Written by: Briana Wong, Bryan Yew, Naima Razali
Local music sensation Sezairi Sezali recently hit the stage to perform at the Gardens by the Bay and Mediacorp National Day Concert 2024 and it is of little wonder why he was tapped for the gig. Popular for hits such as ‘It’s You’ and ‘Memory’, Sezairi has traversed a remarkable journey from Singapore Idol winner to a self-assured independent artist.
The Idol Years
Sezairi’s rise to fame began with his victory on Singapore Idol in 2009, a moment that catapulted him into the national spotlight.
“Winning Singapore Idol was a highlight,” he recalls. Subsequently, his transition from a fresh-faced Idol winner to a full-fledged artist was almost immediate, and he quickly found hims elf balancing his newfound fame with the responsibilities of National Service.
National Service and Global Exposure
A few days after his win, Sezairi enlisted into National Service (NS), where he was affectionately dubbed ‘Recruit Singapore Idol’ by his peers. However, his time in the Music & Drama Company (MDC) during his NS proved to be more than just a break from the limelight – it was a transformative experience that broadened his artistic horizons. This experience allowed him to continue pursuing his passion for music while representing Singapore on a global stage.
“I got to serve my time with the Music & Drama Company, travel around the world performing for various Prime Ministers and Ministers and spending my NS like that was quite a highlight,” he shared.
These performances were not only career highlights, but also opportunities for him. Sezairi’s time in MDC instilled a sense of pride in representing Singapore on the world stage and enriched his perspective as an artist. The growth he had experienced from his stint was evident to all. His debut album, “Take Two,” released in June 2010, garnered positive reviews. The album’s lead single, “Broken,” achieved remarkable success, topping the charts as the highest-ranking Asian song of 2010 on 987FM.
This then led to another “highlight” of his career: opening for Taylor Swift in 2011.
“You don’t expect Taylor Swift to be knocking on your room door, saying she wants to say hi,” he said, grinning. “It’s moments like that that you realise like, ‘Hey, maybe I’m quite okay’.”
Building on this momentum, Sezairi signed with Sony Music Singapore in 2014 and released his self-titled EP, featuring the hit single “Fire To The Floor.”
The Independent Artist
After years of navigating the music industry under the umbrella of a label, the singer made a bold decision: to strike out on his own and not re-sign with Sony Music Entertainment in April this year. It was a leap of faith, and while it did grant him unprecedented creative control, it also demanded immense self-reliance. As Sezairi himself puts it, “I just felt like I needed to put my hands in the dirt more.”
Embarking on this independent journey was no easy feat. The weight of every decision fell solely on his shoulders. Yet, the rewards were equally substantial. The freedom to experiment, to shape his sound without compromise, and to connect directly with his fans were invaluable.
Creating his own label also brought on more responsibilities than he was used to as an artiste.
He said with a smile: “I think right now for me, it’s trying to also handle the A&R (artists and repertoire) portion of it, and handle everything else plus the creation side of it, so it’s making me aware of a lot more things that is possible in the creation of music. It’s making me very excited.”
He sees the challenges as a privilege though, as it gives him the opportunity to upskill and excel.
“When I ask myself what do I wanna do for the rest of my life, I gotta be doing more of this you know,” he shared with enthusiasm.
This newfound independence has ignited a fire within him, propelling him to explore new creative avenues for his music and push the boundaries of his artistry.
“I’ve been through so many processes in the music industry – doing everything yourself as an independent artist, being with a major label and delegating stuff, but I feel like I’ve reached the point in my career where I feel like I have to have the balance of both, and kind of get a grip on everything,” Sezairi shared.
The Importance of Support
As an artist, Sezairi notes the importance of surrounding yourself with the people you love to draw inspiration from. And throughout Sezairi’s career, he constantly mentions his wife, Syaza Qistina Tan, as a pillar of support in his journey. Reminiscing about his Singapore Idol days, Sezairi jokingly mentions how she helped him get through the competition.
“She was the one who picked all the Idol winning songs. All the winning songs, she was like, you gotta sing this song, this song. And her song choices have always worked out during Idol. Like, mine have always flopped,” Sezairi said with a laugh.
In his latest album ‘Self Soothing’, the song ‘Memory’ was written out of the love for his wife. Specifically, the lyrics “we surrendered the best part of our youth so that we’ll never lose this memory” evokes the idea of remembering her forever. In fact, many of his songs like ‘It’s You’ and ‘Restless Love’ talk about the loving relationship the two of them have.
Explaining in detail on why she has such a big impact on his music, Sezairi said: “We’ve been working together for more than a decade. And over the years, we’ve worked on so many projects together. I mean, we push each other to be better versions of ourselves.:
He added: “I write a lot of songs about her, we learn so much about each other as time goes on. So it feels like there’s always something about our relationship that’s worth remembering and turning into song.”
Advice for Aspiring Artists
Of course, the path to being an established artist in Singapore is not an easy one. Sezairi acknowledges that trying to pursue a career in the arts is time consuming and not everyone has the privilege of that time at their disposal. As such, when asked what advice he would give to anyone trying to pursue the arts, he emphasised the need to gauge the amount of commitment they are willing to put in.
“Figure out how many hours in the day you’re willing to do this and then go from there,” Sezairi said. “If you have that time, carve out some time for yourself, maybe six months or a year, like practising for two hours every day. Surround yourself with the art that you wanna make. So after six months look back and see, what have I done? And I think that should be a good litmus test for you to figure out what to do next.”
Aside from managing one’s time to focus on art, Sezairi also believes that the content that you expose yourself to can have a significant impact on your growth.
“You have to curate what you absorb every day. Don’t get lost in your Instagram scrolling for 30 minutes and just absorbing all the things your brain doesn’t want to, shouldn’t be absorbing. There’s always an opportunity in every moment to better yourself. And at moments where you feel like you can’t, don’t. Don’t stress yourself out too much. Curate that in a way that will be beneficial for you.”
If you want to catch Sezairi singing his hit songs, catch the concert airing on 17th August!
