Yuna

Yuna (full name Yunalis Binti Mat Zara’ai) is best known for being a singer-songwriter of Malaysian descent. Yuna first came to light when her music went viral through the social media medium of Myspace where it amassed over one million plays.

This viral piece put her into the limelight and she was quickly snapped up and signed by Fader Label. Yuna’s passion for music came early on, when she was just 14, she began writing songs and had soon taught herself how to play the guitar. She recorded her first album in her home country of Malaysia back in 2008 with an EP named after herself. And from five nominations at the Malaysian Music Awards, she took home four trophies. These included Best New Artist and Best Song.

Yuna also has a bachelor’s degree with honours in Legal Studies, graduating in 2009. Her father is a legal advisor and her mother used to be a high school chemistry teacher who is now retired. When it comes to influential musicians, Yuna has cited names such as the band Coldplay, Bob Dylan and Feist.

When she was growing up, she stated that she also used to listen to a lot of The Cardigans and Fiona Apple. In addition to being a musician, Yuna also co-owns a women’s clothing store in Selangor, Malaysia, with a business partner called IAMJETFUEL. She has since also opened two pop stores in New York and Los Angeles. Yuna is married to a Malaysian Director called Adam Sinclair.