DeVita is God, the Devil and human on ‘The Tree is Burning’
The South Korean R&B wunderkind releases her first and most vulnerable album since going independent from label AOMG
DeVita
Jinveun/@jinveun
Words by Daniel Anderson
DeVita has always existed between worlds. Born in South Korea and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, the singer-songwriter moves fluidly between Korean and English, hip-hop and pop, restraint and vulnerability. That duality has shaped her career from the start: her 2021 debut EP CRÈME—released under AOMG, the label founded by Jay Park—earned her a Rookie of the Year nomination from the Korean Music Awards, while breakout single “EVITA!” was nominated for R&B Track of the Year by the Korean Hip Hop Awards. As her profile grew, so did her range—touring the United States with AOMG labelmates in 2022, selling out her first solo concert in Seoul the following year, and writing for artists like Lee Hyori and Hwasa, as well as contributing to film soundtracks including Netflix’s 2023 hit Ballerina and the Han So Hee led Project Y.
But The Tree Is Burning marks a clear turning point. Her first full-length release since leaving AOMG in 2025, the album dropped this month and is her most intimate work to date. It’s a genre-blurring project that folds hip-hop, pop, and choral textures into a meditation on fear, faith, survival, and self-reckoning. Drawing from Christian imagery without prescribing belief, DeVita approaches spirituality as something lived and opts to sing from the perspectives of herself, God, and the Devil as a way of mapping her inner conflicts. Her stage name comes from protagonist Salvatore Di Vita from the film Cinema Paradiso and Argentina's former first lady Evita Peron. Her artist identity has always nodded toward storytelling; here, that instinct becomes raw and unguarded.
DeVita spoke with JoySauce ahead of the album’s release to chat about finding healing through religion, therapy and creative freedom.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Daniel Anderson: In the press notes, this album opens with a very direct letter to the listener, where you clearly state who you are, what this music is about, and what it isn’t. Why did it feel important to frame the album so explicitly before anyone even pressed play?
DeVita: I’m not even sure if I’m going to share that part forever, but at the time it felt important. As an artist, I’m exploring different parts of myself. I’m not claiming this side of me to be my only part. I don’t want people to see me as “this girl” or “that girl.” I’m just me, going through something, and trying to share my views with the world.
DA: You’ve said this is your most personal work. What was the inspiration behind this album, and how long has it been in the making?
D: Honestly, the biggest inspiration was what I was going through mentally. I’d say it started around 2022, but it really escalated in 2024 and 2025. It was a life-changing experience for me. Going through that completely shifted how I see life and what I should focus on. That became the core of this album.
DA: The album clearly carries spiritual weight, and you’ve spoken openly about Christian influence. What made faith the right lens for this album?
DeVita: I went through something very traumatic. I was very close to death. After that, I couldn’t stop thinking about death, God, and what it means to be alive. Once you’re that close, you can’t ignore those questions. I couldn’t not write about it.
DA: This is your first full album as an independent artist after leaving AOMG. How did that shift the process?
D: I don't have to sell my soul. I don't have to edit my soul anymore. I don't have to edit the song so that the label likes it. This was the first full-length album that I'm releasing, but this is the first album where I didn't have to listen to anyone. I had total creative freedom. I think that's very important especially for an album like this, where it's just about my world, my philosophy, my views in life.
DA: Was there any fear around being misunderstood, or having this album reduced to a belief system rather than a personal story?
D: Yeah, that was definitely a concern. This album is so vulnerable. I’m not claiming to be a perfect Christian, and I’m not claiming to be anything else either. It’s just who I am and what I was going through at that moment.
DA: Throughout the album, you sing from three perspectives: yourself, God, and the Devil. Did that structure come early on?
D: It came very early, because all of that exists inside me. I’m human, but I’m also God, and I’m also the Devil. It’s all part of me. That’s why I keep saying this isn’t a Christian album, it’s too vulnerable for that. It’s not about being righteous. It’s about being honest.
I’m human, but I’m also God, and I’m also the Devil. It’s all part of me. That’s why I keep saying this isn’t a Christian album, it’s too vulnerable for that. It’s not about being righteous. It’s about being honest.
DA: Sonically, the album blends spiritual elements with hip-hop, R&B, and pop. How did you balance those worlds?
D: One of my earliest memories is watching a boys’ choir. My brother is a classically trained clarinetist, so classical and choir music were always part of my life. I also trained classically in Chicago during high school. That sound has always been me. I just never showed it before. This album felt like the right time to explore that side of myself.
DA: There’s something very childlike and foundational about returning to those sounds.
D: Exactly. The whole process felt childlike. I went to Sunday school and church every week even as a baby, but I grew far away from all of that. When you go through something like a near-death experience, it reminds you of everything you’ve drifted from.
DA: Was there a moment where you realized the album was evolving into something different than what you initially envisioned?
D: The album really starts with fear, and as I was making it, it slowly moved toward peace. A lot of the early songs came from a really bad headspace: fear, questions, confusion. Toward the end, I felt like I got some closure. That progression wasn’t planned, but it happened naturally as I was healing.
I don’t think I fully understood the album until very recently. “Hallelujah,” especially. The album is in English, but that’s the only song in Korean, and it’s the only song that’s fully praising God. Everything else is about fear. Now that I’m better, I can look back and feel gratitude. When I sing it, I still cry.
DA: Why was it important for “Hallelujah” to be in Korean?
D: I wanted it to feel like speaking in tongues, like I’d gone somewhere else, somewhere higher. I wanted the listener to think that, “Oh, she's like, she's gone, she's gone to heaven.”
DA: There’s a strong circular structure in the album.
D: Yes. The album starts with the tree burning, and throughout I’m asking God for rain to wash my sins away. At the end of “Hallelujah,” you hear rain. If you loop the album, the sounds blend together.
DA: You’ve been open about receiving professional help. How did therapy and religion coexist for you?
D: Having people around me who believed in me was the most important thing, whether that was religion, therapy, or my creative partners. My pastor prayed for me. My therapist never judged my faith or dismissed it. That balance mattered. At the end of the day, it’s all human.
DA: Was there hesitation around therapy, especially given cultural stigma?
D: I was very blessed. My mom actually started going to therapy with me so she could help me through this. That meant everything. I’ve been surrounded by people who genuinely wanted the best for me.
DA: Any plans once the album comes out? Can we expect a tour?
D: I don't have anything planned honestly, no tours, no nothing. Maybe I’m open to it. I didn't even think I would make it this far. I specifically remember telling my producers, “Please, if I don't make it out, if I don't make it, release this album for me.”
Published on March 16, 2026
Words by Daniel Anderson
Daniel Anderson is a disabled Chinese American adoptee based in Seattle. His freelance writing specialties include K-pop, entertainment, and food. He believes that any restaurant can be a buffet, and the key to success is to take a nap each day. Follow his adventures on Instagram @danzstan.