Star of Y Llais moves forward with rousing new single
Stephen Price
Sara Owen, one of the most promising young acts from the first season of Y Llais, has moved forward with rousing new single, Symud Ymlaen.
Following her momentous success on the hit TV show, Sara Owen is the latest new voice to join celebrated Welsh recording company, Côsh Records.
After years of performing in her local area, Sara Owen reached a wider audience earlier this year by making it to the final of Y Llais 2025 as part of Bryn Terfel’s team.
Yws Gwynedd – owner of Côsh Records and a fellow coach on the show – had marked Sara out as one of his favourites, despite her decision to join a different mentor.
Growing acclaim
This summer has been a whirlwind for the singer, with a string of festival appearances across Wales following her success on the programme.
Now, she’s stepping into a new chapter with ‘Symud Ymlaen’ (Moving On) – a song she originally wrote over a decade ago, but whose chorus feels more resonant now than ever.
The track was played for the first play on Ifan Davies’ BBC Radio Cymru show on Friday 10 October, and has quickly become one of the most-played tracks on Welsh language radio.
Y Llais
Y Llais has closed applications for Y Llais 2026, the hit Welsh-language music competition that captured the nation’s heart in its debut season, and confirmed the return of its star-studded coaching panel.
Back by popular demand, the all-star coaching panel includes world-renowned opera legend Sir Bryn Terfel, singer and presenter Bronwen Lewis, pop artist and studio producer Yws Gwynedd, and reggae sensation Aleighcia Scott.
“It was a no-brainer to say yes to coaching again,” said Bronwen Lewis. “I loved every second of the first series and the incredible singing. I feel like all four of us have settled into our red chairs now – series one was the warm-up… bring on series two!”
In Y Llais, the talent perform facing the backs of the four coaches, whose chairs only turn if their voice alone earns that all-important approval. It’s all about raw talent – no gimmicks, no filters.
Beth Angell, Head of Entertainment and Factual Entertainment at S4C, says the first series created a real buzz around new talent and language learning: “One of the most powerful things about Y Llais was the number of new faces – and voices – we saw on the channel.
“Many were learning Welsh, including our inspiring coach Aleighcia Scott. Seeing her speak confidently in Welsh from the red chair inspired viewers to reconnect with or begin their Welsh language journey. We’re incredibly proud of that.”
Symud Ymlaen
Upon the release of Sara’s debut track, she shared: “I wanted to write this song years ago and this is the first (full) song I wanted to write.
“I forgot about it because I don’t want to remember that time – But I’m so glad that I’ve looked at it again in a different perspective, with a different message…”
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“I want an epic sound, that’s booming, like a sound in movies, a sound epic enough for people to listen to in a car, full blast, with a sunroof, a roof with a window down, and hair blowing in the wind
“I never thought she could sound like this… Thank you very much to my producer, Rich.
Listen to Symud Ymlaen and future releases from Sara on Spotify
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