Klemntyna, a rising artist whose journey spans from Warsaw to New York and London, has just released the live performance video for her single “FYS,” from her debut album SHE. With a Halloween-inspired flair, the music video arrives just in time for the scariest season of the year!
Born and raised in Poland, Klemntyna moved to New York City to pursue her studies at New York University before relocating to London to attend King’s College London. Now splitting her time between these two major cities, Klemntyna pours her personal experiences into her music. Known for her powerhouse vocals, Klemntyna draws influences from iconic artists like Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey, while also embracing the atmospheric tones of Lana Del Rey and the innovative edge of The Weeknd.
Her debut album SHE, released last June, showcases the ups and downs of life, especially in your early 20s. The second track off the LP, “FYS,” carries a powerful message about moving beyond the illusions of past relationships. Reflecting on her own experience, Klemntyna shared, “I wrote this song inspired by the personal experience of developing feelings for someone who turned out to be the complete opposite of what I thought they were.”
The Halloween-themed music video for “FYS” follows the release of three other live performances that Klemntyna unveiled over the last few months. Marking the final step in this first chapter of her career, the talented singer now looks to the future, promising more content to come.
In her exclusive interview with InMusic, Klemntyna discusses the inspiration behind “FYS,” the creative process behind her live vocal performance video series, and the broader themes explored in SHE. To learn more about her journey, the making of SHE, and her plans for the future, keep reading this conversation with Klemntyna.
How would you define your music?
My music is a mix of powerhouse vocals influenced by singers like Beyonce, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey or Ariana Grande, synthy Alt/Dark Pop and R&B production influenced by artists like The Weeknd, Raye, Lana del Rey, or Billie Eilish, and personal & captivating lyrics influenced by Beat Poetry, Rap/HipHop and Alt Pop, such as Allen Ginsberg, JAY Z or Mac Miller.
Can you tell us about your new single “FYS”?
FYS is the second push track from my debut album SHE, which came out on June 21st, 2024. To celebrate it, I’m releasing a live vocal performance of the song directed by Zachary Grullon from OddOneOut Production. This is also my last live vocal performance video from the series of 4, which came out earlier this year. The song was produced by Jake Tavill at Indigo Soul NYC, and it’s one of my favorite ones on my debut album!
What is the meaning behind this song?
FYS is an empowering song about getting over falling for an idea of them in your head. It has a freeing and uplifting feel because it’s written from the perspective of someone who just got over the breakup and is able to notice the flaws of that relationship with a bit of distance and fresh outlook. I wrote this song inspired by personal experience of developing feelings for someone, who turned out to be a complete opposite of what I thought they were.
The music video has a Halloween theme. What was it like shooting with it?
The live vocal performance of FYS features green colors and an all-black outfit I styled for myself, which inspired the Halloween theme. We filmed it together with the remaining 3 other videos in Brooklyn, NY. Directed by Zachary Grullon, the video features me singing live, as well as my producer, Jake Tavill, and my friend Haley Gould in the background as the band. The set design for the video was made by my mom (who is a set designer in Poland). Shooting it was an awesome experience, but it also required a lot of focus from everyone on the team as we had very limited time to film all 4 videos. Each video also featured different lighting and outfit to make it look original and unique.
Since “FYS” is about moving past a relationship, did the lyrics come easily to you, or was it a challenge to get that emotion across?
I began writing FYS on my own on the piano, but later had my producer, Jake, help me finish it. I remember it was pretty easy for me to write the first verse but I got a bit stuck on the chorus. It was thanks to Jake that the song developed into this empowering, post-breakup track that it is today! Overall, we finished writing FYS together in one session.
This song is part of your debut album, SHE. How does it fit into the larger themes of the album?
SHE is a coming-of-age album that talks about the ups and downs of exploring your early 20s, including relationships, ambition, and personal growth. With the post-breakup messaging, FYS fits right into the larger theme of the album!
When you listen to SHE now, is there a lyric or line that really stands out or captures the essence of the album?
There are a few! The first one I’d highlight is in the first track on the album, “DISTANCE”: “Tell me how much more I have to run / The Distance doesn’t seem to change the more that I become / Always speeding up the pace, I end up in a race / Thought everything would change for me, but I can’t breathe again”. This song is about realizing that your journey only gets longer the more you accomplish. I compared it to a race because it really does feel like I’m in a constant competition with myself and I can’t stop to take a breath and appreciate the present. I’d consider this song and its message fundamental in the context of the entire album because this feeling of always running has been something I’ve always experienced and that defined my early 20s and before. There are also other lines/lyrics I would highlight such as in “HAPPY”, which talks about struggling to feel happy and letting your mind spiral too often, or “BUBBLE”, which talks about feeling isolated by social media. Some other songs on the album, such as “CHASE” or “DREAM” dive into my reflections on how I tend to act in relationships, which I’d also emphasize in the context of capturing the essence of the album.
Will there be more live performance videos coming up?
FYS is the final one out of all 4 that we shot, but there will for sure be more content coming out so make sure to follow my socials! 🙂
What is a message you would like to give through your music and why?
I really hope that my music will inspire others and help them understand some of the feelings they might be going through. I think of my music as a diary of various moments I’ve experienced or that have made an impact on me. In this way I hope my music will help others explore their feelings and inspire them.
Is there anything else you’d like people to know?
If you’d like to stay in touch or learn more about my music, make sure to check out my socials: @klemntyna (on every platform), or visit my website at klemntyna.com 🙂
Listen to Klemntyna’s new single “FYS” on our Spotify playlist:
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