Black Polish, aka Jayden Binnix (they/them), releases their daring concept album YUNA via BMG. YUNA finds the rising queer indie-alternative artist digging deep as they present playful, dark-sided lyrics and ever-shifting sonics to relay the album’s intricate narrative. The immersive story ultimately suggests that some aspects of ourselves can never be fully banished, but must be understood and accepted. They also share the official music video for album highlight “ABOUT YOU/SUNRISE,” expanding on the musical and visual world Black Polish created with previous videos for the past singles, “LUSH,” “BONDAGE” and “BE WITH YOU.”
Listen to YUNA here: https://blackpolish.lnk.to/YUNA.
YUNA is a work of fiction and fantasy, and follows the 2024 release of their debut album Forest. The album centers around Black Polish’s alter-ego “Yuna” who allows Jay to explore their most depraved instincts and hyperfeminine abilities to seduce. The immersive story ultimately suggests that some aspects of ourselves can never be fully banished, but must be understood and accepted, asking: “Can you learn to forgive the darkest parts of yourself?”
“‘Forest’ was a love letter to going through puberty,” notes Black Polish. “‘YUNA’ is a love letter on forgiving my self-destruction. The album takes place from a time where I carried an abundance of anger, mania, and depression that tore me apart. When you make peace with your past, you can exist without guilt. Just like how Yuna will always haunt me and possess my body.”
WATCH & SHARE “ABOUT YOU/SUNRISE”
Earlier this month Black Polish, announced that they’ll bring YUNA to life, with their fall North American headline tour. The tour kicks off on November 8th in Los Angeles, CA and includes stops in San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, New York City, and more – see all dates below. Tickets are on sale now and for more information can be found HERE.
‘YUNA’ TRACKLISTING
01 – INTRO
02 – BE WITH YOU
03 – AURA
04 – LUSH
05 – hallelujah (interlude)
06 – DESIGNER
07 – BONDAGE
08 – OBSESSION
09 – ABOUT YOU/SUNRISE
10 – YUNA’S LULLABY
11 – EAT (finale)
BLACK POLISH TOUR DATES
11/8 – Los Angeles, CA @ Permanent Records
11/9 – San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar
11/12 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux
11/14 – Seattle, WA @ Black Lodge
11/16 – Sacramento, CA @ Cafe Colonial
11/19 – Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theatre (The Underground)
11/21 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues B-side
11/28 – Boston, MA @ Warehouse XI
11/29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Nikki Lopez
11/30 – Wilmington, DE @ The Crown at the Queen
12/1 – New York, NY @ Sultan Room
12/2 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
12/4 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
12/6 – Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl
12/7 – Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub
12/8 – Tampa, FL @ Orpheum
MORE ON BLACK POLISH AND YUNA:
“I want to build entire worlds for people to dissect,” says Black Polish, a rising alternative star known for their cinematic anthems of angst and rebellion. Since age 14, the Los Angeles-based artist Jayden “Jay” Binnix has found a listenership of fellow misfits through their songs that delve deep on themes of mental health and identity. After breaking out with their 2020 debut single “Sophie” – currently with over two million streams – they’ve established their own style of emotionally piercing songwriting and dynamic sound, which blends alternative, electronic, and pop music. Now, Jay prepares to expand the Black Polish universe with their sophomore album, Yuna, due October 29 via BMG.
Yuna digs deep into the psyche of the Jay character, as they present playful, dark-sided lyrics and ever-shifting sonics to relay the album’s intricate narrative. The LP kicks off with the indie rock single “BE WITH YOU,” which sees Jay trying to repress feelings for a girl they just met, before the Yuna alter-ego starts to take over their body on “LUSH” – an alt-metal track that showcases Jay’s internal battle between good and evil.
They use a full range of sounds to illustrate the epic story, as on the hauntingly beautiful ukulele-featuring song “YUNA’S LULLABYE.” Meanwhile, the dark R&B and electronic pop track “ABOUT YOU/SUNRISE,” tells the two-part tale of an intoxicating evening and the regretful morning afterwards. “I’m very focused on the visuals in my lyrics, the tone of my voice when I’m singing,” Jay explains. “I’m trying to paint a whole story in three minutes.”
Though evil, Yuna also becomes a source of power, like when she appears through Jay on the bold and sadistic “BONDAGE,” which features the lyrics: “Keep you locked inside my dungeon, stay close/Cuddle with blood and guts and gore.” Jay explains: “I am the most humble, forgiving and selfless person in relationships. I give so much, I get taken advantage of, and I always feel powerless. But seeing myself as a villain, it’s like, Oh, I’m a badass.”
Having grown up in Florida and Maryland, before later moving to Los Angeles, Jay says they “popped out the womb singing.” They began taking piano lessons at age five, and later picked up the ukulele and guitar. After gaining encouragement from a vocal teacher, they penned their first song “Sophie,” inspired by their childhood girlfriend at the time. Influenced by the likes of Halsey, Twenty One Pilots, and girl in red, the alternative indie track steadily picked up attention online for its heartfelt lyricism.
They sharpened their emotive songwriting through their 2021 Out of Place EP and their 2024 debut album, Forest, on which they examined how their upbringing made it hard for them to fully express their identity, eventually finding clarity on the other side. Their songs have found placements across Spotify playlists such as New Music Friday and All-New Indie, and they contributed their original track “Armageddon” to the acclaimed Hulu series Love, Victor.
“I just want to make people feel less alone, to remind people that they don’t have to hate themselves, to inspire others to pursue creativeness and passion without embarrassment,” Jay says. “I love hearing a listener respond to my music and say, ‘This is my comfort song.’ It makes me feel so sure about myself.”
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