Joya Marleen lets herself be carried by the wind

At 21 years old, Joya Marleen releases her first album on January 17, 2025, “The wind is picking up”. La Saint-Galloise returns for us to some of the titles that make it up.

How do you feel about releasing your first album?

It’s really a special feeling. I’ve released songs before, but people have told me that it’s once you release your album that you’re a real artist. I was kind of like “yeah, yeah,” but now I really feel it as something special.

Why this title “The wind is picking up”?

“The wind rises” refers to that moment of calm before the storm. And on the album cover, there is a paper airplane. I feel a bit like this plane: it needs wind to be able to fly. It was a great metaphor for my situation. I don’t know where the wind will take me, but I want to try my luck.

Your music is born from your “cinematic spirit”. Explain to us.

I dream a lot and it’s a bit like clips or films in my head. And when I write a song, I try to soundtrack those scenes in my head. It must be said that I love films like those of Tim Burton. I think fantasy films are the best.

“Last Dance”, which evokes the end of a relationship, ends with a laugh. “I think I’m in Love” opens with the same thing. Was it intentional to link the two titles?

We wrote both songs on the same day with two friends. Honestly, I think those “la la la” were just in my head. And I really liked the idea of ​​the beginning and the end of a relationship that emanates from these two songs.

“End Of The World” contrasts the darkness of the world with the need to maintain hope. Why is it important to remember to stay positive?

We would go crazy if we lost hope. I speak for myself, but when I look at what is happening in the world, I find it a little overwhelming. I didn’t want to make it a political song, but express what I feel and be authentic. And when things become too overwhelming or anxiety-inducing, we must continue to remain hopeful.

You were inspired by the instrument to write “Theremin”. How do you start from an object to make a song?

I think it’s very helpful to have something that inspires you. In this case, it was an instrument. I don’t know how to play it, but I found its sound so strange. It gives the impression of being in space. That’s where I imagined myself when writing this song.

In “Difficult,” you sing “I know the devil too well, she’s in the mirror on the shelf.” Are you your own enemy?

Sometimes…I’m an overthinker. When I was younger, I always wanted to do well. I used to replay the conversations I had had. Even today, I think too much. I find that sometimes we are our own enemy because we are the ones who imagine that what we did or said was weird. The others often have nothing to do.

In 2025, Joya Marleen will be on the roads of Austria, Germany and Switzerland. His “Falling in love” tour, which aims to be “a celebration of the feeling of falling in love”, will notably pass through Lausanne (March 6), Sion (March 8) and Friborg (March 14). “I want people who come to my concerts to find a space where they feel comfortable and for these to be moments during which they can let go,” she explained to us.