Close your eyes and play a song sung by Amsyar, and you might imagine a beautiful woman with an angelic voice. But the face behind the voice belongs to Muhammad Amir Syafiq Mohd Sadri, popularly known as Amsyar Leee.
Everyone who hears him sing has one burning question: “Is that his real voice, or is he just doing impeccable mimicry?”
Speaking with FMT Lifestyle, Amsyar once and for all, spilled the beans.
“Yes, this is my real voice! Of course, when I sing, I use certain vocal techniques. But when I speak, this is definitely my real voice.”
At just 25 years old, this rising star in the local music scene has already dropped eight singles. His standout original, “Belai,” has over 10 million views on YouTube and four million Spotify plays.
A big fan of local singer, songwriter and actress Siti Nurhaliza, Amsyar discovered his ability to imitate her and various other artists at a young age.
“Once I realised I could sing just like these popular singers, I slowly discovered my own original voice,” he recalled.
Following in the footsteps of today’s stars like Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes, Amsyar found his breakthrough on YouTube. It was in secondary school, when he joined theatre and began posting videos of him singing online, that his real journey began.
After going viral in 2020, he has now released his latest single, the peppy number ‘Rasa Sayang Sayang’ under Warner Music Malaysia.
“I myself never thought that I would become a name in this industry,” Amsyar said.
Speaking about his distinctive voice, he shared: “Every human voice, and the tones it can emit, is different. I believe that everyone can sing. Everyone can produce varying tones, and this, in my opinion, is the uniqueness of being human.”
While his biggest hits have been trendy pop songs, his voice truly shines in ballads, a genre he often covers. Currently pursuing a degree in theatre production at UiTM, Amsyar is not only a singer but also a composer, lyricist, and social media influencer.
And while he’s now a celebrated singer, he acknowledged that his journey wasn’t always smooth.
“In the past, I did face criticism since my voice is more feminine. I don’t care if people say that now. But in the beginning, I felt like, alamak, this isn’t right, and I even thought I needed to stop singing.”
In fact, he admitted that even his own parents weren’t always on board.
“They wanted me to pursue other careers instead of singing. But I felt that this passion couldn’t be abandoned. Now, thank God, I’ve managed to build my career from nothing until I have my own original songs,” he said with a smile.
Today, he revealed that his parents couldn’t be prouder of him.
“Because of the positive support I received from some people, I was very moved and I felt I should continue. Otherwise, there would be no ‘Rasa Sayang Sayang’ or ‘Belai’,” he shared.
He even revealed that certain fans attend every one of his performances. “It makes me feel good that there are people who know my journey,” he shared, adding that he always recognised their faces in the crowd.
Despite discouragement at the start, Amsyar’s success proves that the thing that once caused him embarrassment is now his very strength.
“I hope that vocals like mine will be accepted by all. I feel it’s important to not let such talent go unnoticed but to bring it out into the open.”
Amsyar said it was his hope that people would continue to support upcoming local artists like him. “I would like to see our local music industry grow not just within Malaysia, but globally.”
With his latest single “Rasa Sayang Sayang” gaining popularity and an upcoming collaboration with Indonesian singer Fadhilah Intan in the works, Amsyar Leee is definitely a young talent to watch!