In an age when celebrities are made and moulded with formulaic-like precision, Audrey Nuna’s ineffable charm stands out in stark contrast. You might recognise her from a variety of avenues. There is her breakthrough track, ‘Comic Sans’ featuring Jack Harlow; her appearance at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards where she sports a sleeping bag-inspired ensemble on the red carpet; and, of course, her role as the singing voice of Mira, a fictional character in the most streamed movie on Netflix of all time.
“I think it’s safe to say that being a part of KPop Demon Hunters and going through this whiplash journey has taught me so much. It reset as well as reinvigorated my understanding of how little I know,” Nuna muses. Bearing in mind her diverse musical leanings which deftly meld rap, jazz and pop, the irony of this statement is not lost on me. There is a sagacity to Nuna which I observe throughout our conversation; a keen understanding of the industry she is a part of alongside a creative intuition that is born from years of experience. Despite this, it’s clear to see that she means every word. “Seeing the way KPop Demon Hunters took off put me in a space of being like, wow, okay, I really don’t know anything,” she continues. “And this humility of being okay with the unknown feels good.”
In this case, the unknown that Nuna is referring to is her upcoming album. It has been a year since she released Trench, her sophomore musical venture, and she is back in the studio “listening to some things”. Considering Nuna’s heterogeneous collection of creations so far, this could mean anything.
“If there’s something that served a purpose for me but I am looking forward to leaving behind, it’s the use of hard auto-tune. There was a lot of use of it on Trench,” Nuna points out. “That was intentional on my end for this project. It was a clear sonic choice that I wanted because it aligned with the meaning of this album. I created this character who was battling the bionic overtaking of herself. But for this upcoming year and with the new music I’m making, I’m excited to get to know my voice again on a more intimate level.”
While Nuna has yet to touch on a potential release date, it feels as if she is already making significant headway in her new direction. She exudes an unwavering confidence throughout our chat, noticeably so when I bring up the visual direction she has for her new work.
“If there was a kind of imagery that represents my new album, I’d say it is nature—which I know is very different for me. I’ve always been about cities. My whole creative identity imploded when I moved to New York from the suburbs of New Jersey, so I’m usually very much into cityscapes or an urban, industrial sort of vibe,” she laughs. “But I don’t know. Lately, I’ve been feeling inspired by mountains. I stayed in this Airbnb in LA after the new year and it was right next to a mountain. We talked every day, the mountain and I.”
While it is not unheard of for artists to pivot and debut a whole new sound, it is a move that comes with a certain amount of risk—especially in an age when fan engagement is more prevalent than before. I tentatively broach the subject of juggling fan’s expectations with her own, but Nuna remains unfazed.
“Right now. I’m grateful to anyone who’s on this journey with me and who appreciates the art that I make. I choose to focus on that rather than anything else,” she explains. “I make it a point to surround myself with people who believe in me as well as love and care for me outside this career.”
I voice my admiration of her conviction in showcasing her vision and craft. Nuna is quick to point out that none of this comes easy. “It took me time to build this,” she says, gesticulating vaguely at her form. “I’ve been in this industry for a long time and I’ve been trying to do this since I was 18 or 19. It’s been almost 10 years now. There has been a lot of struggle and hard lessons, but that allowed me to feel grounded in who I am. It’s so clear to me that I don’t need to follow anything except my own internal compass.”
It is a philosophy that extends to her fashion and beauty cues, too. While her taste in jewellery remains consistent with a penchant for simple, functional and well-made pieces as well as an acrylic ring or two, the clothing sphere has always served as fertile ground for experimentation.
“Fashion was one of the first creative domains where I felt like I could make choices as a kid. I grew up in a pretty boring town in New Jersey and my only escape from boredom was music and also going to my dad’s clothing manufacturing company in Manhattan’s garment district as a kid,” she states ruefully. “On weekends, I’d play with the fabric and try things on. So, fashion is not just a passion of mine, but it is also deeply connected to my family’s story of surviving here in this country. I hold it near and dear to my heart.”
She goes on to talk about her biggest style inspiration: her grandfather, whom she finds has an uncanny ability to make anything look good. “Everything looks swaggy on him,” she affirms. “He could wear Skechers—and you know, nothing against Skechers—but he could make them look expensive and classy. I learnt from him that fashion is how you embody things and there’s no limit if you need to wear something feminine or masculine or both at the same time. I love the juxtaposition of it.”
Indeed, it is a type of duality that feels like a core facet of Nuna—one that still bears an infinite amount of potential despite Trench’s exploration of opposing styles. It is, after all, a love that has persisted since childhood, earning her a moniker that is intriguing and delightful in equal measure: blueberry Cheeto.
“Blueberry Cheeto goes way back. I was on a camping trip with my cousins and we were just snacking. And with Korean snacks—especially during Thanksgiving—there’s this weird mix of all these different types of foods. So, there was a plate of blueberries and Cheetos together on one plate. Everyone thought that was weird, but I was kind of a weird kid,” Nuna reminisces. “I tried them together and I liked it. Then my cousin coined the nickname and it just stuck. I stand by the fact that it tastes good and I think it just speaks to how much I love contrasting flavours being put together.”
Try as you might, it seems some things don’t change—even when you’re on the precipice of your biggest reinvention yet. We can’t help but be grateful for that.
Photography Domen & Van De Velde
Styling Danyul Brown
Make-up Ashley Ysabelle
Hair Antoine Martinez
Manicure Marielle
Executive producer David Bay
Producer Alexey Galetskiy
Casting Jill Demling/Creative Casting Agency
Styling assistants Alexandria Smith, Amanda King and Haley Lux
Production assistants Ivan Shentalinskiy, Justin Barahona and Dani Beecroft
Production AGPWEST Studio
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