SATICA’s music serves as a profound reflection of her life’s journey and emotions.
As her musical odyssey evolves, SATICA’s music continues to resonate with hearts worldwide, leaving behind a timeless legacy in the industry in real time.
Her ever-changing sounds — with ebbs and flows melding together from R&B influences to Pop, are ever-evolving as she eases into her becoming with love and grace. It was my witnessing of SATICA growing up before our eyes in the last decade that piqued my interest to chat with her about her evolution as both an artist and most importantly, as a human.
In this exclusive interview feature for MNOUS, I’m happy to introduce a conversation with Khmer-American artist and dear friend SATICA on her self-journey through wellness, mentality shifts in her career, and so much more.
When you think of wellness, what does it mean to you?
When I think of wellness, it means setting your boundaries and prioritizing yourself without feeling guilty about it. I think there’s a lot of pressure on ourselves to work, work, work, or put others before us, or think of the whole picture, especially as women. We’re nurtured to be that way. We forget that self-care is stimulating for our brains.
So for me, really putting an effort to say, “Hey, what do I need and what does that look like?” And, I’m going to make that top of my list versus second. That’s what I feel truly is wellness. It’s not feeling guilty about putting yourself first and what that looks like.
That’s a good one. I definitely can relate. When you say boundaries, what do you mean?
Well, for me, something that I struggled with was just saying no when I needed to, or saying ‘I don’t have it in me’ or communicating certain places that I’m at in order to make someone else happy. Or being scared — like if I don’t do this, or this, then they’re going to look at me differently. They’re not going to feel that I’m reliable or whatever the case may be.
It’s just really digging in and identifying with yourself. Okay, “This is what I can give right now.” It’s okay for me to say, “Hey, yes, or no, I don’t have it in me” or “No, this doesn’t make me feel good and I’m not going to stand here and be okay with it.” — actually having the confidence to vocalize that.
In my culture growing up, I’ve always been taught to be a little bit more submissive. In my adult years, I’ve just been trying to just erase that feeling. It’s okay for me to stick up for myself, feel confident, and feel like even if I do stick up for myself, the people who truly care about me will understand and the people who don’t aren’t here for my best interests.
It’s figuring out where those lines are and then how it mirrors what I think is good for me and my moral compass because I don’t want to fully abandon what I think is right or wrong.
“This is not okay with me.”
“This conversation is making me feel uncomfortable” (or this topic).
“I don’t like how you approached it.”
“This is how it makes me feel.”
And communicate that without being like, “Oh my God, maybe they’ll think I’m too uptight” or too sensitive or whatever the case is. I had to learn, for sure. Just approaching adulthood and my own maturity.
What are some of the ways in which wellness has changed for you over the years?
I definitely prioritize it more. When I first started doing music getting into my career and going to school, I was so career-driven and productivity-driven. I felt if I didn’t stop moving, I would fail. And essentially, it just leads to burnout until you actually do it and experience it.
I was working all the time. I did sessions all the time in my early career. I had school full time, so I really wasn’t prioritizing myself and my health in general, which ultimately led to major anxiety attacks and panic attacks. I wasn’t really eating properly. I wasn’t sleeping. I think you get to a point where you’re like,
“I feel so shitty right now, and I don’t have the motivation to do anything. Something needs to change.”
So, I started prioritizing little things, like meditation. It’s okay for me to sleep if I need a day to just sleep. It’s okay as long as I get something done tomorrow. I try to bargain with myself in my mind to feel okay with the times when I need to be still. And on top of that, getting rid of the guilty conscience.
That’s just something that’s really, really deep-rooted inside of me — that I was always taught to be selfless and to put others in front of me, which I think is really noble and characteristic, but there also needs to be balanced with everything. Balance more than anything else. Now, I’m totally okay with being, “I’m sorry. I can’t make it today.”
When you said earlier that you were so hyper-focused on productivity and you thought you were going to fail, was that something that you were taught, or was it something that you were conditioned to believe and didn’t know otherwise because you were young?
Yeah, I think it’s a little bit of both. I think being first-gen, I’m deeply terrified of failing what that looks like and not succeeding. Whatever success looks like. I just felt there was something in my brain that was just like, “If you don’t move, if you don’t put yourself ahead, then you’re not going to get ahead.” — that American-like work mentality. Hustle, hustle, hustle.
