Saya Gray is in love again.

Saya Gray's new album, SAYA, is unmistakably hers. It bears her indelible stamp of funky compositional intentionality, layered production, and gutting melodies. And yet, compared to QWERTY I and QWERTY II, this album is far more conventional. There's less experimentation here—songs end much as they begin. While the QWERTY era saw Gray constantly shifting melody, genre, and vibe, often several times per song, SAYA plays it straighter. The compositional element is just more... predictable. And yet, I expect SAYA will have more commercial success. It will win her many new fans.

That brings me to what I call the "Jack Johnson effect." Jack Johnson is a decent songwriter, but his music lacks an emotional edge because it's all so overwhelmingly happy. Some of the best music comes from pain and longing, from the spaces between loss and healing. Saya Gray's previous work, especially QWERTY I and QWERTY II, thrived in that space. But SAYA suggests something different: a kind of contentment that has altered the shape of her music.

I have a theory about this.

Back in 19 MASTERS, Gray wrote about heartbreak, about leaving relationship baggage behind, but also about the tentative first steps of something new. That album, in retrospect, feels like SAYA’s closest relative—more norm-core than QWERTY, less daring, but still deeply personal. Maybe because it was her debut and she hadn’t yet built up the confidence to go fully experimental. Or maybe it’s because Saya Gray was in love then, too.

The QWERTY era? That was Saya blissfully single. Or, at the very least, not settled down in a way that made her music softer around the edges. And now, with SAYA, it seems like she’s happy, and the music reflects that. The question is: does happiness make for the best art?

For those unfamiliar with Saya Gray’s work, here’s how I’d recommend listening to her discography. If you don't think "pop" is a dirty word and would like a clear entry point, start with SAYA, then move on to 19 Masters, then QWERTY I, and finally QWERTY II. But if you prefer music that challenges your expectations, flip that order and dive straight into QWERTY II.

To be clear, I think SAYA is a great album. And if it brings Gray more recognition, if it wins her new fans, that’s a good thing. But part of me hopes that at some point, she will find her way back to the wild, compositional brilliance of the QWERTY albums. Or, you know, that she gets her heart broken again.

💔

Check out her Bandcamp here. Listen on Spotify here.