You should know
What I’m saying
I am changing
And it feels good
In her intimate music video for “Careless,” artist Yasminah isn’t afraid to slow down, face the camera eye to eye, and even dance when the spirit moves her while she tells her slow burning tale of feeling under-appreciated by a lover. We watch her ride the waves of frustration and feeling unseen, but after sitting with them, facing them, she (and we) ultimately lands in a rather different place:
Can’t you see
You don’t have the capacity
For love
My love
There is a timeless, classic element to Yasminah’s look and feel; “Careless” could have climbed the charts in the ‘90s during one of R&B’s golden eras. Her music video for the song is just one of her successful releases in the web3 space; on Catalog, she embraces a lighter, poppier style on “CHILLS,” while “Think of You,” her latest drop on sound (available until January 15th!) is an unreleased track from 2019 with a hook that’s had me pressing repeat.
The best songwriters, in my opinion, tell compelling stories in their unique voice over music that both compliments and challenges the artist & the listener. They lure us into their stories from the first note, and keep the listener so enchanted that everything falls away around us.
Yasminah discusses her deep love for music from a young age — among other things —in her i-wave Spotlight interview below. As a super music fan myself, I can giddily say that it shows in her work, and I’m excited to watch her continue to find new fans in web3 and beyond.
Artist Statement of the Moment:
My name is Yasminah. I am an independent singer and songwriter. I have been insanely obsessed with music since I was a little girl. My 7 years of songwriting, creating music and performing lead me into web3 at the beginning of 2022 and I’ve been immersed ever since. Since starting I have released 3 NFT collections w/ wonderful platforms such as Zora, Catalog and Soundxyz.
Independence and creative ownership has always been a focal point in my life. My plan is to be my best self, make my best music and share openly in everything that I do.
How are you feeling now?
I’m feeling grateful, motivated and relaxed.
What does success mean to you?
Success to me is fulfillment. Being fulfilled on a soul level, whenever possible is success to me.
What work of yours has you excited & inspired right now?
My most recent 25 limited edition drop on Soundxyz has been very exciting for me because it is my first new release since 2019, it’s called “Think of you” and it’s been a goal of mine to drop on this platform since entering web3 last year. My Careless Music Video NFTs continue to inspire me as well, it speaks to me and others on a soul level and it’s one of my most proudest pieces of art!
What does web3 mean to you, and what excites you about it?
Web3 means ownership, sovereignty, value, freedom and connection. It’s the way art was intended to be shared. Artist to Audience, with love no middle man.
What artists/creators are inspiring you right now & why?
Oo, that’s a tough one there are so many. Every woman in the space will forever inspire me. I love seeing our work get the recognition it deserves and us walking in our empowerment. It’s divine!
Fill in the blank: I wish the web3 music world was more ___________________.
Inclusive. Specifically wish we had more black and brown collectors in the space.
Describe yourself in one word!?
Outgoing!
What question do you wish more people asked you?
What struggles I’ve come across during my music career as an indie artist.
I guess I wish there were more times I could openly express the struggles of being indie doing everything yourself for so many years vs always having to kind of just fake the funk with the best bits of it. Both are equally important to who I am as a person today.
What message do you have for fans/supporters?
Your support means more than you can ever know, there’s been so many times I’ve stopped or went broke during this journey. Being in this space has helped me remember my music’s value. I am grateful.
How do you stay grounded in the VERY online world of web3?
ahhh, this is so important! Awareness is key, being present, deep breaths/naps, getting off my phone and interacting with humans IRL lol
Any other comments/questions?
Thank you for thinking of me 🙂
—
xo C