Sjana Rut Has Us Feeling “Unbreakable”
- BUZZ LA
- Aug 3, 2022
- 4 min read
Sjana Rut is an indie artist in multiple facets, including singer/songwriter and artist. She is an Icelandic powerhouse with a beautiful voice and touching deep lyrics.
“Unbreakable” is the ending of a cathartic and meaningful two-part saga, “Broken/Unbreakable.” On November 25th, 2021, Sjana released the album 'Broken.’ Now, the saga continues as Sjana pulls away from the heavy and fragile world of ‘Broken’ and emerges into her confident and assertive self on the transformative album 'Unbreakable.'
Sjana has created something truly unique and beautiful here, and in her own words on the matter, Sjana stated, “This project, as a whole, has been both therapeutic and transformative. I wrote ‘Broken’ from the standpoint of a child that is being abused, and then it transitions into adulthood, looking back at these things. I wrote ‘Unbreakable,’ however, from my point of view in the present as an adult, so I can say things that I was not able to as a child, and I say things with confidence. I don't sugarcoat things; I cut to the chase.”
The song starts off with a groovy beat and what I would describe as aquatic-sounding reverberation, while her powerful and unique voice mellows out the track beautifully. The song has an overall powerful message behind it, about being unbreakable, her confidence is a matter of fact, and you believe all of what she is saying. “I have finally been set free, you won't break me."
Sjana's second part of this two-part saga album, 'Unbreakable,' is all about strength, bravery, and growth. It deals with the shadows of her past and the difficult situations she's faced with confidence and attitude. The album is mature and sometimes humorous.
Wrap yourself in the power and unbreakable vibes, support Sjana Rut and listen to “Unbreakable,” now available on all streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Sjana Rut. We appreciated every second of your reflective and emotional new single, "Unbreakable." What was the main source of inspiration behind this personal piece? The song itself is part of a bigger project. It is the title song of ‘Unbreakable,’ which is the second part of a two-part saga called Broken/Unbreakable. The whole project is centered around the subject matter of sexual child abuse. I got the inspiration for the song back in 2018 when I was going through trials alongside my brother regarding a case against a social worker working for child services in Reykjavík who abused us when we were children. We were put in his care from time to time because of the way the bullying at school affected our performance there. Instead of the school taking responsibility, we ended up in his care. The song is also inspired by the process of going through the justice system and all the chaos and uncertainty that comes along with it, especially the pressure that came after the case caught the media’s attention in Iceland- I needed to remind myself of my strength.
What was the hardest part about creating such an honest piece like "Unbreakable?" Did you face any personal or physical challenges? When I originally wrote the song in 2018, I had a lot of anger and despair for the situation I felt that I had been put in. But when I started working on the song for the album, I adapted the song to the person I had become after all of this experience and how I viewed it after all those years- but the bone structure and originality of the song remained the same. When I wrote the song in 2018, I didn’t fully realize how traumatized I was. Still, I was diagnosed with severe PTSD in early 2020 and then later with a dissociative disorder- which I dealt with and was in treatment for while recording and producing the song and the whole album.
What does "Unbreakable" mean to you?
It’s the beginning of a new chapter in my life, and the song is an example of strength and endurance- and for me, it’s also about relief and freedom.
How can listeners understand you and your music better through this emotional debut single?
Because of my honesty and openness, people are able to understand me and my music better. Listeners are looking into a part of my diary that I’ve never shown to the world before. I’ve got nothing to hide, and people see me as I am through my music.
What impact do you hope "Unbreakable" has on your audience?
I hope the song and the project as a whole give people meaning and understanding and ground to stand on in life. Whether you’ve been abused or not, you have to live on and keep fighting to make some meaning of it all. I hope it gives people the strength to believe in themselves.
What's next for you?
I have an art show planned at the end of this year that features paintings by me of each song from both albums Broken' and 'Unbreakable.' I have concerts planned and a vinyl release as well as some new upcoming albums and projects, which I can't wait to start working on! I have projects and albums planned for the next couple of years- I’m just warming up!
