You may know him from YouTube but Yung Filly’s been releasing music since 2017. Having gained nods from Radio 1, KISS, Capital XTRA, Hunger, GRM Daily, MTV and performing to over 80,000 people at Parklife, he’s preparing for an exciting 2024, get to know him the South Londoner on a deeper level via this VIPER interview.

What five words define your sound?

Fun, reflective, exotic, truthful, pure.

Tell me something unique about your creative process.

I have a Nando’s during every session. It helps put me in a comfortable mood where I can get my creativity flowing.

Which song of yours would you like people to hear first?

‘Grey’ – I think it’s a great reflection of my personality and vibe, it’s a fun feel-good song that everyone can enjoy.

What inspired you to make that song?

A mix between my ex and wanting to make a song that you can dance to while talking about something deep.

What’s the most vulnerable you’ve allowed yourself to be when writing/making music?

I cried once when I wrote a song BUT I won’t give too much away but this year I promised myself that musically this is the year of consistency. So, when I got back in the studio to focus more on my sound, I realised that music is the main outlet I have to express my emotions in a more vulnerable way.

What’s the best/worst experience you’ve had on stage?

I think seeing someone propose during my set at Parklife, that was when I realised that my music actually reaches people in all different ways. To see the love be shared like that blew my mind loved seeing that.

What is your favourite song to perform?

Currently it’s ‘Long Time’, I love hearing everyone singing along. Hearing a crowd sing your lyrics back to you,word for word is a mad experience. That song means a lot to me because I took a year out of the studio to understand not just what my fans wanted from me musically but also to really get to figure out what I want my sound to be and the direction I want to go as an artist.

Which artist/song/album made you want to make music?

Not one in particular because I have been inspired by different sounds especially from my background and growing up in south London, I grew up with all these different genres of music like Grime, Rap, Hip Hop, Afrobeats and Reggaeton that I want to mix together and make my own sound.

What’s the meaning behind your name?

It’s just short for my real name which is Andrés Felipe Barrientos. When I was growing up a lot of people would call me Filly for short.

If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing instead?

I’m really good with numbers so either a broker or focusing on YouTube. But realistically I couldn’t see myself not involving music in anything I do; It’s a part of my identity.

What’s success to you?

Changing my family’s lives building generational wealth and providing my family with opportunities we wouldn’t have access to if I wasn’t able to build this platform for myself.

What moment in your life/career forced you to change direction?

I would say seeing my mum struggle to pay rent. Coming from Colombia, my mother is the definition of a go-getter – even if she was struggling, she’d find a way to support us. She motivates me every day to push myself to be the best in anything I do.

Where can people keep in touch with you?

On all social platforms! I love interacting with people who support me, on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram. At the moment I go live on twitch most nights.

Photo by Ashraf Nsubuga