a masquerade. The film blurs the lines between the physical and the spiritual, between reality and illusion. “I made Flesh and Spirit as a way of breaking asunder the boundaries to love,” Y.A.K told Sundance Collab. Last year, Flesh and Spirit won Best Dramatic Short Film and Overall Best Movie at the Tecno Camon18 Short Film Awards.
Six days after his wins at the awards, Y.A.K, a Bachelor’s degree holder of Creative Arts: Theatre Art from the University of Lagos put out his debut four-track EP Paranormally. The project melds R&B, pop and jazz and crisscrosses topics such as love, forgiveness, self-healing and mental health - all underpinned by his rich, confident baritone. In another of his short films, IFELOJU, which was sponsored by EbonyLife Creative Academy, some of those topics are addressed with a touch of mysticism.
On the piano-led ballad “A 1917 Story,” the lead single off Paranormally, Y.A.K reaffirms his commitment to his lover. “We stayed through the times/Stood together/Only love you not another,” Y.A.K croons. His singing is melodious and stirring, recalling the works of American singer John Legend.
He seeks forgiveness from his lover on “Money Trip.” His absence from her life has put a wedge in their relationship. Y.A.K explains that the absence is unavoidable because he has to go out and make money. When he sings, “Maybe if you smile/You’ll be so much better/Just breathe,” it comes off as dismissive but his thinking, however flawed, is that with the money he will make her feel good.
On “Sleep Pills,” atop gentle drums and saxophone blasts, Y.A.K pleads with his lover not to undermine him. He wants her to take his love and dreams seriously. “Don’t you sleep on me/Make a man cry, when you sleep on me,” he sings. His demeanor on the track is vulnerability, which he quickly discards on “Therapy.”
“Therapy” is an up-tempo tune where Y.A.K rediscovers and reclaims himself. “Every little thing/Seems to get to me/Tryna find myself/Peace of mind within,” he sings. He recognizes the need for self-cleansing and chases out the demons in his life—alcohol, fear and doubt.
At the end of Paranormally, you get the sense that Y.A.K is a believer in the physical and the spiritual being yin and yang, complementing each other, and in some cases corrupting each other. And, most importantly, how a person is never balanced until both worlds within themselves find peace.
Below is my conversation with YAK as he sheds light on Paranormally and his career.
How did your career as a musician begin?
I had always loved singing as a child. People would make good comments about my singing. I decided to join my church choir. This greatly improved my singing and confidence. So basically my singing started from the church.
What was the process of recording your first music project Paranormally?
The project Paranormally is God’s blessing to be as the project was fully funded by Riddimntrips and Madestic Studio. Well, the journey to bringing Paranormally to life started when I registered for [the] Riddimntrips competition. I rarely apply for music competitions, but this was different because I actually got the [ginger] to apply. By God’s grace, I was part of the selected winners and the winning prize was a fully funded studio session for a track and a live music video. This was when I recorded my first song ever “A 1917 Story.” Though I released the live performance of “A 1917 Story” on my YouTube page, I didn’t release the song until 2021, making its way as the first track on my debut EP, Paranormally. Through Riddimntrips another contract was opened with Madestic Studio, this time for a fully funded EP titled Paranormally.
Paranormally touches on love: love of self and the love between couples. Why was love an important topic for you? And what does love mean to you?
Love for me is key. My mom and older sister have shown me how deep love can go. I basically love people and see the good in them. I easily get attracted to people. Some might say it’s a weakness, but I say it’s a point of advantage. All I want around me is pure good vibes.
What an interesting title paranormally is. What did you hope to capture with it?
Truth is, I planned to title the EP, “Paranormal Space,” but along the way, I decided to go for “Paranormally.” The work is a blend of love, psychology and mental health. I felt having these subjects in one EP itself is weird. Hence, it justifies the title, “Paranormally.”
You’re an indie artiste without the machine of a major label. What has been your experience?
The journey has not been rosy. Music is a big money business. Promotion alone is a whole lot of money. Even when you have the money, you need to be careful [about] what promotion strategy you’re spending money on because music can swallow your one million and still looks like nothing has changed. Thanks to the quality of people around me. A friend of mine AddieM sponsored my ad on IG for a month. This really brought a lot of people to listen to my music. The love from my mom, sister, family and friends has been massive. I am not desperate. I am not in a rush to blow. I am willing to take my time and learn along the way. After all, it’s a journey and I’m going to enjoy every bit of it. I might not be where I want to be yet, but surely I am not where I used to be.
What is your creative process like?
I derive inspiration from basically anything. I listen to gospel music every day. Gospel music is rich in chords, arrangement, harmony and dynamics. This has helped me in creating music. I see movies too. I can’t say that I have a particular process, all I know is some songs might take me weeks to complete, [and] others might take months. My inspiration is God.
In your experience, are there any intersections where film and music meet?
Yes, music has a huge role to play in films. Even the art of silence itself is a sound design. I look forward to creating original soundtracks for my films, as well as working with other great filmmakers to create amazing sound experiences.
How has the reception for Paranormally been so far?
The reception has been great. People love the project. I am glad that a lot of people are connecting with the project. Some filmmakers have reached out for license of some of the tracks on the project as soundtracks for their films. The goal for Paranormally is to reach a wider audience globally.
What does the future hold for Y.A.K? Any projects to look forward to?
I do not know what the future holds, but I am very optimistic that it’s going to keep getting better. This is just the beginning.
Go HERE to stream Paranormally.