The human brain is one of the most fascinating things in the world. It has the power to control all the actions that the body is performing. From breathing to moving, eating, running, sleeping; everything in between is controlled by the brain alone. Aside from managing functions, the human brain is also capable of holding on to memories, regardless of their nature, and then telling the body to react accordingly. How a body reacts to a situation is also purely controlled by the brain, how a person thinks, when they believe they should be crying or smiling, etc.
The brain also has the power to suppress some painful experiences, but sometimes, these experiences are so painful that the brain does not have the capacity to move forward, and that is when the real work begins. Paralyzing pain may have the upper hand, but it can be said that an individual’s resilience is equally poweful. With just a few words, an individual can find hope and motivation where there seems to be none at all, and make a choice to restart their life.
One of the most inspiring stories of second chances and returning stronger than ever before is FINLAY (pronounced /fin-LEE/). The beautiful Paige Finlay Yim is a rising star in pop music. Finding herself in the hands of an ill-fated accident, Paige turned her life around, vowing to be more passionate, to welcome every opportunity with open arms, and, most of all, to become an unapologetic life-lover.
BEGINNINGS
Born on April 3, 1991, Paige Finlay Yim) spent her childhood in Texas’ largest metropolitan area, Houston. Paige had an ethereal love and growing passion for music from a very young age. She was just as fond of performing as she was entertaining an audience. She began learning to play classical piano when she was just six years old. Her love for music only blossomed with age, and by the time she was a teenager, she stepped into songwriting. Her interest in the music industry became focused toward pop, and Paige was fully supported by her parents to limitlessly explore the genre.
Paige did not limit herself to singing; she is also a trained dancer and aspiring producer and dreamt of becoming a prominent entertainer. To move her dreams forward, she moved to Los Angeles in 2009 to complete her education in film & media production. During this time, Paige worked as a television actress for teen programming.
PERSEVERING CHALLENGES
Paige is not just a massive music and entertainment lover; she is also fond of surfing and a die-hard fan of the World Surf League. During a surf trip in the Gulf of Mexico in 2012, Paige fell victim to a near-deadly shark attack.
Paige had just started her journey as a professional musician and recording artist, but the devastating news brought about by the doctors read that her survival chances were less than 50% survival rate. The doctors informed her that she might lose her left leg, and all she could think of was how she would no longer be able to perform without her left leg on stage in front of audiences.
Paige’s heart and soul were shattered, and she felt hopeless. It was during this time in the hospital that she promised herself that if she were given a second chance in life, she would pursue the one thing she felt gave her life greater purpose – to be able to make a difference with her music.
To both her and the doctor’s surprise, her will to live and spiritual life had started a miracle, and in an attempt to process the emotional and physical trauma from the accident, Paige started recovering quickly. Within just seven days, she was released from the hospital, with her left leg still intact.
THE COME UP
Paige’s accident proved to be a life-altering event for her. While on the verge of losing hope, she chose to rise up. This story inspired her stage name, FINLAY, which means “small blonde soldier” in Gaelic, of which she hails of Irish origin. FINLAY is also her given middle name.
Enroute to climbing the ladder of success, she released her debut single, ‘TIDES.’ The following year, she was able to secure an opening tour spot for Capitol Records’ Nikyee Heaton.
Her premiere single was the first step on the ladder, which helped her lay the groundwork for success in the music industry. In September 2018, Paige released the official music video for ‘TIDES,’ which was directed by Rubias Collective. Through the song, Paige aimed to spread the message about “what it means to break through personal fear with deep confidence & feminine strength.” The song narrates an inspiring story of a survivor and highlights FINLAY’s surrender to the very ocean that almost took her life.
FINLAY’s soft tones, captivating pop melodies, and beautiful scenic visuals grasped attention all across the globe, resulting in an overwhelming response from audiences. Atwood Magazine described FINLAY’s debut single as “an inspiring tale of a survivor…[an] intoxicating celebration of life.”
In 2018, FINLAY was featured in NPR’s annual SXSW Artists to Watch program, where her music was referred to as “fizzily insistent pop brim[ming] over with a sense of joy worthy of Carly Rae Jepsen.”
Paige’s success started climbing substantially. She became more recognized when she appeared in and co-wrote the EDM track ‘Memories’ by artist and producer, NATIVE, garnering over 15 million streams across all music platforms. The track was followed by the release of yet another single, ‘lovesick.’ Her success in the pop music industry skyrocketed even more when she released a string of successful singles beginning in 2019. Starting with ‘deep end,’ she also released ‘edge of mine,’ and hit single ‘bones,’ leading up to the release of her debut EP, ‘edge of mine’ on April 22, 2020. The EP consists of five songs that were released independently. 2021 saw FINLAY’s first chart-topping single, ‘Reset,’ a collaborative effort that peaked at No. 24 on the Apple Music Pop Charts in Canada.
FINLAY’s journey is not just another story; it is an inspiration and motivation for all people. It is powerful enough to convince us that there is more to life than just the devastating pieces, and instead of getting dragged down, one must always aim to rise up and break free!
