Yavin Turns His Uncertainties Into a New Chapter With Underdog
Nearly walking away from music, only to find a new reason to keep going years later, is the contradiction at the heart of Underdog, the project that marks Puerto-Rican & Colombian-American singer-songwriter Yavin’s return to EPs after nearly seven years. Released on October 16, the project draws from personal conflicts to explore the need for recognition and the impact that seeking approval can have on the way we see ourselves.
The story begins with a love story, but its real focus lies beneath the surface. In Underdog, winning someone over becomes intertwined with the desire to prove one’s own worth, while the feeling of always coming second extends beyond romantic relationships to Yavin’s experience as an independent artist. The title captures the position of someone who continues chasing something that feels out of reach, even when the path forward becomes uncertain.
That restlessness doesn’t translate into a single sound. The EP moves from the alternative pop of “Marathon,” with its early-2000s influences, to the hyperpop experimentation of “Switch” and the intimate atmosphere of “Trophy,” a ballad produced by Yavin himself. These sonic shifts mirror the emotional fluctuations of the narrative without confining the project to a single formula.
The same tension carries into the visual identity, built around clones and trophies as symbols of the struggle between the person one hopes to become and the way one sees oneself. Creatively directed by Yavin himself, the project features collaborations with photographer and visual artist Kaio Cesar and Tyler Frost. The cover artwork was designed by Brazilian artist LUCASPHOBIA.
Rather than offering easy answers to the conflicts it explores, Underdog turns vulnerability into creative expression. For Yavin, the project also represents an opportunity to move forward without allowing external recognition to determine the value of his work. The desire to be chosen remains at the center of the story, but it is no longer the only measure of how it ends.
FEATURE INTERVIEW:
Underdog marks your first project in nearly seven years and explores something deeply personal: the search for validation and the feeling of never being someone’s first choice. What made you want to turn these experiences into a conceptual project, and what was it like revisiting those feelings while writing the songs?
Making this EP was a really cathartic experience. After having dealt with those feelings of not measuring up for so long, I nearly quit music on more than one occasion, so it’s ironic that the thing I wanted to stop doing was the thing that helped me rediscover myself. These types of emotions are kind of embarrassing; nobody wants to admit to being a quitter or needing validation, but expressing them really reminded me why art and music are so vital to my survival and why I can’t possibly throw in the towel.
Although the EP tells a love story, it also explores self-esteem, insecurity, and the need to feel chosen. At what point did you realize that, sometimes, the desire to win someone over has more to do with seeking validation than with the feelings themselves?
I realized the cycle I was in after a particular situationship I was in several years ago. It was a really hard split for me, and when it was over, I just became this serial dater until the point where I realized I didn’t even really like a lot of the people I was seeing. I was just hoping I would find someone who would make me feel like I was good enough to stay with.
The project moves through different sounds, from 2000s-inspired alt-pop to hyperpop experimentation and ballads. Its visual narrative is also built around symbols such as clones and trophies. How did you develop the sonic and visual identity of Underdog to convey the conflicts at its core?
Sonically, since the EP follows a consistent narrative from start to finish, I just wanted each song to reflect the story beats as best as possible. So although there’s not one specific genre, I’m proud of the way the music drives the character arc. Aesthetically, the clones and trophy came about because even though Underdog is a love story, it’s mainly about the ways in which I battle with myself to feel loved, and the trophy represents that goal of achieving that feeling of acceptance.
As an independent artist, you also identify with the idea of being an underdog, especially when watching peers and friends carve out their place in the music industry. After nearly seven years without releasing a full project, how has your relationship with your career changed? And what would you say to the Yavin who first started this journey in 2019?
My relationship with my career has been kind of turbulent, to be honest. It started off so beautifully. I was super passionate during the first couple of years, and that passion stemmed from an absolute love of creating. After those first couple of years, that’s when the self-doubt and comparisons started to kick in, along with a general boredom from not feeling as creatively fulfilled anymore. So I did almost quit a couple of times, but this EP really reinvigorated me in a major way, and I’ve never been happier as an artist. So I’d say to younger Yavin to just hang in there and get out of your own way, because it’s not that you don’t love art anymore; it’s that you don’t love yourself as an artist enough, and you should, because you’re amazing. Just be patient.
You have Colombian roots and built your career in the United States. How do your Colombian roots influence your artistic identity and the way you express yourself through music?
Some of my earliest musical memories include my parents playing Carlos Vives, Elvis Crespo, Selena Quintanilla, and other Latin artists around the house, and it was those early years that really shaped my love for music. My Puerto Rican side of the family is also extremely musical, as many Latino families are. I have so many incredibly talented relatives with beautiful voices, and so I definitely do feel a certain sense of responsibility to make all of them proud. I haven’t taken the chance of writing in Spanish or pulling from Latin genres in my music yet, but that’s definitely something I plan on exploring down the line. There are also just so many cool Latino indie artists that I’d love to work with who are doing so many cool things, especially from Colombia and Puerto Rico, such as Salt Cathedral, Bodine, and Melodie. They’re blending genres together in such cool ways and really pushing the boundaries of Latin pop and alt music. Hats off to all of them.
TEAM CREDITS:
Editor-in-Chief: Prince Chenoa
Feature Editor: Taylor Winter Wilson (@taylorwinter)
Brazil Editor: Leonardo Loreto (@leonardoloreto)
Writer: Gillian Caetano (@gilliancaetano)
Photographer: Kaio Cesar (@kaiocsr)
