NYK Is Moving On: Inside His Final Chapter Before Yún
The Malaysian singer-songwriter is closing the book on his current moniker, experimenting with a new sound, and preparing for what comes next
- NYK is entering his final chapter under the name, with three to four singles planned before he moves on to a new project, Yún.
- His latest collaboration with Song Ning marks a sonic shift, drawing from indie music, Adventure Time, Undertale, and Gorillaz.
NYK is ready to sound different
NYK is not interested in staying where he has been.
The Malaysian singer-songwriter has released a new collaboration with Song Ning, marking the beginning of a more indie-leaning chapter in his music.
Inspired by artists such as Gorillaz, as well as the offbeat worlds of Adventure Time and Undertale, the track marks a willingness to let pop culture and nostalgia collide.
Song Ning provides the track’s softer centre. Her calm delivery brings warmth to a song built around richer textures and a more introspective mood.
”As for Song, that’s a voice I’ve been looking around for a while,” NYK says. “She’s got a really soothing and calming voice that I really thought would fit perfectly for the sound I’m heading towards.”
For an artist who has spent much of his career moving between sounds, the collaboration is another step towards figuring out what comes next.
The last experiment
Experimentation has always been part of NYK’s story. From the breakout success of AAA to his genre-blurring catalogue, he has rarely treated one sound as a permanent destination. Now, however, he thinks he may be finally approaching an answer.
“I feel like I’ve spent most of my career experimenting with different sounds, and anyone familiar with my discography will see it.”
This latest body of work could be the final stretch of that experimentation before he commits to a sound that feels distinctly his own.
”I feel like we’re at the crux of something,” NYK says. “I think this is the last experiment before I truly know what sound I want to stick with, so it’s momentous due to that”.
The difference now is clarity. He is no longer experimenting simply to see where a song takes him. He is trying to understand why certain sounds stay with him, and what they reveal about the artist he wants to become.
Say goodbye to NYK. Meet Yún
The biggest change, however, is the name. What was initially planned as an EP has evolved into something more definite.
NYK now plans to release three to four final singles under his current moniker before closing that chapter and beginning a new project as Yún.
”Interestingly enough, that was the original plan,” he reveals. “But I might just release 3-4 singles under the name NYK and begin a new project with an entirely new name.
“Yún… I think I may be saying goodbye to the name NYK in its current form.”
The tracks leading into that farewell are deeply personal, circling themes of acceptance, past mistakes, and the difficulty of letting go.
“The songs I’ve been writing have been regarding themes of acceptance, coming to terms with my past, and saying goodbyes.”
Yún, then, is more than a rebrand. It represents a chance to approach music without carrying every expectation attached to the name NYK.
The discipline behind true artistic growth
Reinvention sounds romantic until the work actually begins. For NYK, that work has meant becoming more disciplined about the process itself.
Procrastination, he admits, can create a domino effect across an entire project, particularly when multiple producers, writers, and sessions are involved.
”If you’re set to have a writing session at 8 pm and you feel like balls, write anyway,” NYK asserts. “It’ll pay you back in the long run”
The songs themselves can still begin anywhere: a drum loop, a melody, even a chord progression. The difference is that he no longer waits around for inspiration to arrive before doing the work, shifting from instinct alone to instinct baked by discipline, which has become central to his evolution.
Getting out of his own head
There was also a time when NYK felt he was performing a version of himself. “Back then I felt like I was roleplaying something, and I was young and immature.”
As his perspective has changed, so has his relationship with his own music. Instead of becoming consumed by every song, he has learned to step back from it.
“I then immersed myself so deeply in my music that I could only see it from one angle,” he says. “I think now I’m able to step back from whatever I feel or whatever the song is and write from a wider, more open perspective.”
Travel has played a role in that evolution, giving him space to encounter different environments and ways of living beyond the studio.
“I highly rate travel for the purpose of inner growth. You evolve according to your environment.”
It is a fitting philosophy for an artist preparing to leave one identity behind. NYK may be coming to an end, but the person behind the name is still moving. Yún is simply what happens next.
Frequently Asked Questions
The track features vocalist Song Ning, whose calming and soothing voice was selected to complement his indie-leaning direction.
The production draws inspiration from virtual outfit Gorillaz alongside video games and cartoons including Adventure Time, Stardew Valley, and Undertale.
Following a final run of three to four singles under NYK, the artist will officially launch an entirely new project under the name Yún.
His new songs center around themes of emotional acceptance, coming to terms with the past, and navigating meaningful goodbyes.
He relies on strict studio discipline rather than waiting for inspiration, while keeping compositions flexible by building tracks from beats, melodies, or chord progressions.
Chief of Editorial Content Patrick Ty
Photography Victor Yee
Special thanks Ben Yeoh of ACT Group
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