The upbeat melodies of “Lemonade” by Astrik Minian hide a significant deeper message. The happy tone of “Lemonade” actually tells a story about how artists can overcome challenges while expressing their artistry. During this conversation we talk with the Lemonade artist to discover everything about how she developed this song both creatively and personally and what inspired her creation.
Our guest migrated from Yerevan Armenia to Montreal where she uses her artistic talent to weave together different musical elements and emotions. During her hospital stay in 2016 she jotted down the seeds of “Lemonade” onto a yellow note pad. The track traveled through time before a reliable producer received it to transform into the sensational song which South Korean fans have embraced worldwide.
This artist proves her ability to transform continuously through her life experiences. The writer with training in creative writing brings together multiple musical styles including metal while converting her life experiences into artistic expression through new musical frontiers. The documentary explores the creative process behind “Lemonade” as well as upcoming projects such as a music video that delves into personal stories about Armenia.
The artist takes the stage to deliver her own insights in the following section.
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“What inspired you to write “Lemonade,” and what message or story does the song convey?
I know that this song sounds very cheerful, and it is. But as strange as it sounds, immense suffering is what inspired me to write this song. We can be the prisoners of our minds, if we let ourselves be. But there is freedom within reach…if we don’t blindfold ourselves in front of the light peaking through the crack in the darkness. No matter what societal conditioning tells us or does to us, dreams are always within reach.
Can you walk us through your creative process for “Lemonade”? How did the song evolve from its initial concept to the final production?
When I write songs, it’s because the melody and the lyrics come to me at the same time. I hear the whole thing clearly. I don’t take credit for my music – inspiration comes from up above and I am not the only artist who will say this.
I wrote this song at a hospital. On a yellow notepad with a pen that my ex boyfriend had brought me. Then, I recorded a voice memo of my vocals in my phone in order not to forget the melody. This was in 2016. About five years later, I took the voice memo and the lyrics along with my vision for the song to my favourite producer in Montreal, and shortly thereafter “Lemonade” became my second single.
Your music is known for blending various genres. How does “Lemonade” reflect your eclectic musical tastes, and did you explore any new styles or techniques in this track?
“Lemonade” is a very pop song. The genre pop, I would say, is my home base. However, I don’t discriminate genres – I love all of them and I feel comfortable singing any genre. Even metal. I love metal. Although, when I was a teenager, I once auditioned for a metal band and when they asked me to growl, I simply sang haha. They wanted me to growl like “Arch Enemy.” But I sang a song by “Nightwish,” since I am a soprano and I love opera as well. Naturally, I wasn’t a good fit for them.
I would also love to collaborate with rap artists in the future, although I cannot rap myself.
Does “Lemonade” hold a personal significance for you? Are there particular experiences or emotions that influenced its creation?
Resilience. The more they try to tear me down, the more I roar like a lioness. I am an alchemist – I can turn anything into gold. The worse the experience, the more precious the metal. I will turn gold into platinum. And so on…the possibilities are endless. The world is my oyster.
We come here to learn, to evolve, to grow…but most of all to create and to recognize and remember who we truly are. We are all creators. We are all eternal Spirit in temporary form. We are, in fact, limitless.How have listeners responded to “Lemonade” since its release? Have any reactions or interpretations surprised you?
“Lemonade” seems to me to be my most loved song by the general public. It has the most listeners worldwide and especially in South Korea.
Did you create any visual content, such as a music video or artwork, to accompany “Lemonade”? If so, how do these visuals enhance or complement the song’s themes?
A professional photographer took a series of photos of me for the cover of the single. He is the one who chose which photo would become the cover of the single. The photoshoot included a lot of yellow: yellow bathing suit, yellow scarf, yellow sun hat, yellow sunglasses, yellow manicure, and a lemon martini. Yellow representing lemons of life being alchemized into sweet lemonade – sunshine. Who doesn’t love the summer sun? We had a blast during the photoshoot.
