After The Mikan Box last spoke with YOUHA around Head In The Clouds in 2025, she said she wanted to show fans another side of herself. With pasado, she describes the record as the most honest reflection yet of the music she loves and the stories she wants to tell now.
The album title means ‘past’ in Spanish, a word that stayed with YOUHA because it connected to the experiences and emotions that shaped her. That sense of looking back while continuing forward also appears in ‘Pink Dress.’ Its bold production and striking visuals carry a personal story about her family, especially her father, and feelings she found difficult to put into words.
In this follow up conversation, YOUHA talks about using her voice more freely, working with the director to shape the ‘Pink Dress’ video, and trusting herself enough to try something new. She hopes listeners will hear the different sides of her as one person’s story, then find parts of their own lives in the music.
Q1 When we spoke with you around Head In The Clouds in 2025, you talked about wanting to show fans ‘another side of YOUHA.’ Does pasado feel like the clearest version of that side so far?
YOUHA: Yes, I think so. This album is the most honest reflection of the music I love and the stories I want to tell right now. My musical style has changed quite a bit, and I’ve also tried new ways of using my voice. It’s a big challenge for me, too, so I’m nervous, but I hope listeners enjoy it and think, ‘I didn’t know YOUHA had this side to her.’
Q2 ‘Pink Dress’ feels very different from some of your earlier releases, especially in its production and vocal effects. What made you want to explore this sound?
YOUHA: I wanted to use my voice more freely. I felt that beyond the singing itself, the textures created through effects could become part of a song’s appeal. With ‘Pink Dress,’ I wanted to express my energy more boldly than usual and capture that feeling in the sound as well. It was fun discovering a new side of my voice as I worked on it.
Q3 What does ‘Pink Dress’ mean to you personally?
YOUHA: ‘Pink Dress’ is a song about my feelings toward my family, especially my dad. There are things that are harder to say precisely because you’re family, and emotions that are difficult to explain. I wanted to put those feelings into music in my own way. The sound and visuals are intense, but underneath them is a very personal and honest story, which makes the song especially meaningful to me.
Q4 The ‘Pink Dress’ music video has a striking, almost surreal visual style. How involved were you in developing its concept?
YOUHA: I worked closely with the director from the earliest stages, meeting regularly as we developed the concept together. I shared a lot about the emotions I wanted to express through the song and the images that came to mind, and the director expanded on those ideas visually. Although the music began with my real, everyday life, I wanted the video to express the imagination and fantasies in my head more freely. Watching it brings back so many memories of exchanging ideas and filming together.
Q5 The title pasado means ‘past’ in Spanish. Why did that word feel right for this album?
YOUHA: At first, I was drawn to the sound and feel of the Spanish language. Then I came across the word pasado, meaning ‘past,’ and its meaning resonated with me so much that I even got it tattooed. This album holds the experiences I’ve lived through and the emotions I felt along the way. I felt that all those pieces of my past came together to make me who I am today, so it seemed like the title that best expressed the album.
Q6 Since our last interview, you’ve released new music, collaborated with different artists, performed at Head In The Clouds, and continued writing for other artists. How have those experiences shaped pasado?
YOUHA: Whenever I work with other artists, I’m reminded of how many different ways there are to approach music. Writing with someone else’s voice and story in mind also helps me look at my own music from a fresh perspective. Performing teaches me when I feel most free and joyful, too. As those experiences accumulated, they gave me the courage to step outside my usual approach on this album. Whenever a new idea came to mind, I wanted to give it a try.
Q7 When people finish listening to pasado for the first time, what do you hope they understand about YOUHA?
YOUHA: Rather than defining me by a single image or genre, I hope people see me as someone who experiences many different emotions and continues to change. There are confident sides of me on this album, but there are also moments when I’m uncertain and still finding my way. I hope all those different sides come together as one person’s story.
Rather than understanding exactly what I’ve been through, I’d love for listeners to hear my story and be reminded of moments in their own lives. This music began with me, but by the time they finish listening, I hope it can become part of their own stories, too.
Q8 Looking back at the YOUHA we interviewed before HITC 2025, what do you think that version of yourself would be most proud to see about you now?
YOUHA: I think she’d be proudest that I actually followed through and tried something new. Even when there’s something you want to do, it’s easy to start worrying once you’re about to take that first step. I felt that way, too, but I’m proud that I trusted my choices through those doubts and brought my first full-length album this far. If my past self could see me now, I think she’d laugh and say, ‘You worried so much, but you did it after all!’ I’m still learning, but I think she’d also be happy to know that there’s even more music I want to explore now.
