LA songwriter BOYU has shared his dynamic new pop/rap single “Miata Trip,” available to stream now on all DSPs worldwide. The track is BOYU’s second release of 2022, and was inspired by the highs and lows of a psychedelic trip – specifically by the globally acclaimed HBO hit show Euphoria.

“Akin to the euphoric peaks of a trip, the verses/bridge represents liberation of the soul, uplifting & carefree, paired with bright happy chords/melody,” he explains. “In contrast, the chorus/outro rap symbolize the dark downward spiral when stuck in a self-deprecating headspace, with minor chords, angsty flow/production, & slowed BPM.”

BOYU was initially trained in classical piano before turning his attention to drums, guitar, & digital production. Despite recently debuting in April 2021, his music and videos have garnered an impressive 500,000+ streams/views independently, with wide praise of Boyu’s inherent curiosity and genre-bending experimentation in his music. 

Taking inspiration from artists like Dominic Fike, Jeremy Zucker, and blackbear, the St. Louis native neatly packages inordinately cadence driven lyrical flow giving a more syncopated experience for the listener with a playful discovery of lush layers found after multiple listens.

LISTEN HERE

What’s the story of BOYU?

I’m a LA based indie pop/rap singer-songwriter. I was classically trained on the piano at a young age but didn’t actually start writing/composing original songs until I was about 14. It wasn’t until the pandemic hit when I started taking music ‘professionally’ and started pursuing the recording artist route. Since I debuted in April 2021, I’ve been releasing music and visuals consistently, playing live shows, and building up my fanbase – it’s all a grind but extremely rewarding.

How did Euphoria inspire “Miata Trip?”

Euphoria, in a way, glamorizes drugs, alcohol, toxicity in pop culture which is super fascinating and somewhat concerning. ‘Miata Trip’ is very much a song about the highs and lows during a psychedelic trip, so it was fitting to release this record just as Season 2 wrapped up. I have 2 songs in the backlog – ‘Suicide On Sunday (S.O.S)’ & ‘Liver Pains’ – that would be a great fit for Euphoria Season 3 – I just need to get in contact with the right people but I’m manifesting this will happen. 

Any funny anecdotes from the time you were recording or writing this?

‘Miata Trip’ is actually 4 songs mashed into 1. Verse 1 and 2 are one song, the chorus was a completely different song with different chords and different BPM, the bridge was supposed to be a third song, and the last 16 bar rap was intended for a rap only song, but I thought I thought it would be badass to merge all of them and really embrace the ‘genre-bending’ sound.

What’s your favorite place or environment to write?

I’ve only ever written in the comfort of my bedroom. In the past I’ve tried writing at a park or on the beach but it’s just difficult to focus with all distractions going on outside. Sometimes, I’ll be driving and an idea will pop into my head, so I’ll quickly voice memo that idea before it disappears, then I’ll flush it out when I get home later on. 

Who is an artist or band you look up to today?

Dominic Fike, Lauren Sanderson, Russ are 3 artists I’ve been looking up to lately. I really respect their origin story & how each artist navigated their way into the industry – it’s pretty inspiring for someone like me who’s just starting out.

What is your view on genres and music styles since you mix a lot of them in your music?

It’s a running joke between my artist friends that everyone these days is making ‘genre-bending’ music. Personally I think it’s super dope to be able to morph a song into different categories, defying the need to stick to one sound. Sonically, it makes the record less ‘vanilla’ and keeps the listener on their toes, displayed in ‘Miata Trip’ as it bends between pop and rap. 

How would you describe BOYU in one word?

Dynamic.