Three such talents are zeauk, CLARY and Khai Zhen, who came together to collaborate on their latest single, “Way Up”, available on all digital streaming platforms today.
Last year, the trio released “Mad at You”, an R&B single that garnered them over 50,000 followers and 20,000 streams on Spotify.
An impressive start, especially since they were just starting out. The song’s success is something they hope to build on with their new single.
Burgeoning music careers
Yap Khai Zhen, 22, tells FMT that he has been musically inclined since he was a child. “I studied music at Sunway University, which is where I truly found my passion,” he shares.
For CLARY, whose real name is Ch’ng Lei, the art of writing lyrics is something she enjoys wholeheartedly.
“I really like writing my own stuff. I focus on creating lyrics, and that’s what got me to stick with music,” the 23-year-old says.
Whereas zeauk, 22, whose real name is Zeus Rectra, says his decision to delve into a music career was a recent one.
“I was more into photography and visual arts,” he reveals. “But a couple years ago, I got into music through my friends, and we ended up making a song just for fun.”
That song blew up on Spotify, which gave Rectra the impetus to pursue music.
He and Khai Zhen were acquaintances when they discovered they shared a common interest. “I noticed Khai Zhen was releasing music, so I contacted him and suggested we work on a song together,” Rectra recalls.
Ch’ng was roped in through mutual friends, and one thing led to another, culminating with last year’s popular release of “Mad At You”. Radio stations brought them in for interviews, and this success encouraged them to stick together for future projects.
Which leads them “Way Up” until today.
This time around, the trio have decided on “a more tropical, summer-like beat”, says Ch’ng – “something more exciting and more Malaysian”.
“It’s also a great way to introduce ourselves as artistes in a bigger way,” Khai Zhen adds. “The song refers to how we improve, do better and shine together.”
For them, “community over competition” matters; other artistes are not rivals but people united by music.
Inspiration and the internet
Each of them plays a different role in the group, with Khai Zhen responsible for the production process. Despite Ch’ng being the avid wordsmith, she takes care of the vocals in this collaboration, while Rectra demonstrates his skill at writing lyrics.
The trio work closely together on the songs. “Way Up”, they say, took several months to finalise, and during this time, they received their families’ blessings – something that Rectra, for one, was surprised by.
“I started making music in 2018 but only told them about it the year after,” he says. “They actually supported what I wanted to do.
“They always share my music with other family members, saying, ‘Please subscribe to my son’s channel’. It’s really inspiring.”
Being artistes in the internet era has been a boon, given how it allows them to reach people all over the world.
“Everyone’s online now,” Khai Zhen says. “It has a huge impact on the music scene – on people, artistes and musicians.”
Agreeing, Ch’ng stresses the importance of building and interacting with the online community, while Rectra credits the internet with allowing them to interact and collaborate.
Looking ahead
For Khai Zhen, a full-time music career is on the cards. “Music motivates me; it makes me who I am,” he says. “When I first started making music, I knew this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
For Ch’ng, it is a tool that helps put her mind at ease. “When you listen to music, all your worries and pain gets filtered out.”
Rectra, on the other hand, is undecided about the future. But he calls music “essential” to his everyday life, which suggests his love for it isn’t going away anytime soon.
As for the future, the trio are ready to take on anything that comes their way.
“I believe if you feel that something is right for you, it’s right for you,” says Khai Zhen. “We’ll keep at it and one day, we just might end up where we’ve always wanted to be.”
Check out Khai Zhen, CLARY and zeauk’s latest single ‘Way Out’ by clicking here.