Yuna, Pharrell Protege, Talks Being Muslim

Los Angeles looks good on Yuna, even if she doesn't fit the Hollywood standard for pop star -- hair always wrapped in a hijab (she's a devout Muslim); a stylishly chaste wardrobe that ­covers her from turtleneck on down; a label home, Verve, known for legacy jazz and adult contemporary artists like Barry Manilow. The 29-year-old born Yunalis Zarai is a long plane ride from her homeland, where not so long ago she posted shy folk-pop songs to MySpace and, warmed by the feedback, hit the reset button to move to America and meet her mentor, Pharrell Williams. Today, she's markedly different: Her third and best album, Chapters (May 20), is edgy alt-soul featuring Usher, Jhene Aiko and DJ Premier. The songs -- ­including "Crush," her first Billboard chart hit -- are inspired by a wrecked relationship and powered by Yuna's new ­confidence in herself and her opinions. "I was a timid girl before," says Yuna hours earlier, perched at a table in a ­warehouse photo studio and dressed in all black. "A lot of people said, 'Your problem is always ­holding back.' I didn't want to hold back anymore."