Two to make it right
She is based in the United States. He lives in Malaysia. But love knows no bounds. Despite the long-distance relationship, singer Yuna and commercial director Adam Sinclair are determined to make it happen. The couple, who has dated for more than two year
DOES Adam Sinclair have a favourite song sung by Yuna?
The 33-year-old director who got married to the singer-songwriter last week named two songs that he likes.
“I really like Lullabies (a song from Yuna’s self-titled album released in 2012). But the one song that got me was Someone Out Of
Town ( Decorate, 2011).
“I was hanging out with a friend and he wanted to show me this music video. He said the singer in the video is his friend and he addressed her as Alis,” Adam said in an interview in Putrajaya.
Alis is, of course, the nickname for Yuna, 31, whose full name is Yunalis Zarai.
“Everything was right about the video. From the way it was shot to Yuna’s performance and how she looked at the camera with a little smile.
“I was like, ‘This girl has it’. That night, we watched the music video four to five times,” he recalled.
Perhaps it is destiny ... because as fate would have it, Adam would later meet Yuna at a commercial shoot he was working on.
Song about Adam
Adam was the assistant director and Yuna – who, at that time, had achieved a breakthrough after being signed to New York-based music label Fader – was the talent in the commercial that was shot in Putrajaya in 2013.
“I’ll tell you about our first day,” Yuna started her story. “So, my initial flight back from the US for the shoot was cancelled so I had to take a later flight. When I arrived home, I had to go straight for the shoot. So, I was feeling moody and I didn’t feel like I wanted to do the shoot.”
Adam was prepared to welcome his talent, knowing well that she could be in a bad mood.
“We’ve prepared a big set at a studio in Putrajaya. That shoot was critical and we had only one day to nail it. I understand that it’s natural for someone to feel grumpy after a long-haul flight. So, I came up with a plan on what we could do to make Yuna feel comfortable on set,” Adam said.
The singer was moved by Adam’s attentive nature: “He made sure that I had something to eat and drink. He kept asking if I was OK. The shoot went well because he was so supportive. That was the first time I felt, like, ‘Wow there is really someone (chivalry) like this. I really like this guy.”
Both Adam and Yuna formed a quick bond ... over stories about the supernatural: “We got to know each other really well in the first 10 minutes after she arrived. We talked about ‘cerita hantu’ (ghost stories). After that, everything just fell into place.”
He was also taken by how Yuna was attentive towards everyone on the set.
“I’ve never met a personality or talent with such a big heart. She had the crew in mind. She kept saying, ‘Don’t worry everyone, I’ll get the scenes done in two takes’. That made everyone on set happy.”
After the end of the 14-hour shoot, Adam and Yuna kept in touch. Their friendship blossomed into a more serious relationship in 2015.
A year later, Yuna – who was now signed to David Foster’s Verve Records – released her third international album Chapters. In it, is a song called Best Love; Yuna revealed that the song was inspired by Adam.
“It’s about the first time I met him. Like how we have known each other for some time and perhaps there is something more (to explore). Then, we decided to take our friendship to the next level,” she explained the content of the song.
The feeling is mutual for Adam who believed that they were meant for each other: “From that first meeting in Putrajaya, I knew there was something special between us. Now we’re growing together.”
Whimsical wedding
After two years of dating, the couple announced their engagement in August last year. Five months later, the couple decided to make it legal.
Last Friday, the pair held a private solemnisation ceremony at a hilltop venue in Bentong, Pahang.
Yuna described the event for 300 close friends and family members as “beautiful”.
“I’ve always wanted an outdoor garden wedding. But I’ve been told that it’s not suitable because of our weather. My mum asked me to think about what might happen if it rained,” she said.
Adam said that the solemnisation ceremony was the biggest project the pair had embarked on.
“From day one, I knew it was going to be challenging (holding an outdoor ceremony). When we were at the venue for recce, we thought about all the problems that could happen.”
True enough, the solemnisation ceremony was delayed because of the rain.
But lady luck was on their side as the rain stopped eventually and the ceremony went on as planned. Perhaps the rain was a blessing in disguise as it brought some mist, giving the garden-themed wedding a romantic, dreamy feel.
The celebration continued on Sunday night when Yuna and Adam held a glittering reception for 1,500 family members and friends, including members of the royalty. Guests were serenaded by musical guests such as Aizat, Hujan and Bunga Citra Lestari.
A new chapter
How does Adam feel about being thrust into the spotlight now that he is married to Yuna? Adam, who is the younger brother of actor Ashraf and radio personality Aishah Sinclair, said he has no problems with that.
“I’ve always been referred to as ‘adik Ashraf ’ (Ashraf ’s brother). I know some people get more attention than others, and I understand why. It’s only natural that some spotlight would fall on me because I’m married to Yuna. It’s alright,” he stated.
After the wedding, Yuna will return to Los Angeles to continue working on her upcoming album, which is due for release later this year. Adam, however, will remain in Malaysia where he works as a video director.
She admitted that maintaining a long-distance relationship is not easy. “But we’re willing to take up that challenge. We’ve been able to deal with the distance (prior to getting married),” she added.
The wonders of technology has helped the couple stay connected through the years.
“The two biggest things (that helped) our relationship is Skype and the Whatsapp call function. Six years ago, we didn’t have those things. If you wanted to make a long-distance phone call, you had to buy a card and key in a code,” Adam said.
Eventually, they will come to a decision to reside together in one place.
Yuna said: “I’m still figuring everything out. We’ll see how it goes. We’ll be OK.”
As for children, Yuna said she will let it happen naturally: “After I release my album, I’ll go on tour in the US, Europe and Asia to promote it. I don’t know, maybe after that? Of course, I want to have kids. We’re excited to have children.”