BAYEM’s Multidimensional Pop Evokes Futuristic Nostalgia, Past Boundaries.
Timelessness manifests in BAYEM’s addictive pop blend of nostalgic and futuristic soundscapes. Not afraid to embrace multiple sources of inspiration, the 24-year-old artist steps away from the bright, ‘80s-adjacent sensibilities of debut album tracks such as “Joyride” and “Runnin,” and into a mature, vaporwave universe, with his new EP, OASIS. During preparations for the upcoming project, BAYEM spoke with me about moving onto new conceptual territories, the universality of pop, and his lifelong musical journey.
This interview has been lightly edited for context and clarity.
Evi: Would you like to give a brief introduction to yourself and talk a little bit about your background? If I'm correct, you grew up in a musical family and around music.
BAYEM: My name is BAYEM. I'm 24 — that'd be 25 this year. I'm from Indianapolis, Indiana, originally, but my background goes to Germany — my mother's from there, she was born in the East. So a lot of my influence is kind of a mix of Euro music from the ‘70s and ‘80s, and then what my dad listened to because he's from here. So yeah, I grew up in a musical family. It was pretty standard to have music at every gathering. So I kind of, mentally, pushed it into the background until it was time for me to actually dive into it. And then it was like, “Okay, that's pretty cool. It feels natural.”
Evi: So how would you describe your music to someone who has never heard of BAYEM before?
BAYEM: I'd say it's kind of a mix of a lot of different things, but in the end, it's something that is pretty accessible to everyone. Especially because, influentially speaking, I love people like Prince and Michael Jackson. So, I think in a lot of ways, I try to apply some of that universal energy to the songs.
Evi: If I had to label your music, I would personally use “pop” — so is that a genre umbrella that resonates with you? How did that accessibility make its way into your sound? Was it a conscious choice?
BAYEM: For sure. I think it was semi-conscious, to be honest. In a lot of ways I started out pretty standard for Indiana fair, you know, when it comes to dipping my toes into acoustic and trap music. But I think, with pop, I gravitated towards it because I like genres that feel very wide open. Pop is a pretty general label. So anything that retains a little bit of that pop, could just fall under the umbrella. I like that creativity there.
Evi: I do feel like pop tends to be quite a misunderstood genre in a lot of ways. But I think, when you actually sit down with artists who do pop, most of the time they genuinely love doing it — and writing it. Is there something in that creative process specific to pop music that attracts you to it?
BAYEM: Yeah, definitely. I feel like, in a lot of ways, pop music allows me to be my authentic self. Whether I'm feeling vulnerable, or 10 feet tall, I can equally talk about it. And it's fair game. So, I definitely feel like pop allows me to just be real to however I'm feeling at the time.
Evi: Before listening to your upcoming project, if someone asked me about the “BAYEM brand” I would’ve associated your sound with a really vibrant universe — very colorful, like your music videos. So I’d personally connect that to an obvious ‘80s influence — like you also mentioned, Prince and Michael Jackson. And I feel like, for this new EP, there has been a shift into a bit of a darker territory. The visuals carry a broodier aura. How did that transition come about?
BAYEM: I think a lot of it was just getting older. Coming in, it's really bright — you're feeling really light about everything. I felt like I was very new, in terms of being able to write about topics that felt a little bit more deep and personal to me. So I think that shift is probably less of a darkening and more of a pulling the veils back, making it more realistic and more authentic now.
Evi: So what is the new project about? And what is the meaning behind the title, OASIS, to you?
BAYEM: The initial idea behind the title was [that] an oasis is just one lush place in the middle of a giant, barren desert. I feel like, in a lot of ways, at the time I was writing it and a little bit before, my outlook on life was kind of similar; Οn a day to day basis, I'm interacting with a lot of different people and doing a lot of different things, but [I’m] still trying to find that place where I feel whole — and I think that's what all of us are looking for. So, really, the whole project is centered around nostalgia, wanting to feel something that's a little bit more real. And it's all kind of caught up in this dreamy haze. So it's a little bit of a lot of different things.
Evi: The EP is described as “inspired by the futurism of internet vaporwave music,” so I was curious about the conceptual significance there.
BAYEM: Yeah, it's interesting. Vaporwave is something that inspired me very early on, when I was getting into art — I'd say probably about a decade ago now, when I was still in school. I think what always attracted me to vaporwave was the fact that the sounds felt both nostalgic and futuristic at the same time. There was something about it that felt like, “I can listen to this 30 years into the future and it'll still feel fresh,” and [there’s] a certain emotion put into that. So with this project, that was pretty much the goal; to infuse that nostalgic past but also futuristic, “what time did this come out?” type of vibe to it.
Evi: So kind of a timelessness, ultimately.
BAYEM: Yeah, I guess so.
Evi: Talk to me about the lead single, “Enough.”
BAYEM: Honestly, we were ping pong-ing between a couple of different songs for the single, but ended up with “Enough” just because it feels like the best tone setter for getting people into this vaporwave project. “Enough” was one that I wrote a while ago that was kind of just sitting and it didn't feel like the right time. But after we heard it during this cycle, it felt like, “Yeah, this is the way we need to go.”
The freshly released “Enough” soars with vibrant, commanding synths and distant backing vocals; evocative of classic vaporwave, speed-driving-past-neon-lights imagery, in a yearnful expression of preventing a loved one from running away.
Evi: It was pretty audible to me, having gone through your previous stuff, that you are also trying a lot of new things with this release. Was there a specific point of innovation, or experimentation for you as an artist that stood out in that process?
BAYEM: Yeah, for sure. With every project, I think the goal is; “How do we take what we've been doing and go left of center just enough to push ourselves outside of our comfort zone?” And with this project, there was a lot of that. We would make a song and [be] like, “Okay, this sounds cool, but how can we push it past that limit a little bit?” I think what came up the most was creating the songs, and then listening and asking ourselves, “Do we really feel like we've pushed this as far as we can?” I think in the beginning that question is a little bit [odd], but after a while [of] operating like that, you're like, “Okay, now I see where this can go.” So I feel grateful for that growth.
Evi: Is there a message or mission that goes along with your music-making? What kind of feeling would you like to transmit to your listeners through it?
BAYEM: I'd say the biggest thing is we're on a journey together. I feel like I'm learning a lot on a daily basis through music — through life. And, really, what these projects are is just a snapshot of “Hey, for this past year, this is what my life has been like.” So I hope they connect with this part of the journey — and hopefully we get some more people along for the next part!
Evi: What can your audience look forward to?
BAYEM: More music! After this project, we already have some singles that were kicking around. I would say just look out for more music, look for the boundary to get pushed a little bit each time — not too much, [because] we want everyone to feel like they're coming along. But yeah, more boundary-pushing for sure.
Evi: Any closing thoughts, or something else you would like to share?
BAYEM: Honestly, I just feel grateful. I feel very thankful for how everything's happened over the past couple of years. I'm excited to see what happens next. But, regardless of what happens, I just don't want my gratitude to be lost. I'm truly grateful to be here, grateful to have this conversation and just work with amazing people. Just glad to be here!
