It has been two months since the talented Aleyna Tilki released ‘Take It Or Leave It’ to bless our ears – and we are not going to lie on here, we have been listening to this on loop ever since. As a Turkish artist that has been famous from a very young age, some of us at THP got to see her growth as an artist over the years, and we absolutely love how she surprises us with every release. And of course, ‘Take It Or Leave It’ was the peak for us. We are literally obsessed and not ashamed!
[apple_music_ad artist=”Aleyna Tilki” song=”Take It Or Leave It”]And, surprise! We got to talk to our lovely Aleyna about her career, ‘Take It Or Leave It,’ and more. This interview really gave us a chance to get to know Aleyna Tilki and her mindset even more, so we are warning you. If you are new to the world of Aleyna Tilki, you’ll be hooked at the end of the interview. Now, we’ll leave you to read this beautiful interview, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
What was your “I made it.” moment as an artist? When and how did you realize you are finally living your dreams?
I have never said “I made it,” and I always aim to achieve more. I will always aim to be more successful than I will be at that moment. This goes for creativity, fame, and success, anything that is measured for my career. I have always aimed to be at a higher level. I could not achieve any success to be a global artist if I had said “I made it” on any level.
You are a young, talented, and successful artist, but how did you decide to become an artist? Who inspired you the most to take that step?
I was really determined to have a career as an author and to have my own chemistry lab. But I’ve seen that science is not enough to explain my feelings. Then suddenly, I ended up being on Turkey’s Got Talent, which changed my life. People demanded that I sing songs. It was a great experience.
‘Take It Or Leave It’ is your second international solo single, and we are getting an English album from you! Does the song represent the general sound of the album?
This song is exactly the “spoiler” of the album. The album is in the rock-pop genre, but I also have hyper-pop songs. But ‘Take It Or Leave It’ truly reflects the mood and general sound of the album. Also, this song’s lyrics are consistent with the album’s general vibe of being a rebellious, spiritual, deep, independent, and strong soul who does not rely on anyone.
You’ve recorded songs in both English and Turkish. Does it feel different when you’re singing in one language vs. the other?
I like both languages. I have various sound characteristics. That’s the biggest challenge we have to face with my vocal coaches in the studio. The many personalities in me have different types of vocals, and this surfaces in my English version of songs.
Was it difficult going international with your career? What were some challenges you didn’t expect?
People do not know where Turkey is and confuse us with other countries. Also, they have a prejudice against Turkish people. But I have realized that in Britain, people don’t have this kind of prejudice. Being unique is welcomed here so much. So this challenge became an advantage for me. Also, English is not my native language, so it was a challenge for me to pronounce the words correctly for everybody to understand, but I think I nailed it!
The self-reflective nature of your music makes it feel very relatable and authentic. Can you walk us through your songwriting process?
I like to write songs in Britain mostly. Because it’s mostly cloudy with little sunshine, this weather is a great reflection of my soul. It really inspires me because I like my solitude and long walks. In these sessions, the feelings, the memories, and the dreams create a great environment inside of me, which leads me through my writing process. Also, I like to reflect on the rich and generous elements of my Turkish culture in my creating process.
And we love the vibe of the music video for ‘Take It Or Leave It’ so much! Do you have any fun memories of filming it?
I always chased real love instead of inequality, and I always rebelled, rejecting the loveless people. I wanted to show that love can be natural, good, bad, and can be together. The video is about my high school era, the “school’s out“ time which was my favorite part of the day. The motorcyclists that were in the video were the real guys who picked me up from school. My video BFF was my real BFF when I was in high school. The garage in the video is my real garage, where I feel childish and pure. I believe in the motto “essence to essence” and wanted to reflect on my reality in the video.
You wrote ‘Take It Or Leave It’ with Mali-Koa Hood! How was working with her? Will we get more collaborations from you two in the future?
I don’t have just one song with Mali-Koa Hood. We have many other songs together. She has a great spirit, making me feel that I know her from my other lives. She preserves her peaceful sides with the rebellious sides of her soul like me. I love her so much. To write songs with her makes me feel like I am putting myself into words in the best way possible.
For your first widely acclaimed English record, ‘Retrograde,‘ you worked with megastars like Dua Lipa and Diplo, among many others. What was your first reaction when you got this opportunity, and how was your experience working with an all-star team?
I had wished for a sign from the universe for my first international single when there was not even a bit of this song in my mind. And the universe sent this song from great musicians such as Dua Lipa, Sarah Hudson, and Diplo to me.
You named your new genre ‘Juicy Punk.‘ What is the inspiration behind this, and if you only had one word to describe it, what would it be? How did you find yourself down the path to this new sound?
I was famous when I was so young, and because of that, most of my outfits are colored pink or pastel, which is named “juicy.” This style became a great fit for my age. So I wanted to keep this juicy look. But I also have a rebellious and disobedient dark side, so I wanted to blend both these moods into my music’s identity. “Juicy punk” is a reflection of my true personality.
What can fans expect from you for the rest of 2022?
I realize I have a talent for psychoanalysis. I have been writing a personal development book since I was nine. I was a great fantasy author when I began to work on music. I am delighted to see human psychology’s depths and analyze the soul. I was always into the reasons behind human behavior. And I like to reflect all this knowledge to my music and get deeper and deeper into it. From this, I am preparing new songs and a new album by the end of the year. You’ll be more surprised with my next releases because we’re all witnessing my journey of finding myself. All of my songs have the same feeling and vibe, but I want to embellish them with different sounds. My next solo release will be a hyper-pop release, the genre that attracts me most nowadays.
Ah! We are so excited to hear this new Aleyna Tilki sound! What about you? Do you love Aleyna Tilki’s ‘Take It Or Leave It’ as much as we do? Let us know in the comments below or tweet @TheHoneyPOP or talk to us on Facebook or Instagram! Meanwhile, don’t forget to stream ‘Take It Or Leave It’ right here.
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