At the time, I was working with a lot of really hustle-mentality artists where they were pulling all-nighters. They were doing this, doing that, and to the point where I felt like I wasn’t doing enough.
So, I kind of got into a mental cycle of: “… not doing enough, I’m not doing enough.” And that in itself weighs so heavily in your brain. You don’t realize how much pressure you put on yourself that already weighs you down to begin with. So I think it’s a little bit of both.
My parents always taught me the value of hard work. If you don’t do X, Y, and Z, then you’re not going to succeed. In my brain, it was just go, go, go, go, go. And with the industry that I’m in — doing music — it’s very cutthroat. I was young at the time, I had this blinder on,
“Well, I’m young. I don’t have very many responsibilities yet. If there’s a time to do it, I gotta do it now,” while you have the energy, the least amount of responsibility… that sort of thing.
If you could say anything to your 20-something-year-old self, what would you say?
I was actually just thinking about this in the shower… because I struggle with this.
I would tell myself to be selective of where I allocate my energy and my time because there are so many opportunities. I’ve had to network and put myself in positions where I can meet with people who can really foster a part of me that I feel like can be better.
Not saying that I want to go out there and just pull things from people… no. More of balancing my time with my friends and then, putting that effort into this networking event that I got invited to. I was thinking about all the logistics of it.
When you do that, I’m thinking, “What’s the parking going to be like, who’s gonna be there? Oh, I gotta leave,” “What am I gonna wear?”
Instead of thinking about all that — just going. Because every opportunity that you feel could be beneficial, you really shouldn’t think too much about it. I don’t know why my brain does that. I’m not the only one. I still struggle with that now. I’ll get invited to events and they’re like, “Oh, this is an event from Nike or blah, blah, blah, blah. And I’m like cuddling with the dog, “If I do then I gotta get dressed and I gotta turn on my social meter…”
You have to mentally prepare for those things. I really do feel like I should have taken more advantage but that’s something that I wish I stressed more in my twenties. Being more selective and being more strategic with how I spend my time and energy.
Having to turn on your social meter — what ways did you have to prepare for that?
Well, first off, pre-pandemic. I fortunately got to experience what it’s like living in LA pre-pandemic. So at the time, I had just gotten signed. I was like, “Oh my God, I just moved out to LA. I gotta go to all these events and stuff….” Charismatic. Even though I didn’t feel like it, I just did it because it was good for me.
That version of me, I would just turn on Rihanna, and I would put on my makeup and coach myself, “You’ve got this girl, you got this.”
Sometimes, I would show up to events and I knew that going in, I wouldn’t really know anybody, or I would only know one person. I didn’t want to be that person who just latched on to one individual at this event. So I just told myself, it’s okay. I can always just go and feel it out. I try to make friends, be genuine, be myself. And if I don’t like it, I’ll call an Uber and go home. It’s that simple.
You really don’t have to overthink life. You just gotta go home. That’s it. But get there, and then figure it out. That helped me mentally. If you don’t like it, you have a choice. Just go home. Having that and hyping myself up. ‘Fake it ‘til you make it’ really, really helped.
Taking Rihanna’s tip: when she doesn’t feel as confident, she just fakes it.
There are some days where there is something happening and I would show up. But prior to that, I’m like, “Oh my God.” A little nervous. “I don’t know what’s going on with me… I’m just going to get dropped off at a random location…” But, it usually turned out okay. Even if I didn’t stay long, at least I didn’t wonder what if, and for the most part, I always ran into at least one person that I knew.
Was there a moment or memory ever in your life that kind of sparked an interest in self-care and wellness? What was that memory and that moment like for you?
The first thing that I think about is… I know I had moments in early childhood, but the most significant one for me was when I first moved out to LA.
I had just gotten out of a really long-term relationship and I had dove head-first into my songwriting career. I was drinking a lot. I was partying a lot. I was really not taking care of myself. I was I was starting to get really sick. I was getting bronchitis every other freaking week and not sleeping. Just trying to run away from a lot of things.
I got to a moment where I had an incident. I had that happen where it was just a really scary incident. I hadn’t gotten home after that. I was basically kind of in a dangerous situation when I shouldn’t have been. I went home after and I just cried. And then, I realized I got to get my shit together. I needed to start taking care of myself. I needed to stop drinking so much. I needed to focus on what’s good for me instead of chasing thrills or trying to feed myself things that aren’t really going to serve me and my Higher Self.
