This Miss World Singapore winner is not just a pageant queen

As a teen and a self-taught musician growing up in Singapore, Khailing Ho dreamed of a career in music. In 2021, winning the Singapore chapter of the Miss World pageant spurred the beauty queen to pursue her dreams in Los Angeles, landing herself a spot in one of TikTok’s fastest and largest growing content creation houses—XO Team—and releasing her first single.

Under the moniker Khailia G, the 21-year-old independent singer-songwriter, whose biggest inspirations range from Billie Eilish to Olivia Rodrigo and Avril Lavigne, recently debuted her first lead single, ‘SOS’, an alternative pop song off an EP that has been two years in the making.

“I’m such a perfectionist when it comes to executing a story in a song. Every time I choose a single to debut with, it doesn’t happen because I would want to change something, which will then be a back-and-forth with the team, and I would have to fight for what I want,” says Ho.

From Miss World Singapore To Los Angeles

Fresh out of high school in 2021, Ho was not sure if she wanted to attend university, something her parents hoped she would do. While she contemplated her next steps, her mother persuaded her to try something new in order to make use of her time productively, which was when she decided to take part in the Miss World pageant. Despite initially feeling intimidated by the other participants, who were businesswomen, doctors and lawyers with a wealth of experience, Ho eventually clinched the title, thanks to her musical and dance talents.

“It was such a surreal experience. I think when you’re in a room filled with people with so much passion and drive, it makes you feel elevated. I gained confidence in watching these girls want to do the same thing that I wanted to do—to change the world in our own ways,” shares Ho.

With the newfound confidence from the crown, Ho decided to give university a miss and ventured to the City of Angels alone to work with music producers on a professional album. “To this day, my dad still asks when I’m coming back to Singapore. But Miss World opened their eyes to me, and they realised I was not going to be who they wanted me to be.”

Finding Her Sound

Upon arriving in Los Angeles, Ho dived right in, working five days a week, eight hours per session, in the studio. Within two months, she had written and recorded over 80 songs.

Ho found herself constantly rewriting lyrics and finetuning arrangements. “I’m crying and venting while recording, and sometimes there are three or four people in the studio with you and I get scared to sing a specific lyric or I sing it differently every time. But I had to overcome that because I want the songs to be rewarding to myself and the audience,” Ho reveals.

After finalising the 13 songs for her dark, alternative pop EP, the singer decided to take a trial-and-error approach to promoting her album, using social media to determine which songs best resonated with her audience and debuting them as singles.

Joining Forces With The XO Team

Ho met the founders of the XO Team, Gary Grey and Mary Senn, at a recording studio. The pair were also working on their music and they were quick to induct her into their world-famous content house, where members create viral TikTok videos and use it as a platform to broadcast other artistic ventures.

From working behind the scenes to fronting several videos, Ho has learnt how to use social media to her advantage and to showcase her music to a larger audience.

“I have seen people go from like 10,000 followers to a million in a month and I have to remind myself that my time will come because there’s so much that goes into each video, analysing why it does or does not do well,” says Ho.

Although Ho had no plans of becoming a content creator when she moved to Los Angeles, she is grateful for the opportunity, which has helped her improve her craft and meet like-minded friends who aren’t just interested in music but are also actively composing, singing and dancing to their own beats.

As the young musician continues to grasp the ropes of how to blend her art and social media, Ho hopes that listeners may find her songs cathartic and feel a sense of comfort, just like how she felt while recording them. “Songwriting has helped me rationalise my emotions in ways I was unable to before. As I continue to release new music, I would love for fans to journey through uncharted territories of emotion and self-expression.”

This article was originally published in Harper’s Bazaar Singapore.