There’s an undeniable energy when you get the chance to meet YawnyBlew and amir., the dynamic artist duo behind one of ALIBI’s newest releases, “Bouncy ‘n’ Pretty” (
to it / it). It’s as if the album’s themes are a live current passing between them and into everyone they touch. It’s impossible not to be inspired.“Bouncy ‘n’ Pretty,” an eclectic blend of hip-hop, pop, dance, R&B and drill, showcases the duo’s versatility and bold artistic vision while celebrating marginalized voices with tracks that spotlight queer love, body positivity and self-empowerment.
We recently sat down with YawnyBlew and amir. to delve into their work on “Bouncy ‘n’ Pretty,” which is actually their second album collaboration. We also got to learn more about these two talented, passionate artists and the unique journeys that got them to where they are today. Read on and enjoy!
ALIBI: Tell us a little about what got each of you into music.
YawnyBlew: Music has always been a natural extension of who I am. At 16, I took out an ad on Myspace classifieds and got recruited for an R&B group. I later pursued a degree in audio engineering, which deepened my technical understanding of music production. My professional songwriting career took off in 2017, with my first major placement on the TV series “Empire” alongside Rodney Jerkins, followed by my artist debut in 2020 as YawnyBlew.
amir.: I’ve always had a passion for music, even as a kid. Growing up at home, my parents always exposed me to the greats. Everyone from Michael Jackson to Frankie Beverly, Maze, Janet Jackson and Chaka Khan was always on heavy rotation. As a photographer, I've always gravitated towards shooting with musicians, and I’ve been very blessed to shoot some iconic album art. During COVID, I had a lot of time on my hands, and I decided to get into music production, which really helped unlock my mind to see the possibilities of what I can create. From there, I started getting into songwriting and eventually becoming an artist.
ALIBI: What has your musical journey looked like so far?
amir.: Getting into music has allowed me to be a student again. Being a photographer for 14 years and achieving a level of mastery, it was important for me to explore something I've always wanted to try but was too afraid to take a leap of fate for many years. Having downtime during COVID allowed me to find solace and detach from the chaos going on in the world in 2020. I’ve learned so much about myself over the last 5 years, and I am looking forward to seeing where this journey takes me.
YawnyBlew: For me, it’s been a dynamic and evolving journey—one that’s taught me resilience and creativity. I've had to believe in myself when others didn’t, pivot gracefully when opportunities closed, and stay committed to pushing boundaries. Over the past few years, I’ve really found my stride as an artist, music developer, and thought leader. I thrive in roles that let me explore new creative territories, whether it's developing music for sync or working behind the scenes to help others bring their visions to life.
ALIBI: What has been the coolest experience in your career?
YawnyBlew: Working with Pharrell Williams has been a career-defining moment. His ability to balance commercial success and artistry—especially with projects like the “Despicable Me” soundtracks—is the model I aim for. I had the privilege of collaborating with him in Miami while developing music for an artist on Republic Records. His humility and creative spirit left a lasting impression on me. It was one of those moments that affirmed I’m on the right path, blending my own artistry with music development for others.
amir.: As a multi-hyphenate creative, I am beyond grateful for the amazing opportunities that have come my way, including being able to shoot editorials and album covers for some of my favorite artists, Azealia Banks, Cupcakke and Diana Gordon. Stepping from behind the camera and becoming the artist myself has definitely been one of the coolest experiences in my career thus far, in addition to more cool moments that are still loading! (Speaking more cool career moments into existence.)
ALIBI: Conversely, what’s been your biggest challenge so far?
YawnyBlew: My biggest challenge has been balancing my multiple passions. I’m deeply invested in sync, developing music for other artists and creating for myself. Sometimes, I wonder if these pursuits compete with each other, but I’ve learned that they actually fuel different parts of my creativity. I’ve accepted that I don’t have to choose just one path. Instead, I focus on being present in whatever space I’m in, knowing that each role enhances my overall vision.
amir.: Most of my challenges stem from my own mindset around certain things. When it comes to visuals, I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself. Because of my background as a photographer and creative director, I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist. The industry has changed so much over the years when it comes to packaging artists and how things are done. As a fan of Dave Myers, Missy Elliot, David LaChappelle and really good set design, I’m personally not the biggest fan of this new age of native content and popular TikTok trends. I tend to lean towards visuals that feel more conceptual and glossy rollouts.
Still, I am learning that everything has a time and place, and balance is needed especially with the way that content is being consumed these days. Everything is consumed so fast, and we are no longer in the age of big rollouts. As a former photo intern at Universal Music Group, I’ve been able to see the shift happen slowly before my eyes as creative departments started to shrink. We engage with content a lot differently in 2024. In that, I'm learning to take a step back and be a little less critical and allow myself to have more fun.
People want relatability and for me it’s about striking a balance of getting your ideas out as you see fit, creating content and allowing people to see your process and be a part of your journey to the final product. One of my all-time favorites, FKA Twigs, has managed to find the balance of both being authentic to her expression and creating fun content on socials that also allows her fans to be a part of her journey and creative process.
ALIBI: You’ve worked together for some time – tell us how that started and where you’re going.
amir.: Yawny and I met on Instagram back in 2021, and we collaborated on two of his remixes from his single, “R.I.P.” It was my first time doing remixes for an artist. Yawny gave me full creative range to do my thing, which was so much fun and allowed us to bend genres and reimagine his record, eventually reworking “R.I.P.” into an entirely new record, “I Need U More,” which was our first official release as a duo.
Meeting face to face for the first time in 2022, we realized how much we had in common as two black & brown queer men growing up in NYC in the late ‘90s—the early aughts—and we connected instantly. From there, we started to lay out the groundwork for what eventually became our first album,
.Currently, we have a lot of amazing things in the works, and we are both intently working together to delve deeper into the world of sync and to continue to grow as composers, songwriters and tastemakers with hopes to push the culture forward and encourage more people to go for their dreams.