So at that moment, I recalibrated everything. When things happen to you, you’re just like, “I need to just get it together. I’m tired. I’m tired of not feeling good about what’s happening,” — that exhausted feeling of being tired and more tired that you’re just done. I’m done. Why do I put myself in these situations that I know aren’t going to serve me? And so after that, I stopped going out, drank a lot more water, started eating better, meditating, listening to more positive podcasts and morning meditations.
Stuff like that. Just trying to align all my ducks. I kind of went rogue for a little bit. And with this thing of compromising my safety and my health… it was showing. After that, it really put things into perspective for me.
I literally have one of your songs, ‘Glowing’, in my head right now.
Yeah. And I swear, it just came on right now. I just remember listening to that song exactly after moments like that in my life, in that time, and I just remember, “Oh my God, yes, Sati!” I think of that song for a lot of those challenging moments after and feel that bliss. Everybody has moments where they feel really low.
They feel like they’re in the trenches or whatever. But I just reached a point where I don’t want to feel like this anymore. I need to stick together or do something that makes me feel better. When you get there, you’re like, “Okay, this is like the reason why I like went through all of that. It was for this.” It was a coming of realization, an acceptance of everything that happens.
That was 20s. Now that you’re entering a new decade, what are some things you’re looking forward to? And how has your relationship changed with yourself? Any intentions going into a new decade?
It’s crazy. I feel like when you turn 30, people are like, it’s just a number but I feel like I’ve been feeling it. It’s weird because you put all this pressure on yourself for 30s, right? More mature, more elevated, and you realize that, of course, you’re always going to be changing, you’re always striving to be the better version of yourself, but I think in my 30s, I’m giving myself more grace than I have ever because there’s no number where you have to have everything figured out, you could be 40 and still not have your shit together, it just looks different.
I’m not saying that people in their 30s don’t have their shit together, or should not. It has nothing to do with that. It’s more of your external world changes and so does your internal world. Learning how to adjust better to everything and also be kind to yourself.
Definitely, in my thirties versus my twenties, I’m a lot more focused on the parts of me that are higher versions. There’s a version of yourself that you aim to be. I’m not quite focused on, ‘Oh, I need to be this person’ but just understanding that little changes make a big impact and being okay with that.
More confidence and feeling secure about who I am.
I always have to stress to people that life comes in waves and it’s just when you get older, you learn how to ride the waves more seamlessly versus feeling like everything is crashing.
Like being able to handle your emotions.
Yeah. Yeah. Handling your emotions, handling external things. I realized in this era, not only am I changing, but so is everybody else. My elder siblings, their kids, my parents, and my friends are changing. In my twenties, it scared me a little more. Everything’s changing… How do I adjust or how do I fit in their world? Now, it’s not about their world. It’s how I want to create my universe. And what kind of atmosphere do I want to create for myself?
That’s so beautiful. It’s exciting. 30s is a game changer (for anyone who isn’t 30 yet.) It’s such a game-changer mentally. I think it shifts all around, not just physically, but mentally too. Have you found any particular wellness resources or tools that have been helpful for you in your daily life?
Yeah, I actually have a couple. I watch a lot of YouTube videos. There is Abraham Hicks. She’s a speaker. She has a really good philosophy on how to look at the vortex. You want to create your vortex. If something doesn’t align with your vortex, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to get worked up or are you going to find something that aligns with you and like follow your ease?
Another resource that I really like is the Wondermind newsletter.
The platform created by Selena (Gomez).
Right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, I do appreciate those newsletters because they kind of put things into perspective without being too philosophical. It’s more applicable to my daily life. There was one that I saw where you don’t have to fold your laundry today. It’s just small things like that. It’s like, I really don’t. I don’t have to have the guiltiness of, “Oh my God, I need to have everything perfect right now.”
I’ll get to it when I need to get to it. I’m not going to forget about it for days, but if I can’t do it for today, or even tomorrow morning, I’ll get to it, and that’s okay. Also, just personal daily routines that I’ve created for myself. I burn Palo Santo when I’m feeling anxious or do my skincare routine. I take a moment and read a little bit.
Any advice for anyone just getting started on their journey into wellness, whether it’s taking care of themselves, whether it’s a spiritual journey, whether it’s a physical journey, what advice can you share about that?
What I would say is,
- Figure out what your needs are.
