There aren’t many artists who cite Björk, anime, death metal and Ru Paul’s Drag Race as their core influences. But then, Lucy Tun isn’t like most artists. Having burst onto the scene under the alias LCYTN back in 2018 with her self-released debut EP, Good Nights Bad Stories – written, produced, mixed and mastered entirely solo – the British Burmese musician followed it up with the addictive bedroom pop single “Ride”, which has almost half a million streams on Spotify. Now 23, Lucy (a proud Aquarius) has spent the pandemic further honing her sound, returning this summer to release much-anticipated new music under her real name.

Impressively, Lucy has built up a cult following in her native Myanmar. Past releases have topped national charts and in 2019 she performed to over 60,000 people at the famously high-octane New Year’s Eve countdown show in Yangon. She’s in demand at home in London too, with support from industry heavyweights on BBC Introducing and Radio 1. On top of being an accomplished singer, songwriter and producer, Lucy is a skilled DJ with monthly radio shows on Foundation FM and Balamii; not to mention the fact that she was the first-ever artist to livestream a set from London’s Facebook Studios. Pre-lockdown, she even hosted a regular club night, LCYTN & Friends. And the fashion world can’t get enough of her either — Gucci called on her to DJ the launch of their Jackie 1961 bag, Fred Perry highlighted her as a talent to watch and i-D featured her in their Summer 2021 issue.

With a creative output as diverse as her influences, Lucy is as comfortable among the glitter of radio-friendly pop and R&B as she is exploring a more electronic underworld: her music shimmers with impish, hyperactive energy undercut with potent basslines. She isn’t afraid to get introspective either, exploring themes like heartbreak, the complexities of growing up, womanhood and mental escapism. Her genre-defying song catalogue keeps listeners on their toes, weaving lofi 808-smattered production with the joyous familiarity of mainstream 00s pop. You simply can’t keep her in a box.