Melody Yuna (born 14 November 1995), is an American singer, songwriter, model, and independent content producer for digital media. She is of Taiwanese, Dominican, Arabic, and Jamaican descent, but spent most of her childhood moving around Japan’s many prefectures. Following a brief, yet successful, stint in adult modeling, Yuna made her music debut with her song Shin Sekai (New World) in 2023.
Yuna is best known for her live-streaming content on twitch.tv/melodyyuna, but has already begun making headway in her music career.
Early Life[]
Yuna was born on a naval base in Yokosuka, Japan. She moved around Japan’s many prefectures throughout her childhood including Japan’s Kanagawa Prefecture and Nagasaki Prefecture. Her mother, Shuga, was born in Taiwan but was adopted by a Japanese family at the age of 5. Yuna’s mother taught Yuna the Japanese language and raised her with traditional Japanese customs.
Yuna moved permanently to the United States at the age of 13 when her father, Rafael, retired from being the Chief Navigator in the U.S. Navy. At the age of 17 Yuna moved out to live on her own. During her senior year, she took refuge in a women’s domestic violence shelter. Despite struggling with homelessness and pregnancy, she went on to graduate from Grants Pass High School while maintaining her National Honor Society scholar status. Yuna’s younger sister, Kat, followed in her father’s footsteps by joining the U.S. Navy and pursuing her doctorate degree.
After high school, Yuna became a single mother, a full-time employee, and a full-time student. She uses her experiences to connect with her audience through her music, writing, and digital media content production.
Career[]
When faced with college tuition costs as a young single mother, Yuna ventured into the adult industry as a softcore model to make ends meet. In the same year, she entered adult modeling, she was featured on the cover of Hustler magazine after winning a contest for Hustler’s amateur models. She was rewarded a grand prize total of $1,500 plus a meet and greet with Larry Flynt. She made such an impression that Mr. Flynt asked Yuna to be the special guest star at the grand opening of Hustler Hollywood in Fresno, California.
Yuna segwayed out of the adult industry a few years after becoming an independent content producer for digital media. Her residual passive income from her past career combined with her active income as a Twitch streamer has allowed Yuna the freedom to pursue her passions in writing and music.
Yuna released her first song, Shin Sekai (New World), in 2023. It is a J-pop-inspired single, expressing her experiences of traveling abroad throughout childhood. Her second J-pop-inspired single, My Melody, is expected to be released on October 1st, 2023.
References[]
- https://globalzonetoday.com/melody-yuna/
- https://www.chosic.com/artist/melody-yuna/10ul3AtW5PDQrqDAMSIXxF/