And on top of that, have a ritual for yourself and utilize your resources. We live in an amazing age where we can go online and find so many things and prioritize. I like to write things down and to have things in front of me. I literally have a whiteboard where I like to write down all my non-negotiables for the day. I can literally pull it up and show it to you. It’s kind of funny.
Yeah. I would love to see it.
Oh my gosh. It’s so cheesy.
Oh my God, I love it!
Yes, so I write down everything, and then I have my focus areas for the week, and then I write little mantras on it. I have non-negotiables and then, I have focus points. So that’s kind of the part that changes.
Find what your highest priorities are or areas that you feel you’re lacking and that you need to prioritize and then, start to attack it from there.
I love the way you kept everything visual too, just being able to see it every day.
Yeah. Yeah. And the older you get, you realize that things pull you in different directions. If it’s not, I’ll forget about it. So that’s just the way that my brain works and everybody’s brains work completely differently. Find what works for you. Then, just building consistency and good habits.
How has wellness inspired you in your career as a musician? Being an artist has its own challenges in itself. It’s not everyone’s daily life. Ever since you fine-tuned and said, “This is my career, this is who I am as a person and what I want to share with the world,” how have you cultivated wellness within that lifestyle?
I needed to build positive habits. Whether it’s watching a YouTube video before a show, meditating in the morning, or night, or burning something. I feel like it’s so easy to feel so out of whack in this industry because you’re likely to compare yourself. I just needed all of those little tools in order for me to keep pushing. I had to incorporate those wellness tricks. It really depends on your mind. Big on mental wellness, physically feeling good about yourself, eating well.
They all kind of go hand-in-hand, but for me, the biggest thing is your mental, right? If you get your mind in check, everything else kind of follows. Once I had my mental strength, I started working out more, eating clean, feeling more focused, started understanding what was good for me and what was beneficial for me in the long run versus kind of taking shortcuts and certain things.
Ultimately, once I’m balanced, my output is just so much higher with everything. Creativity with work, with my relationships, everything. I stress the mental wellness more than anything else.
You are releasing new music! How does it feel to be here? Two years ago was the pandemic, so it’s kind of a new chapter, a new era.
It is. I had a couple of releases. I took a two-year break because I needed to check my well-being because I’ve been doing it for so long. I mean, you’ve known me forever, and I have been doing it literally since high school.
Singing in the quad.
No, for real. And to dedicate my entire adult life to that passion was really exhausting. So, I took a break to finally emerge out of that break and be like, you know what? I just got to put something out and be happy with it and to be able to create a new space for me that was something I am really proud of, like being in a new state with it.
I’m so excited. I think at this point in my life, I feel confident in myself enough to not overthink and be cool with everything and have that mentality. Just put it out to a quality that I’m obviously happy with, but it does not need to be perfect. It feels really, really good to just finally put something out.
I always forget that people care. Like, wait, what? In my mind, that’s such a crazy thing. I can’t believe people actually listen to my music. That’s kind of crazy to me.
Your songs are showing up on Instagram for Reels and TikTok views. It’s big. You’re actually pretty much alongside songs that people would use to create their own content. That’s super cool. (I didn’t know that until I was like going through and making Reels.) I would see you pop up along the lines of other artists. It’s just really dope to see someone from our hometown doing it.
I’m so excited. It feels really, really good to finally put out music again and come out of my hermit phase and be like, I’m ready! Thank you again for always chatting with me. I’m really thankful, and I love seeing you thrive and doing what you’re doing. I mean, I’ve worked with you for, oh my gosh, now, yeah, since 2016! Yeah, our 20s.
Yeah! I used to run into you in LA sometimes, too.
Yep, Lisa! So good.
Well, I hope you have the best day today.
Likewise. Take care. Thank you.
MORE ABOUT SATICA
With a portfolio boasting multimillion plays across all streaming platforms, her music deeply resonates with audiences worldwide. While we’ve been blessed with SATICA’s remarkable musical achievements — her compositions having been featured in various commercials and prominent TV shows, including Victoria’s Secret, Degrassi: Next Class, Virgin River, Wu Assassins, Grownish, Coachella, Tyler Perry’s Sistas, Basketball Wives, Stumptown, Light as a Feather, The OA, You Get Me and more, her collaborative spirit continues to extend to songwriting camps for illustrious acts such as 88Rising, BlackPink, Normani, and Far East Movement.
Connect with SATICA on socials: Instagram | X (Twitter) | YouTube | Spotify
