Trigger warning: Discussions of sexual assault.
Rising Canadian singer-songwriter Serena Sun’s new release—a low-key, yet lyrically scathing track called ‘Body’—opens with what sounds like an alarm.
As it evolves into Sun’s smooth, sweet vocals and a more relaxed beat, the sound lingers emotionally as the lyrics reveal its story. With phrases like “thought I could trust a friend / at least I did back then” and “I hope you lose all your friends / ‘cause they don’t know what you did / F*ck you for trying to claim my body” the song confronts one of the most prevalent issues in our society: sexual assault, particularly on college campuses.
According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), 13% of all university students experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation. That number rises to 26.4% of females and 6.8% of males when narrowed to just undergraduate students. In general, as found by RAINN, sexual violence is more prevalent on college campuses than other crimes.
In today’s climate, post-#MeToo and amidst a rising generation more activist-minded than ever, college campus sexual assault is still an issue that needs and deserves more attention and justice. In October 2021, students from Northwestern University and Loyola in Chicago, Illinois, protested their schools’ effectiveness regarding investigating sexual assault cases. In December 2021, PBS News and The 19th reported that after the pause in in-person classes and campus life due to the pandemic, students may be facing increased risks of sexual assault when returning to in-person campuses. And it’s not just the United States dealing with these issues: in an essay published to Refinery29, Olga Żarnicka wrote about Canadian campuses, including the troubling statistics that state “Almost one in seven women say they have been sexually assaulted at Canadian colleges and universities. And 71% of students have either witnessed or experienced unwanted sexual behavior.”
These statistics are jarring as we enter 2022 facing the same issues that existed pre-pandemic. Rape culture on university campuses is a stealthy and widespread epidemic, curling itself into even the safest corners of what should be a time of learning, growing up, and fun. Historically, universities have not handled sexual violence sufficiently, as evidenced by the aforementioned protest in Chicago, Illinois.
‘Body’ artist Serena Sun says: “I would love to see systems built into schools around the world to support victims of sexual assault and to prevent sexual assault occurring on campus; whether that’s setting up dedicated teams who walk victims through the entire process with professional support and empathy, or having annual sexual assault awareness weeks where speakers and public figures can come to campus to discuss the prevalence of assault on campuses worldwide, how to prevent it, and how to report it so that it is less stigmatized.”
Her song was written after a personal experience with sexual violence on a university campus, about which she says, “[‘Body’] is about my experience with sexual assault which occurred my freshman year at university. Several years had passed by the time I ended up writing this song, but I’ve wanted to write it for a while.”
Through the lens of the music industry and its equally long history of misogyny in comparison to colleges and universities, Serena’s song is especially powerful. Following a revolution of female artists taking back their power—such as Kesha reclaiming her artistry after years of abuse from a disproportionately powerful and mediocre producer—‘Body’ feels like redemption for the artist, Serena Sun, and the listener, who can find themselves in the song. It’s difficult to imagine a song like ‘Body’ existing during past musical eras, like the overly critical early-2000s or more lax 2010s that allowed songs like ‘Blurred Lines’ to become chart hits. And that’s what makes ‘Body’s existence that much more profound—it represents a generation tired of sweeping things under the rug and a willingness to confront them.
Below, I was able to chat with Serena Sun about how ‘Body’ came together, and her artistic expression and biggest musical influences.
KEKE MAGAZINE: First of all, we’d love to know a little more about you! How long have you been a singer/songwriter and how did you get started?
SERENA SUN: Thanks so much for having me! I’ve been writing songs since middle school and producing since high school, but I started taking my artist career seriously over the last two years. I got started because I was going through a rough time after a breakup and music became my main source of comfort and expression. I had taken a hiatus from writing songs when I was in university, and this is what brought me back into it.
KM: How would you describe your sound as an artist?
SS: I think it’s changed a lot since I released my first single and will continue to change as I grow as an individual, but right now it’s in a season of emotional bops that feel good to listen to but touch on tough introspective topics lyrically.
KM: About ‘Body,’ I love the song and the way you’ve chosen to tell this story and confront this important subject! Can you tell us a little bit of background on the song (as much as you’re comfortable with)? You wrote it in 30 minutes, but what part came to you first? Where did it begin for you?
SS: Ahh, thank you so much for the kind words. I’m really proud of how it turned out, and I hope it helps those who have been through a similar experience! The impromptu [song]writing was triggered by an article my dad had texted me about some protests against SA on a university campus here in Canada. It made me really upset to see that SA was still so prevalent at universities, and with those strong emotions, the writing flowed out naturally. I think I started with the first verse and let the song write itself chronologically.
