UMI is creating space for healing
The R&B star is bringing fans together through music and meditation
Born to a Japanese mother and Black American father, UMI’s introduction to music was unique. Her mother was a pianist and her father was a drummer and DJ, so, naturally, UMI started young. She began writing music at five years old, keeping ideas in her songwriting journal. As a child, she listened to everything from gospel and soul to classical and J-pop. Traces of all of these influences can be found in the genre-bending style of R&B she’s crafted: the type of music that’s perfect for decompressing after a tough day at work or getting introspective on a long walk through nature.
The deep bond with her fans that UMI has been fostering since her debut EP Interlude in 2017 (and even earlier than that when she was uploading covers of popular songs to SoundCloud) is paying off in a major way. Her latest single “wherever u r,” currently has over 70 million streams on Spotify. The warm, earnest love song featuring V from the ubiquitous K-pop group BTS, immediately captures the listener’s attention with a gorgeous melody and memorable hook. The massive popularity of the group has resulted in a sizable boost in streaming numbers particularly in Southeast Asia, Brazil and Mexico. The feature is especially noteworthy because BTS is currently on hiatus as they serve in the Korean military. UMI recently dropped a meditation version, lullaby version and a instrumental + karaoke version of “Wherever U R,” in a move that will add even more oomph behind the hit.
UMI’s mindfulness journey has been a crucial part of her music for quite some time. She dropped out of the University of Southern California in 2018 to follow through on her deep intention: pursuing music full time. She spent that year manifesting specific goals she hoped to achieve and writing them down, getting as granular as the number of views she wanted on her videos and the number of streams she hoped for on her songs.
UMI likes to start off each of her concerts with a meditation, reminding her audience to breathe and be present in the moment. She first started meditating after high school. As an overly-anxious kid, she found herself often overwhelmed by her thoughts and in a constant state of worry. She needed a way to clear her mind and be more present, so she gave meditation a try. After her first 10-minute session, she was moved to tears, overcome with emotion because it was the first time she had experienced that level of stillness in her mind. Ever since, she’s made it a part of her regular routine. In fact, every full moon, UMI updates her YouTube channel with a new video tackling a different mindfulness topic. In addition to her touring schedule, she hosts sessions for her fans that include yoga, breathwork and sound bath meditations, with her music serving as the backdrop.
“I love to incorporate my music into the meditation I teach because my music is created with the spirit of peace infused in it,” UMI said in a YouTube stream. She wants attendees to leave these sessions with the following takeaways: a deeper understanding of their energy bodies, tools to calm their anxiety, a community of like-minded friends focused on healing, and a new energy field for manifesting their dream reality. To say UMI cares deeply about her fans and her connection to them is an understatement.
Listen to “wherever u r” here and license from UMI to soundtrack your next project.