Despite having no full-length project to his name yet, Nigerian singer/songwriter and producer Omah Lay has amassed over 100 million streams on Spotify. The 24-year-old hitmaker has a proven formula, one that starts with a piece of equipment that many songwriters have left behind.

"When you talk about…the process of making music, writing and singing, my favorite piece of equipment is my notepad," Lay tells GRAMMY.com. "Writing with my phone, I only write down the right [lyrics], but with a notepad, I can jot down the ones that don't make sense and then later I can use it for another song."

Watch one of Africa's brightest rising stars detail his unique writing process in this episode of It Goes To 11.

Omah Lay's pen-and-paper songwriting technique continues to prove successful, as "Understand" is his best-performing track to date. The 2021 track has racked up over 34 million views on YouTube and 20 million streams on Spotify.

Make sure to check back every Wednesday for new episodes of It Goes To 11.

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When Vietnamese singer Thuy hits the stage every night, she has one item that can instantly calm her nerves and ensure a smooth performance: her Ultimate Ears Live monitors.

"They're my everything," she explains in this episode of It Goes to 11. "When I can't hear, I don't do a good job."

Thuy considers the UE Live monitors one of "the best in the game" because of their crisp quality — she can hear her voice and the instrumentals through any frequency. And she can chat with her band through them, which may be her favorite part: "Sometimes, we'll have banter and a little morale during the show."

The UE Live monitors also have face plate customization, so she likes to switch them to match whatever outfit she's wearing that evening. One day, she hopes to have a personalized plate of her dog to feel his presence even when he's not there.

And most importantly, Thuy can still feel the audience with her UE Lives. "You're almost in your own world. With other ears, you feel like you can't connect with fans, but with these, I can hear them," she reveals.

Press play on the video above to learn more about Thuy's beloved UE Live in-ear monitors, and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of It Goes to 11.

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Sammy Rae's favorite instrument is also a milestone for the singer: her "first adult keyboard," a Korg G1 Air digital piano.

When she first set up the keyboard — which was gifted to her by the brand — it made her cry because she finally had something "to write on whenever she wanted."

"It's a gorgeous piece of furniture that lives in my room," she mentions in the latest episode of It Goes to 11. "When I open the door and see it here, I know this is my keyboard, nobody else's."

Rae considers the Korg G1 Air to be the "perfect writing keyboard," as it's able to create grand, acoustic and electric piano sounds. "It really was a missing piece in my writing process that's made things a lot easier…it has transformed my writing process," she adds.

Besides its functionality, her G1 Air was symbolic of "a step towards artistic and creative autonomy." No more heading to her closet to pull out a bulky keyboard — this one is ready whenever she desires.

Press play on the video above to learn more about how Sammy Rae's Korg G1 Air keyboard optimized her songwriting process, and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of It Goes to 11.

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For Dutch singer/songwriter Claire Delić, guitar isn't just an instrument she plays — it's a tool for healing.

"When I play the guitar, I feel she has something to tell me. It's not only me," Delić explains in the latest episode of It Goes to 11. "She has something to give me. We have a conversation."

Delić feels nervous communicating her thoughts, but when she has her guitar in hand, it becomes easy to express her emotions. It also helps her understand her fears and insecurities. As she reveals, "Music is my language."

"I was having a hard day, and I took my guitar and started to play. Suddenly, I was weeping," Delić recalls. She continued to play, and something magical happened: her cries began to coincide with her strums. "With no hesitation, I didn't have to control it. They were just being together, dancing."

After many years together, Delić believes her guitar has become her most effective shrink. It knows her most intimate stories and exactly how to heal her. "There's nobody like my guitar," she says.

Press play on the video above to learn more about Claire Delić's powerful bond with her guitar, and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of It Goes to 11.

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