16-Year-Old Peyton Luyt’s debut single, Butterflies, is simply about a girl and her music. There is no pretence or special effects.
16-year-old Peyton Luyt’s debut single, BUTTERFLIES, sounds like a song from a Disney movie and perfectly captures the experience and angst of having a crush. Written from the perspective of a secret admirer, it explores the effects of crushing on someone and highlights why most people never express those feelings.
The song was originally penned by Peyton for a class activity, which required learners to write their own songs and it is also the last song that Dennis East produced before he passed away along with engineer, Sergio Trout at CTS. “At the time I had a massive crush on a boy,” she admits. “I thought he was way out of my league, and I felt too afraid and intimidated to say or to do anything about it. I drew inspiration for the song from that experience.”
BUTTERFLIES will resonate with listeners because it is honest and relatable. “Most people have had a crush on someone at some point in their lives. Maybe they felt they couldn’t act on it out of fear of embarrassment, rejection or ridicule, or because they thought that the person was out of their league. And maybe they believe that things would be different if only they could pluck up the courage to express their feelings”, says Peyton.
Accompanying her debut single is a music video, which was shot in studio by Danie Nel. “I wanted something natural that would let people feel as if they are in the studio with me,” explains Peyton. “Once I had explained my vision, Patrick van Blerk suggested we film the recording to share an authentic experience of my journey through the process and the creation of BUTTERFLIES. We decided on using the studio as nothing felt forced or overly choreographed.”
She adds: “I’m delighted that this will be my first single and video. As listeners are not familiar with my music, my voice, who I am or even what I look like, it is a great introduction as it is simply about a girl and her music. There is no pretence or special effects.”
As her official entry into the music industry, BUTTERFLIES has a special place in Peyton’s heart. However, she also cherishes it for other reasons. “The song has not only exposed me to all the different aspects of the music industry but has also given me the opportunity to work with big industry names and incredibly talented individuals,” says Peyton. “I have learnt so much during the writing and production processes, as well as while making the video.”
The young artist, who lives in East London and is currently in Grade 10, expressed a passion for music from a young age and used to entertain her family with her pink mic and matching pink electric guitar. Thanks to her grandfather, she was exposed to various genres and artists, which cemented that passion.
She started performing in musical productions from the age of eight. That, in addition to her participation in the school and chamber choirs and the church band, enhanced her musical abilities and boosted her confidence.
At the age of ten, she began with classical singing training. She completed her Grade 5 certificate in Classical Singing from Trinity College in London and is working towards completing her Grade 7 certificate this year. She is also being trained in opera and the Alexander Technique. Additionally, the young singer-songwriter is working on a pop song to broaden her repertoire and plans to release an EP in the future. “Singing is a form of expression for me, and it just genuinely makes me happy,” she says.
While Peyton enjoys a variety of music – her playlist ranges from Tchaikovsky to rock, with some Afrikaans thrown in for good measure – she is trying her best to not let existing artists influence her sound. “I want to be original. When people listen to me, I don’t want them to hear someone else,” she explains.
Outside of her music and school, Peyton enjoys the dramatic arts and is particularly fond of watching live performances, from ballet and symphonies to opera and stage productions. She is also a self-proclaimed bookworm. “I will read just about anything I can get my hands on, especially period novels. I also like to sketch and paint, and I love baking with my mom, who is a total whiz in the kitchen.”
The up-and-coming artist admires more than just her mom’s culinary skills. “My mom is my role model. She has not only given me the opportunity to pursue my music and fulfil my dreams but has shown me what it is to work hard for what you want.”
BUTTERFLIES is an authentic, heartfelt and relatable debut single and is available for download from: linktr.ee/woowi
16-jarige Peyton Luyt Se Debuut-Enkelsnit “Butterflies”
Die 16-jarige Peyton Luyt se debuut-enkelsnit, BUTTERFLIES, is oor ’n meisie en haar musiek. Dit is gestroop van voorgee en spesiale effekte.
Peyton Luyt se eerste enkelsnit, BUTTERFLIES, vang die gevoelens en angs van verlief wees perfek vas. Dit is geskryf vanuit die perspektief van ’n geheime bewonderaar en ondersoek die effek wat hierdie ervaring op die persoon het wat nooit kans kry om uiting te gee aan daardie mengelmoes van emosies nie.
