Sonya Prema explores the balance of gentleness and strength on her new album Tiger Tears.”

Hi Sonya!! We are so thrilled to have you at Pop Palace! How are you at this moment?

Hello Pop Palace! I am so excited to share my story with you. At this very moment I am so tired but in the best way. I have spent the past few months creating and building something that I love with the people that I love, so you can’t really get better than that.

What is your earliest memory you have with music?

My earliest memory of music is from when I was very small. It is so far back, it is hard to tell if it is a memory at all, so it is kind of two memories in one. I remember my mama holding me and us singing together, but I was so small I think it just came out as sounds. The second part of that memory is that I would often just sing to myself as a small child, whenever I got the chance. It was often to comfort myself, to pass time or to even make myself feel heard.

We are so excited for your upcoming album Tiger Tears!! Can you let us in on some of the themes and vibes of the album?

A lot of the themes around Tiger Tears lies in the balance of gentleness, strength, forgiveness and perseverance. I like to think of Tiger Tears as a love letter; to myself and to the people listening to it. Tiger Tears is designed to take you on a journey not only of struggle, but of growth and inspiration and serves as a reminder that everyone is deserving of having the dreams they want, if they are willing to put in the work and sacrifice to get there.

If you could describe your music sound/style in four words, how would you describe it?

I would describe my music as: catchy, fun, deep and ever-evolving.

When did you first begin working on Tiger Tears?

I first began working on Tiger Tears way back in 2019. I was living in Canada, in a situation that was less than ideal and in an environment that made it difficult to pursue my creative endeavors. Tiger Tears really came into fruition when I began living in New York. It was almost as if the city gave me permission to explore parts of myself that I previously had shut down, or had shut down for me. I was immediately thrown out of my comfort, forced to adapt and in that journey, met people and had experiences that inspired me and reassured me that my talent and creativity had a place.

How do you brainstorm for new projects?

My brainstorming process is so difficult to explain, particularly for this interview because I have to write it down. Behind every new idea started with an experience that moved me in some way; whether it makes me happy, sad, angry, hurt, disappointed, it doesn’t matter. The experience doesn’t necessarily have to happen to me, it can be something that I witnessed as well. When I feel uneasy or that no amount of endless yapping can bring me closure, I often just sing about it. But then again, I could be doing absolutely nothing and something will just appear. In those moments, I need to chase those moments, or the idea will slip away. Follow through on any creative idea you have I think is so important; you never know what it will become.

Do you find inspiration in any media besides music, like tv, books or film?

I often get inspired by concepts within other media; all media. This includes things like instagram content, reels, tik toks, but a really big one is concepts or ideas that are present in a film. An example of that is the idea and themes that are present in the Great Gatsby; I really liked the idea of first love theory and perfectionism and performative behaviour. Funnily enough, you can find some of these themes explored in Tiger Tears. Most of my inspiration ironically does not come from the media, but comes from what I see around me.

What have been some of the biggest challenges of navigating the music world as an independent artist?

As an independent artist, there are so many hurdles, some are bigger than others. The first hurdle is overcoming your own negative thoughts and self doubts. Having the courage and confidence to invest in yourself is not only the biggest hurdle, but the most recurring. This is something that can weigh you down, no matter how talented you are and no matter how many resources you have, if you do not have the ability to invest in yourself and put yourself and talent first, there is nothing that anybody else can do for you.

Finally, here at Pop Palace, we all have our own little “Royal Court”; of artists who inspire us and keep us going. So, if you could build your own musical palace, who would be sitting on your throne, and who would be in your royal court of all-time favorite artists?

On the throne would be Ella Fitzgeralad and Edith Piaf. These two women became the best in their fields. Not only were they “underdogs” but they became the best by being authentically and unapologetically themselves. As someone who has experienced a plethora of rejection in their life, internal and external, I revere anyone who steps into life fearlessly and with courage to show the world what they are missing out on by being sidestepped. Alongside these women would sit SZA, Jesse Reyes and Saint Levant. I admire these artists for different reasons, but one thing they have in common is their ability to story tell and tell the truth from their perspective. Besides their high vibrations as artists, their music creates life and energy within me wherever I go and whatever may be happening at the time.