The first half of the 2010s offered singer-songwriter Emi Meyer few breaks. She released a full-length album every year until 2015, driven both by creative energy and a feeling that she needed to put herself out there.
"That was my fulfillment in life. It was almost a little borderline obsessive," Meyer, 32, says. Over that period, she released albums of original jazz material, collaborations pushing her closer to mainstream J-pop and covers of standards. She says this rapid approach to putting out music set herself up well for the rest of the decade, and now she's far more comfortable as an artist.
"Even stepping into the studio, I used to be more insecure," she says. "'How do I make this person interested in me, or how do I sound good?' But at this point, I've done so much of that kind of soul searching and being insecure that when I get to a meeting or get in the studio, I've done my preparation. I don't feel as 'second guessy' about what they want me to be or who they want me to sound like. I don't get as nervous, and I'm not as questioning of myself."