IN CONVERSATION WITH JOYA MOOI

Interview by Samo Šajn

Dutch–South African artist Joya Mooi returns with her new single Only Water, featuring Nigerian singer-songwriter Lady Donli. Inspired by the story of Olympic diver Greg Louganis, the song explores themes of vulnerability, reflection, and emotional release. We spoke with Joya about the inspiration behind the track, working with Lady Donli, and the story behind her current EP.

Your new single Only Water was inspired by the story of Greg Louganis. What about his story connected with you the most?

The way we remember (or don't remember) has always intrigued me. Because with triumph usually comes a lot of friction, and as people, we tend to forget those origin stories. Greg Louganis faced so many adversities even before becoming an Olympic-decorated diver: hiding his sexuality, navigating life with an adoptive family. The fullness of who he is gets flattened into his accolades. I wanted to go back to the person before the gold medals.

Only Water feels very calm and reflective. What kind of mood or feeling were you hoping listeners would experience when they hear it?

I wanted to bring softness to his story. The way he moved above water — it's poetry. There's such grace in it, but also such discipline and pain beneath the surface. I tried to honour that in the song. I hope listeners feel held by it, the way water holds you when you stop fighting it.

You collaborated with Lady Donli on this track. How did the collaboration come together, and what did she bring to the song creatively?

I reached out to her with the song and the narrative and just honestly asked if she wanted to be a part of it. I'm a huge fan of her work, and I was curious if she'd be open to it. What she brought was this real warmth and conviction — she understood the story immediately. It felt like she'd always been meant to be on it.

Your voices blend very naturally. How did you approach building that balance between both of your styles?

For me, making music is always an intuitive process. She recorded her parts back in Nigeria and had full freedom to add whatever felt right to her. When I heard the tapes, I was so excited and I booked a studio straight away to mix her vocals. I think we really brought both worlds together properly. It wasn't calculated. It just fit.

When you were creating Only Water, what was the first idea or feeling that started the song?

I was in the studio with Willem Ardui in Antwerp and we'd just finished another track that's also part of the EP. I had this little idea lingering in my mind. He started playing the chords, and all of a sudden, the song just came to life. Sometimes it happens exactly like that.

The track talks about surrender, trust, and letting go. Were there any personal experiences that shaped those themes?

My entire life, honestly. I'm a Sagittarius and we're known for not being able to let things go. I've always struggled with sharing my feelings and letting people in. But through life, through dealing with grief, I've learned that it's essential to share in order to lighten the weight. It doesn't come naturally to me, not at all. But over the years I've gotten a bit better.

This single continues the story of your current EP chapter. How does Only Water fit into the bigger narrative of the project?

On the surface, Only Water isn't a personal song in the way the others are, because it's inspired by someone else's story. But I think it actually touches almost every theme running through the EP: grief, identity, the contradictions we carry. The EP as a whole explores feelings like jealousy, grief, and motherhood — not as neat, singular emotions, but as something more like a prism, fluid and full of contradictions.

You have been receiving support from platforms like KEXP and KCRW. How has that international support influenced your journey as an artist?

It's been essential. It tells me that the music resonates across borders, across cultures. That it reaches people who really get it. Those platforms have such dedicated, genuine audiences, and being embraced by them has given me real confidence to keep going deeper. It makes the world feel smaller in the best way.

Looking ahead, what direction do you see your sound and storytelling evolving in after this EP?

I want to keep following what feels true. This EP has pushed me to be more personal and freer than I've ever been, and I don't want to step back from that. If anything, I want to go further — both sonically and emotionally.