Rising Taiwanese-American artist sarya returns with “ARE YOU A TREE?”, a delicately constructed and emotionally rich single that continues their unique exploration of vulnerability, nature, and surreal self-discovery. A fusion of lo-fi beats, ambient electronica, and poetic introspection, the track feels like a whispered confession across time and terrain.
Written after a solitary hike to Rattlesnake Ledge in Washington state, the song turns a moment of stillness—watching trees submerged in water—into a metaphor for reawakening. “Even if it’s fleeting, it reminds you to live — and that you will love again,” sarya shares, distilling that sudden jolt of emotion that arrives after numbness into a piece that’s both tender and quietly transcendent.
Sonically, “ARE YOU A TREE?” floats in that dreamlike middle ground between lo-fi and glitch-pop. Its soft synth layers, filtered vocals, and minimalist beats channel the ambient melancholy of artists like Yaeji or even Imogen Heap. But it’s sarya’s lyrical sensibility—rooted in spoken word and steeped in everyday wonder—that sets the track apart. Their imagery is hyper-personal yet universal, inviting the listener to see their own reflection in the water.
With creative roots stretching from Taipei to Edinburgh and now Seattle, sarya’s global sensibility and genre-fluid approach continue to shine. Their 2020 breakthrough “i don’t know where i’m going but that’s okay” marked them as a voice to watch, and their EP take care of yourself confirmed their ability to transform quiet moments into cult anthems.
“ARE YOU A TREE?” is a question wrapped in soft distortion, a small heartbreak that reminds you you’re still alive. In the growing field of confessional, lo-fi electronic music, sarya remains one of its most poetic and imaginative voices.
