Recorded 2012 Label Fader Label | Genre Indie, Folk Writer(s) Pharrell Williams | |
Released January 24, 2012 (2012-01-24) Format Digital download, CD single | ||
"Live Your Life" is a song by Malaysian singer Yuna. Produced by renowned producer, Pharrell Williams, "Live Your Life" is Yuna’s first single from her self-titled album Yuna. A remix version of her song "Live Your Life" by MeLo-X appeared on the in-game radio station WorldWide FM in the video game Grand Theft Auto V.
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Background and release
Yuna was discovered in the United States by the Indie-Pop record label and management company. They flew out to Malaysia to convince her to sign with them and then proceeded to get her a deal with FADER Label, a record label based in New York, in February 2011. She released her debut US EP, Decorate, in the United States in March the same year.
One of the first few people who expressed interest in her music was Farhan Fadzlishah aka Pa'an (Telephony Delivery), who later became her supporting guitarist. Along the way, Efry Arwis (Lightcraft) helped her with the bass while Adib Azfar handled the drums. Adil Ali (Seven Collar T-shirt) replaced Adib Azfar after the latter quit to concentrate on his drumming role in Oh Chentaku. Yuna performs with her band when she is not active in acoustic gigs.
On April 24, 2012, Yuna's U.S. debut self-titled album was released. Debuting at No.23 on the Pop chart and No.86 on the Top 100 Albums on iTunes, Yuna was also No.23 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Chart. Accolades from fans and critics alike, such as Billboard, NPR, Elle, NY Times, Vibe Claire and National Geographic, who raves that her sound is “as fresh, honest and deeply personal as anything by Bon Iver or tUnEyArDs," have been rolling in.
On January 24, 2012, her single "Live Your Life" debuted on iTunes. The track was produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Pharrell Williams.
Critical reception
MTV Iggy described the track as, "polished until it gleams but instead of burying Yuna, it lifts her up. The track has hints that a diva is waiting to shine." A writer for Billboard magazine described the track positively and noted that it was fairing extremely well and would likely chart soon: "25-year-old alterna-pop singer Yuna is gaining traction with her dreamy single "Live Your Life," produced by Pharrell Williams. During the June 11–17 [2012] tracking week, it was among the top 10 most-played songs on SiriusXM's 20 on 20 channel and WLOQ Orlando, Fla., according to Nielsen BDS. On YouTube, its three official clips and a performance on TBS' "Conan" have generated a combined 1 million views. Signed to the FADER label, Yuna wraps a tour with Graffiti6 on June 25 before heading out for dates with David Gray in early July."
Music video
On February 16, 2012, the official music video for "Live Your Life" was released to Yuna's official YouTube/Vevo account.
Live performances
Yuna performed "Live Your Life" on late-night TV shows Conan and Last Call with Carson Daly. She was featured on the CBS Evening News in a featured profile piece and toured with Graffiti6 with stops at Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza. She also contributed to the Savages soundtrack on the track, Here Comes the Sun.