Hierdie liedjie is oorspronklik geskryf as deel van ’n klasopdrag wat van leerders vereis het om hulle eie liedjies te skryf en dit is ook die laaste lied wat Dennis East, saam met Sergio Trout, by CTS vervaardig het voordat hy oorlede is. “Op daardie stadium was ek smoorverlief,” erken sy. “Ek het gedink hy te goed vir my en ek was bang om iets te sê of te doen. Die liedjie is deur hierdie ervaring geïnspireer.”
Peyton glo dat BUTTERFLIES aanklank sal vind by luisteraars omdat dit ’n eerlike en opregte liedjie is. “Die meeste van ons was al verlief. Dalk was jy ook soos ek bang om op daardie gevoelens te reageer omdat jy skaam was of nie verwerp wou word nie. Miskien voel jy ook nou dat dinge anders kon wees as jy wel iets omtrent die situasie gedoen het.”
Haar debuut-enkelsnit word gekomplementeer deur ’n oulike musiekvideo wat in die ateljee deur Danie Nel verfilm is. “Ek wou iets natuurlik hê wat mense laat voel asof hulle saam met my in die ateljee is,” verduidelik Peyton. “Nadat ek my idee met hulle gedeel het, het Patrick van Blerk voorgestel dat ons ’n video moet skiet wat vasvang hoe BUTTERFLIES geskep is. Ons het besluit om die ateljee te gebruik sodat niks geforseer of geoefen voel nie.”
Sy voeg by: “Ek is opgewonde om my eerste enkelsnit en musiekvideo met luisteraars te deel. Ek voel dat dit ’n wonderlike manier is om myself en my musiek aan hulle voor te stel. Dit is opreg en outentiek, met geen voorgee of fieterjasies nie.”
Aangesien sy haar buiging in die musiekbedryf maak met BUTTERFLIES, het dit ’n spesiale plek in haar hart. Maar daar is ook ander redes hoekom dié lied vir haar uitstaan. “Dit het my blootgestel aan ’n hele nuwe aspek van die musiekbedryf en my die geleentheid gegee om saam met groot name in die bedryf en talentvolle individue te werk,” sê die sangeres. “Ek het baie geleer uit die skryf- en vervaardigingsproses, asook uit die maak van die video.”
Hierdie jong musikant, wat in Oos-Londen woon en tans in graad 10 is, was van jongs af passievol oor musiek. Sy het altyd haar familie vermaak met haar pienk mikrofoon en elektriese kitaar. Te danke aan haar oupa, is sy blootgestel aan verskeie genres en kunstenaars, wat haar passie laat verdiep het.
Sy is al deel van musiekproduksies vandat sy agt is. Dit, buiten vir haar deelname aan verskeie kore en die kerkorkes, het haar musiekvernuf verbeter en haar selfvertroue gebou.
Op die ouderdom van tien het sy begin met klassieke opleiding. Sy het reeds haar graad 5-sertifikaat in Klassieke Sang van Trinity College in Londen en beplan om haar graad 7-kwalifikasie vanjaar te voltooi. Sy kry ook opleiding in opera en die Alexander-tegniek. Verder werk die jong kunstenaar aan ’n popliedjie om haar repertoire uit te brei en beplan sy om ’n kortspeelplaat vry te stel in die nabye toekoms. “Sing is ’n manier om myself uit te druk en dit maak my oor die algemeen gelukkig,” sê sy.
Hoewel Peyton ’n wye musieksmaak het – haar speellys sluit alles in van Tchaikovsky tot rock en Afrikaans – probeer sy haar bes om nie beïnvloed te word deur ander kunstenaars se klank nie. “Ek wil oorspronklik wees. Wanneer mense na my luister, wil ek nie hê hulle moet iemand anders hoor nie,” deel sy.
Buiten vir musiek en skoolwerk, geniet Peyton ook die dramatiese kunste en is sy mal daaroor om vertonings by te woon – van ballet tot simfonieë, opera en verhoogproduksies. Sy is ook ’n selferkende boekwurm. “Ek lees basies enigiets wat ek in die hande kan kry, veral romanne wat in ander tydperke afspeel. Verder hou ek van teken en verf en om saam met my ma te bak. Sy is ’n meester in die kombuis.”
Dié opkomende jong ster erken dat sy meer as net haar ma se uitsonderlike kookvernuf bewonder. “My ma is my rolmodel. Sy het my nie net die geleentheid gegee om musiek te maak en my drome te bewaarheid nie, maar my ook gewys wat dit is om hard te werk vir wat jy wil hê.”
BUTTERFLIES is ’n hartroerende debuut-enkelsnit wat met die hart praat. Dit is nou beskikbaar op alle digitale platforms. Kry dit hier: linktr.ee/woowi