I had then envisioned the filming of the music video in Bali, Indonesia. I was going there for work anyway, and it seemed like the perfect time and place. However, it just wasn’t working out at first. The company I had in mind did not respond to me. One day I called a “Gojek” – the local “Uber.” I was going to take a ride to go see the beautiful Hindu temples on the serene beaches of Bali. I quickly became friends with the Balinese driver because he was so absolutely kind and friendly! He accompanied me to the temples, then he took me to a bar where he asked the bartender to play “Lemonade” in LOOPS haha and then we went for dinner, where his Italian friends joined us. We were enjoying our discussions with some wine, when suddenly the Italian guy told me that the following day, his friends are filming a music video! Now…I only had one day left in Bali and this sounded crazy, but I saw an opportunity here and adventure was right up my alley: I was going to film my video the day before departing. It was written in the stars. And so it was…I hired the crew on the spot and we filmed in beautiful Uluwatu and Nusa Dua. It was an unforgettable, magical, mystical experience frozen in time. And it shows that there is Divine Timing (the Greek word is ‘Kairos’) for everything. Lemonade is made when the lemons are ripe. 😉 Not a minute sooner.
Following “Lemonade,” are there any upcoming projects or releases that fans can look forward to? How does this single fit into your broader artistic vision?
I have released 3 singles since “Lemonade” — “Armenia,” “Gypsy Soul,” and “Malibu Beach.”
I am currently working on the production of the music video for my song “Armenia,” which is about war & peace. It’s about the resilient Spirit of an ancient nation. The nation that has contributed and continues to contribute so much to our planet.
And yet, often, this nation is taken for granted. It has been so throughout history. But we were there long before the birth of Jesus Christ, and we are here now. As the very first nation who officially adopted Christianity. Even before the Romans. We are the nation with the oldest wineries of this planet. We brought wine to the Earth! Many of our allies and enemies have come and gone. The names of their lands are only in history books now. Such as the Hittites, for example. Yet here we are. Resilient as always.
The Armenian national musical instrument “Duduk,” which is made of apricot tree wood, captures the melancholy I wanted to convey through this song. It is, after all, the nation that endured the first Genocide of the 20th century, perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire. Sadly, modern day Turkey has not yet recognized its past. And neighbouring Azerbaijan, supported by Turkey financially, declared war once again in 2020…in the middle of the pandemic.
Shortly thereafter, they occupied the independent Republic of Artsakh, and deported its Armenian citizens. My upcoming music video is going to be about this subject and it will be released in the summer of 2025.
Each song is always very different. I can never tell which genre my next song will be. But we can say that pop is the dominant genre.
Since your move from Yerevan to Montreal in 1999, how has your music evolved, and in what ways does “Lemonade” represent your growth as an artist?
Growth and evolution are a continuous ad infinitum process. There is no end to it.
I was 13 years old when I left Yerevan, Armenia. I used to write a lot of short stories in Russian and in Armenian back in Yerevan, but it wasn’t until I was about 16-17 that I began composing music on the piano, which I can play by ear. In 2018, I decided to start recording and releasing my music. And so I did. I will never stop. “Lemonade” represents only the beginning to me. I have a closet full of unreleased materials yet to manifest into reality.
Being both a musician and an author, how do these creative outlets influence each other? Did your writing experience play a role in crafting the lyrics for “Lemonade”?
It all comes from the same place. The inspiration, I mean. When the inspiration comes, a certain information about the form and medium come along with it – I just know intuitively when it is a song, a poem, or a novel. I am currently working on editing hundreds of poems I have written. My first book of poetry called “A Bed of Black Roses” will be published this year. I have also written a novel, which I am not yet ready to publish.
What do you hope listeners take away from “Lemonade,” and is there anything you’d like to share with your audience about this song?
There is always light at the end of the tunnel – and that light is not only within reach – but it is within you. We are the light we seek. We are the guiding compass. It has been said that when we quiet the mind, the soul will speak. Well, our only true essence is the soul. And the mind is merely its servant. The mind must listen to the soul.
For we are not our minds. This entails that all suffering is temporary. The pendulum always swings. Knowing this while suffering brings peace. A state of stillness. And this is the message of this song…that no matter what negativity arises, that which is our guiding compass is the source of all inspiration and hope. And a lotus cannot bloom without the mud.
Many thanks and blessings your way.