ALIBI: Can you briefly describe your creative process/approach to each new track or album?
YawnyBlew: Our process has evolved naturally over time. With DREAMBIIG, we worked mostly remotely, with amir. leading production on the east coast and me handling the song completion and press push while living in Los Angeles. Now that I’m back in New York, we collaborate more closely, piecing songs together in real-time. amir. has expanded my understanding of production, and I’ve had the opportunity to challenge us in terms of vocal arrangements and song structuring. This project allowed us to incorporate more harmonies and vocal textures, which added a whole new dimension to our work.
ALIBI: How did you find inspiration while working on “Bouncy ‘n’ Pretty”?
YawnyBlew: I’m deeply inspired by great music supervision, especially how shows like “Insecure,” “Broad City” and “Ms. Marvel” use music to elevate storytelling. Their ability to incorporate music in a way that feels natural and impactful sparked a lot of ideas for “Bouncy ‘n’ Pretty.” The themes of uplifting marginalized voices and inspiring confidence from “DREAMBIIG” also carried over into this album, which feels like a continuation of the work I’m passionate about.
amir.:In taking a similar approach as we did creating “DREAMBIIG,” and as lovers of pop music and pop culture, Yawny and I are always pulling inspiration from our favorite pop stars growing up and creating characters and vibes to embody in our delivery. As a lover of art, I’m very big on catching exhibits. I also tend to pull inspiration from visuals and imagining soundscapes that I can build around them.
ALIBI: Who were your creative influences for this work?
amir.: Pulling from the sounds and vibes of the early aughts that inspired “DREAMBIIG,” “Bouncy ’n’ Pretty” has been a continuation of that. From Lefteye to Missy Elliot and Lil Kim, creating this album has really allowed me to tap into my inner child, creating music that I know that my teenage self would love.
YawnyBlew: I was inspired by the sync successes of artists like Lizzo and Leikeli 47 and the brilliant music supervision on shows like “Insecure.” Childish Gambino and Pharrell Williams continue to influence me as well with their ability to seamlessly blend music into film. I’ve also drawn from my own experiences working in sync, aiming to create music that’s not just artistically fulfilling but also commercially viable.
ALIBI: Do you each have a favorite track on the album? What is it and why?
amir.: My favorite track on the album is “FYL.” I am a big lover of drill music, and fusing that with R&B was such a sweet spot for me. Yawny and I both blending on the hook so well was such a moment!
YawnyBlew: “Cherry Float” is a personal favorite for me. It explores a sonic space I’ve wanted to dive into for a while and feels confident and empowering. “Bitch I’m Alright” is another standout for me because it captures the duality of mourning a past life and being excited for what’s next. That complexity is something I resonate with deeply, and I think it’ll connect with listeners too.
ALIBI: What excites you most about this release?
YawnyBlew: I’m most excited to see how these songs will be received and where they’ll end up—whether it’s in films, ads or shows. I’ve always envisioned this project being part of something larger, and I’m thrilled at the potential placements we might land.
amir.:I’m excited for people to hear our growth as songwriters and producers. This project was a lot of fun to make, and it allowed me to really refine my process as a songwriter without overthinking too much and allowing myself to be in flow.
ALIBI: What are your top credits overall in this business?
YawnyBlew:
I wrote three songs for season 3 of “Empire” ("They Don’t Know," "Emotions" and "Light it All Up," produced by Rodney Jerkins).
Grammy-nominated as a backing vocalist on H.E.R’s “Hard Place” (Song of the Year and Record of the Year, 2019).
NME-nominated songwriter for Pyra’s “Yellow Fever” (Best Asian Song).
amir.: As I am still building and emerging, I’m looking to manifest more syncs and more opportunities to add to my credit list as a producer and artist! It’s been really cool to land and capture the attention of a few awesome outlets over the last 2 years, including THEM & Instinct. I am excited to see what the future brings.
ALIBI: Are you doing anything else exciting right now (career or otherwise) that you'd like to share with the world?
amir.:At this moment, I am currently leaning more into content creation and catering my photography, creative direction and video services specifically to musicians, essentially bridging the gap between my two worlds as a musician and visual artist. I’ve been working with Columbia recording artist Iniko, shooting content for them as well as a few other exciting projects that will be dropping soon!
YawnyBlew: I’m currently working in music development for Meta, where I help shape the soundtracks for major campaigns and internal initiatives. I also host several podcasts, including The Creator’s Toolkit and BIIGGER Than Our Dreams, where I explore the intersections of creativity and culture.
ALIBI: Share one line of advice (each) to others who may be endeavoring to follow your path.
YawnyBlew: My advice to anyone pursuing music is to lean into projects that align with your authentic self. The industry can be tough, but staying true to your creative vision and surrounding yourself with people who uplift and challenge you is key.
amir.:Not to be to cliche to reference a song on the album, but be “Limitless” in your pursuit of your goals and passions. The sky's the limit and you have to dive to get it! And, most importantly, always “DREAMBIIG.”
ALIBI: What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not creating awesome music?
amir.:I enjoy swimming a lot these days. I spend a lot of my mornings doing laps before jumping into my workday. Being in the water brings me peace and a sense of weightlessness. It’s easy for me to detach from the world with my phone away in the locker and really locking into a practice and creating discipline.
YawnyBlew: I love painting and traveling. Both give me new perspectives and fuel my creativity in unexpected ways. Spending time with family, my partner and my dog is also very important to me.
ALIBI: What’s the best way people can follow your work?
amir.:You can find me at
as well as . You can check out my photography at YawnyBlew: I’m YawnyBlew everywhere—on social media and streaming platforms.