Shazza: “I may not look like other people in the industry, but why should I let that stop me?”

Shazza appeared on a billboard at the iconic Times Square in New York City last August ( just two days before her birthday) – probably making her the first hijab-wearing Singapore singer to do so. Last year, she was named Berita Harian’s Young Achiever of the Year in November.

These feats are “a dream come true” for Shazza, who has been dabbling in music for 12 years now. Her passion for music seems only natural, having grown up in an environment filled with an eclectic mix of sounds.

Her father – a communications specialist – is a Bollywood fan, while her homemaker mother listens to Adele, Norah Jones and Frank Sinatra. Throw in her brother’s love for Black Eyed Peas, as well as Shazza’s childhood obsession with musical shows like Hi-5, and you have a household constantly filled with merry tunes.

Thankfully, the middle child – and only girl – of three siblings was born with musical talent. Shazza not only plays the piano and guitar, but also sings and writes songs, penning her first lyrics when she was just 11 years old.

“Lyrics have always been my favourite part of music. I like the idea of being able to craft a story and capture emotions. I remember being in primary school, and bringing the little book that I started writing songs in around with me. I just kept looking at it because I was so fascinated by the idea that all this came from me,” she muses.

As an avid reader, Shazza understands the art of storytelling. That is why she draws on her emotions and personal experiences when writing songs, to resonate with the audience.

She says: “My core message has always been that we are all connected in one way or another, that no matter how alone you may feel, there’s always someone out there who feels the same way, and there’s a song out there that will get you through it. And in that moment of listening to that song, all that loneliness disappears, because you feel heard, and seen, and understood.”

Not taking success for granted

The road has not been easy though, as it was filled with self-doubt and uncertainty. While Shazza has almost 180K followers on Instagram now, she only had about 2,000 during her early days.

Her Youtube subscribers number around 60K today, but hardly anyone watched her videos when she first started. Nevertheless, she pressed on, keen to share her music with the world.

When she finally decided to become a professional musician two years ago, she was a one-woman show, launching her own marketing and promotional campaigns on top of producing her own music videos. It was tough, but she stayed resilient.

“It was a big game of faking it till you make it, and this has thickened my skin a lot over the years. For example, I was writing my own press releases where I had to sing praises about myself and sound confident about it. That was something that I struggled with,” she shares.

But those days are behind her, as Shazza is currently co-managed by music labels Cross Ratio Entertainment and Warner Music Singapore. While she does not miss her “struggling” years, she does miss having a “normal” life of going to school and hanging out with friends.

Since she exploded onto the Tiktok stage via Crash Adams (she collaborated with them on their hit song Good Side), Shazza has had to put her pursuit of a degree in communication studies at Nanyang Technological University on hold, in order to fulfil her work commitments.

Not that she is complaining, as she knows the importance of riding the wave of musical success. “I was very grateful that I got to appear on that billboard, and be a source of representation for Singapore and the hijabi community. I’m also very aware that it doesn’t mean I’ve gotten to where I need to be in my career. Still, being on the billboard is a very big source of credibility, and it gave my career a boost [along with the Tiktok video].

“I just really wanted to use this boost to my advantage, because a lot of people were noticing me, but they were noticing me while listening to someone else’s song. I thought the best way to do it would be to put out a song as soon as possible to remind my new followers that I do make original music,” she points out.

Shazza’s need to imprint herself onto the minds of her audience, old and new, is somewhat of a common trait among viral sensations. Fame can be fleeting, and when you have the attention span of a social media generation, you need to milk it for all it is worth. Some may even argue that virality may not necessarily translate into music sales – anyone remember one hit wonders like Caribbean singer Ir Sais? – and it’s something that Shazza is keenly aware of.

“I know that my music may not fall within the realm of pop (a la Crash Adams), so when people come looking for me because they liked what they heard on that Tiktok video, they might not find exactly what they’re looking for in my existing music. “So it’s just a matter of trying to get them to stick around to see what’s new in my life, which is why I am constantly putting out new music and pushing the envelope when it comes to my sound,” she says.

Not one to be typecast

Shazza is an Indian Muslim singer who dons a headscarf, so more often than not, people assume that she comes from the Malay music scene. However, she takes this typecast in her stride. In fact, she is proud that she stands out, like Malaysian singer Yuna, who has made it big overseas singing in English.

“She has been a huge inspiration in my journey so far. The whole reason why I thought this would even be possible was her. When I discovered her and saw her operating on a global scale, I thought that maybe I could do it too. She helped me believe in my dreams, because that’s the power of representation,” says Shazza.

“I want to continue making a difference and breaking as many barriers as I can, because I’m aware that I represent multiple groups of people – the Malay and Indian Muslim community, the hijabi community, as well as local female singers. I want to break the stereotype, and show people that my community can also make mainstream music in English. I may not look like other people in the industry, but why should I let that stop me? I think my music is good and that’s all that matters.”

And good music she does make, judging by some of her older hit songs on Spotify like Right Person, Wrong Time – inspired by her first experience with love – and Pity Party, about coping with the frustrations of living in a rat-race world. Her latest single Rain in Manhattan, a duet with fellow home-grown singer-songwriter Umar Sirhan, is about rediscovering love in New York City.

Seeing the world with her music

Right now, Shazza is focused on churning out new melodies and going regional, collaborating with other Asian musicians, and hitting markets like Malaysia and Indonesia. She will also be performing at the National Day Parade this year – one more thing off her bucket list – singing in both English and Tamil (the latter is a duet with local TV personality Ebi Shankara).

But what she really wants to do over the next five years is to go on tour and connect with audiences beyond Singapore’s shores, while time and youth are still on her side.

“I want to see the world with my music. I don’t want to regret not doing the things that I could have, to wake up one day and look back on my life, and realise that I didn’t achieve any of the things that I wanted to achieve.

“I know that, at some point, my shine is going to run out, and I’m okay with that. When I eventually step away from the limelight, I will put my energy into doing back-end work, like writing and producing songs for other artistes, and helping them to grow and market themselves, because I think that’s something a lot of young artistes struggle with. I want to pave the way for them to be themselves in this realm, and to do it with freedom and confidence. If I’ve been able to inspire any musician to do that, then my job is done,” she emphasises.

PHOTOGRAPHY ZANTZ HAN, ASSISTED BY MICHELLE YAP & ALEXANDER NG
CREATIVE DIRECTION & STYLING LENA KAMARUDIN, ASSISTED BY SAW YONE YONE & CHLOE LOH
ART DIRECTION RAY TICSAY
MAKEUP CLARENCE LEE, USING LANCOME
HIJAB STYLING SARAH ZULKIFLI
COORDINATION CHERYL LAI-LIM