KM: Sonically, how did you approach the song? I loved how it began with that sort of intense almost alarm-like sound and then became softer. It made the chorus coming feel suspenseful! Was that intentional?
SS: I’m so glad you caught that! The production was meant to feel a bit angry given the subject matter of the song. That intense alarm-like sound you’re referring to is actually the reverb of a deep rumbly synth that comes in later in the song. Definitely, an intentional choice to make parts of the song feel a bit chaotic and erratic. I think this resembles the whirlwind of emotions you’re hit with when you undergo an experience like sexual assault.
KM: What was it like collaborating with producer Tiger Darrow on the song?
SS: Working with Tiger is an absolute dream. Not only is she an incredible producer, but she’s also an amazing songwriter and artist herself, so she’s really a total package. I loved getting to co-write this song and co-produce it over Zoom together. I think we’ve both had very different experiences with sexual assault, and bring our own perspectives when it comes to how those experiences made us feel and develop as individuals. She was genuinely the perfect person to work with to bring this song to life.
KM: When it comes to lyrics, was it difficult to get vulnerable? Did you find it harder or easier with this song than with others?
SS: Surprisingly, this song came pretty easily lyrically. I think the initial demo I made felt like all of my emotions that had been built up on the topic for so long all came out at once that morning. Of course, not everything stuck, but that initial expression really helped guide what the song became in the end.
KM: I love how you use such sensory details like “the sinking feeling,” “pieces of the party,” “shadows on the ceiling.” What did you want to portray with those images emotionally?
SS: Emotionally, I wanted people to feel the weight of how sexual assault affects those who experience it. Shadows on the ceiling could refer to a multitude of things depending on how people read into it, but for me, those shadows represent the trauma that follows being sexually assaulted; it sticks around for a while and there’s no way around it.
KM: How do you reach a place of peace after that kind of experience? Does ‘Body’ play a part?
SS: It’s taken me so many years to process what happened and understand that I’m not at fault for it. Once I reached a point of accepting that as truth, ‘Body’ felt like an expression of the confrontation I would’ve loved to have had with my perpetrator years ago. In that sense, ‘Body’ definitely plays a part and almost feels like a way to close this chapter for me; I feel like I’m finally free from the trauma that came with being sexually assaulted.
KM: As an artist, how important is it for you to express and process emotion through your music?
SS: So incredibly important. It has been the most amazing form of therapy (aside from actual therapy sessions with my therapist, which have been vital)! After going through traumatic events, I started to notice myself closing off and suppressing my emotions, which was never an occurrence for me growing up. Listening to music and writing songs has been a really helpful way for me to not only express how I’m feeling, but also just feel the emotions when my body prevents me from doing so.
KM: What do you hope listeners who may or may not have gone through similar experiences take from ‘Body’?
SS: I really hope that ‘Body’ becomes an anthem for those who have reached the stage of seeking justice for what happened to them; and for those who haven’t reached that point, I hope this song helps them internalize the fact that they are not at fault and that they deserve to vocalize their frustrations and anger if they want to. For me at least, a simplified version of the stages I went through was: the event —> self-blame —> guilt —> shame —> emotion suppression —> avoidance —> realization that I was wronged —> vocalizing my truth.
KM: Who are some artists that have inspired you as an artist?
SS: I have so many, but a few off the top of my head are: Julia Michaels, Sasha Alex Sloan, Charlotte Lawrence, Anna of the North, Kacey Musgraves, and Maggie Rogers.
KM: Who are a few artists you’re into currently, or songs you’ve been listening to?
SS: I’ve been listening to a lot of Rhys Lewis lately, as well as Jeremy Zucker in addition to my all-time favorites I just listed.
KM: If you could have your music featured in any TV show right now, what would it be?
SS: I would love to hear my music in a show like Euphoria; I love how intentional every department has been in the making of that series, and it would be an honor to have my music featured in that show, or any show that puts in that level of thought into all the details of the show.
KM: Lastly, where will we see you by this time next year? What’s next for you?
SS: This time next year, I will have released my debut EP, and hopefully will be working towards releasing a full album. I will be performing a ton this year, so who knows where everything will lead me. I’m really excited to see where I go. Thank you so much for having me today! I really enjoyed getting to share about my latest release.
To learn more about Serena Sun and stream ‘Body’ visit her website here.
