Written and Photographed by Amanda M.
South Korean R&B singer SAAY bursts through New York City stronger than the stormy winds from Hurricane Debby for her solo debut at Zone One in Brooklyn on August 9th.
Amidst rainfall, gusts of wind, and sweltering heat, SLAAYERS—the name affectionately given to her supporters—were determined to see SAAY in the United States after waiting seven years since her solo debut. SAAY’s performance felt very much like a hurricane, blowing attendees away with so much passion, stage presence, and talent. And no other name aptly describes the singer whose lyrics dig deep within the soul and unearth humanity.
SAAY began her career as a teenager, helming the K-Pop girl group, EvoL as their captain. However, after several years of training and working to make strides in the industry, the group disbanded in 2015, leaving 19-year-old SAAY to pick up the pieces of what she describes as the biggest sense of failure she has ever felt. But SAAY did not go down without a fight.
While some might crumble under this pressure, SAAY was a survivor. Instead of allowing the dark thought of suicide and depression to overcome her, she expressed her frustrations and pain through her writing. It was here that the concept of the name SAAY was born and so was the idea behind her latest single, Domino. This song looks back at her career in the music industry and expresses the pressure and fear behind failing and losing everything in one swift moment.
Fans attending her Zone One debut were eager to hear DOMINO for the first time, which was expressed during her meet and greet where SLAAYERS stated that the song resonated with them and inspired them to keep going when life got hard.
These words of encouragement spurred SAAY on as she walked on stage beneath the glow of neon lights. With a high ponytail swinging side to side as she jumped in the air and told the crowd that she felt life had come full circle for her from a little girl living in Brooklyn for a few years and now making her solo debut inside the same borough.
SAAY began her set with Talk 2 Me Nice, Overzone, Baad, Omega, Circle, and the new hit single Domino. With each rendition, SAAY’s poignant voice reverberated through the venue spurring fans to dance along with their favorite singer.
SAAY’s voice has the classic soulfulness of Nina Simone and Billie Holiday, with the spunky pop contemporary vibe of Lady Gaga and Rihanna. Not many artists can have the ability to tap into the true vein of Jazz, Blues, and R&B with such vigor, and yet SAAY has taken these genres and made it her own, setting a marker for herself in the music industry as a triple threat: a songwriter, producer, and stellar singer.
The show culminated with Rocky, Sh*t Makerrrrrrrr, I’m Okay, and Sweet as Hell. Before SAAY could finish her encore, she was overcome with emotion upon seeing her fans cheering and reaching out for her. It was a moment of pride she tells KFUSE that words could not adequately capture, but as tears poured down her face while sitting in the green room, voice hoarse from giving it all, she could only smile happily taking it all in.
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