Inside a midtown Tulsa Airbnb, Ari Yvon is turning back the clock to her childhood. A young actress wears Yvon’s toddler attire, including a skirt made by her mom, as she plays with Yvon’s toys from her early childhood.
There are lights, a camera and crew hard at work to bring Yvon’s vision to life for her music video “Sunroom,” slated to debut in May ahead of a debut album release next summer.
“The song is about the duality of memories and how two opposites can exist at the same time,” Yvon said. “You can have feelings of joy, happiness and nostalgia, and like all the fuzzy, warm feelings at the same time as grief and all these other hard emotions.”
The video looks back warmly at childhood memories of dancing and playing interspersed with a community memory of an outside party filled with singing and dancing. The third setup is a relationship memory involving a last dance. The concept revolves around how memories can’t be relived, she said.
Cherokee/Kiowa filmmaker Loren Waters is in charge of the day-long shoot that started in the home’s living room before moving outdoors to a backyard party featuring handmade decor, including rows of multi-colored flags strung overhead.
“I could have easily bought it off of Amazon and saved myself a lot of money and time, but I just wanted everything to feel touched and lived in and very, like, specific and nostalgic to my personal life,” said Yvon, who funded the video through an Artists Creative Fund grant.
It is sweltering hot outside, with the heat index hovering around 110 degrees. That hasn’t stopped a couple dozen of her friends from showing up to take part in her video. There are lots of sweat, smiles and dancing throughout the afternoon as her song plays on repeat through giant speakers. If it wasn’t for the camera crew, it feels like this would be a normal Sunday funday routine for Yvon.
“Sunroom” will be among the singles from her debut album “Hugs.” Listeners can expect eight to 10 original songs influenced by soft pop with R&B, soul and jazz, and produced by Logan Bruhn. Previous singles “Willow Tree” and “October Lover” are likely to appear on the album as well.
After a decade of professional work as a backup singer, including a gig at Alice Cooper’s 50th wedding anniversary, she’s thrilled to be singing her own songs.
“Working on this body of original songs has allowed me to nurture my playful side again and return to the simplicity of what it feels like to create and have fun,” said Yvon, who works at The Church Studio and has contributed to multiple records recorded there. “It’s helped me find my younger self and my voice again. I hope they help other people find their way back to that feeling, too. I want to explore the art of simplicity in music and what it feels like to create playfully and honestly.”
Ari Yvon’s music video for “Sunroom” will be released next spring. Credit: Tim Landes / Tulsa Flyer 
Ari Yvon laughs between takes for her music video for “Sunroom” that will be released in spring 2027. Credit: Tim Landes / Tulsa Flyer 
Ari Yvon surrounded by friends during the music video shoot for “Sunroom” that will be released next spring. Credit: Tim Landes / Tulsa Flyer 
Director Loren Waters talks as Ari Yvon looks on during the filming of a music video for her “Sunroom” that will be released next spring. Credit: Tim Landes / Tulsa Flyer 
Ari Yvon and others watch a take during the making of her music video for “Sunroom” that will be released next spring. Credit: Tim Landes / Tulsa Flyer 
Ari Yvon and friends dance during the making of her music video for “Sunroom” that will be released next spring. Credit: Tim Landes / Tulsa Flyer 
Ari Yvon and friends dance during the making of her music video for “Sunroom” that will be released next spring. Credit: Tim Landes / Tulsa Flyer
The 25-year-old is a lifelong Tulsan and the daughter of a white mom and a Puerto Rican father, making her a self-described “Okie Rican.” She was the only brown kid in her grade and one of a few with really curly hair throughout her years at Lincoln Christian, which wasn’t a big deal, she said.
Then a few years ago, she took a solo trip to Puerto Rico that has since turned into several return visits. She’s connected with family, including “so many cousins,” and learned more about the culture.
After spending a day at a Puerto Rican beach, she arrived at a salsa event and was two floors up looking down at the dancers in the courtyard moving their hips and feet to the beats.
“I was just like, ‘Wow, this is crazy!’” she recounted. “I’m counting six women with my exact same hair, other women with scarves as shirts like I’ve worn, which in Tulsa, I’ve never seen people wear stuff like that, thinking I invented it. Nope. I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, it was just in me! I’m just Puerto Rican!’”
Her time in Puerto Rico has made her more intentional about finding more cultural connections at home. Yvon regularly attends Sunday Salsa on the Green in the Arts District and said she has found it to be a great way to connect with people from Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Venezuela and other countries, calling it “a hub for a lot of the Latin community”
“I love going to salsa nights because some of the most diverse, beautiful people go there, and it’s so cool getting to meet more of the Hispanic community here, which has been important to me,” Yvon said. “The Latino community is such a huge part of this city, but I don’t always feel like it’s represented in the local arts and music scene. I’d love to create more opportunities for connection and make people feel seen, represented and included.”
If she has her way, she will soon dance on her own stages and perform music to crowds dancing and singing along with her — just like it’s another backyard party.
“I just want to keep traveling and performing. It’s my favorite thing in the whole world,” Yvon said. “I’ve been doing it professionally for 10 years, mostly performing other people’s music. Now I get to make my own music and have authorship over what I’m creating, so I’m really excited to bring that work to different places and connect with people through something that’s actually mine.”
Disclosure: The Artists Creative Fund is a program of George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF). GKFF also provided financial support for the Tulsa Flyer. News decisions at the Tulsa Flyer are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
