Haven on her life, music and her Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge

Haven, the 21-year-old artist and the brains, voice, and heart behind the chart-topping 2025 album HAVEN, is bouncing with excitement as she catches her reflection in the hotel bathroom mirror, fiddling with her hair. “I had enough changes in my life, so I was like, you know what? New chapter, new me!”

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That new chapter, however, still comes with the occasional flip back to her past — “it still has a chokehold on me sometimes, but it’s more controllable now” — and she’s been spending time looking inward, learning to be realistic. “It’s actually kind of nice when someone like me just takes it easy,” she says. But does she like being called humble, or worse, the F-word that gets tossed around too easily these days?

“I feel like I’m not anyone at all, and I don’t like it when people say I’m being humble,” she says. “Realistically, I’m not famous. The world doesn’t know who I am. If I stop doing music, nothing changes!”

“By the way, I used to trim my hair whenever I dyed it. For this cut, I hoped my managers wouldn’t notice. But when they did, I was like, oh no! They did!” She tosses her head back and laughs, her energy bright and a little unpredictable. Engineered, almost, to keep you leaning forward.

Talking to Haven is like being on the edge with no slim chance of knowing what awaits you, which in turn is exciting. One minute you’re with the pop star who’s propelled herself into superstardom with her voice, stage presence, and charisma; the next, you’re in the depths of her quarter-life questions, where love suspends gravity or leaves you lost in your head.

But Haven has always been down-to-earth about love, mining its messiness with a precision that’s made her music feel disarmingly relatable. Ride or Die confronts the tension of a situation. Find My Way maps the uncertain path back to someone, regardless of how or why. Not surprising, considering her obsession with rom-com soundtracks.

“I know it’s so cliché, but I also would’ve loved to write a song for Twilight. Because, hello? The soundtrack was amazing.” She lights up. “And Interstellar, too. I know it’s mostly compositions, but I can imagine myself singing siren songs there.”

As we get ready to leave the bathroom and settle into the actual interview, she gestures to a tattoo on her hand which says “You Got This,” written in a swirly, barely-there font. “Everybody says I had it done too small, which is why it’s smudged, but I was like, hey! Come on! It’s supposed to be motivational!” She laughs again, bringing the conversation full circle. Smart, self-aware, and completely herself.

What inspires your songwriting the most?

I would have to say the experiences that I grew up with, as I’ve never been good at expressing my emotions growing up, and I always found that writing music helps me because I tend to psychoanalyse how I’m feeling through my writing. That gives me clarification as I slowly figure out what and how I felt during a moment, which becomes both an inspiration and an epiphany that I use in my music.

Which one of your songs do you think has an edge over your other songs?

I’d have to say Future Somebody which came straight from the heart and became the starting point for everything I’ve written since. I wrote it about three years ago, and it was my first time co-producing a song with one of my best friends in the world. I had no idea what I was doing; we spent a month going back and forth, playing with sample beats, horror-movie screams, whale sounds, and even trumpets. It felt like a science experiment, and then, bam, it became a song.

It was also the first time I connected with the artist side of myself, figuring out what I wanted or didn’t want in a track. It meant so much to me that I even got the title tattooed on the back of my neck, to remind myself that no matter what, it’s about staying true to who you are, even if it means experimenting and failing.

Have you ever written a song based on a voice memo?

All my songs came to life that way, I’ll hum a tune in the middle of the night when I’m feeling inspired out of nowhere. I pick up my phone, press record, and that’s it. I end up with a whole library of melodies, hums, or even random lyrics, which I’ll jot down in my Notes app. When I’m creating a song, I’ll go through those voice memos to see what fits. When you first hear them, it’s all super raw, just mumbo-jumbo, but once you start writing lyrics and building the production around it, it turns into a real song. So, honestly, don’t underestimate a voice recording.

What does showing your edge mean for you?

Showing my edge means being completely, unapologetically myself even when it’s uncomfortable or scary. Being a singer means everything to me, and I truly believe it’s my life’s purpose. Without it, my world would feel dark. I’ve never been good at expressing emotions, and I used to lash out a lot growing up. Songwriting became my therapy, and eventually, my whole world. More than anything, it also gives me the chance to help others. If someone relates to my music or finds inspiration in it, that means everything.

It’s also where I get to be the most authentic version of myself. Back when I was a student, I always had to follow rules like what teachers or my parents expected. But in a recording room, writing music, I’m just me. No one can take that away. There are no rules. I’m limitless. And that can be terrifying, because if I fail, it’s on me. But it also gave me a sense of power and with that, the responsibility to care for it, like nurturing a baby. That’s what music is for me. It’s where I’m most myself.

Do you have any upcoming projects or goals you’re excited about? 

I just released an album in February and have three more features coming up soon, all of which I worked on in just two weeks while also fixing up my home. I told myself, you’ve got this! I recorded two of them in two days, and the third is a feature of a song I’ve already released. I’m especially excited for these collabs because it’s my first time working with a local artist, and it sounds good.

As for my own future projects, I’m excited too. My last album took two years, and it felt like it came from the old me. Now, I want to show that I’m a whole different person. This new album will reflect more on my 20s and everything that’s changed since then.

Not to toot my own horn, but I do think I’ve matured, especially in how I think. I’m much calmer now, which makes songwriting a lot easier. Back then, my lyrics were all over the place because that’s how I was emotionally. It’s really interesting to write again. I still crash out sometimes, but now there’s a sense of peace that balances the chaos, and it doesn’t feel like the chaos is in control anymore.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment as a musician?

I think that answer has changed for me over the years. Right now, my biggest accomplishment is simply being able to do music. I’m truly grateful to be in this position where I can share my songs and have amazing listeners who genuinely love and relate to them.

That, to me, is my greatest achievement. Sometimes it leaves me speechless. I still can’t believe there are so many people who love what I do and continue to support me. As an artist, that’s really all I could ever ask for.

How do you connect with your audience during a show?

My songs mean everything to me as they’re a part of who I am, inside and out. Performing is one of the main ways I connect with my audience, because you really get to know me through my singing. I’m fully myself on stage; it feels like home. When I perform, it’s like opening a door and inviting people into my world to just enjoy and relax.

I also love hearing my listeners’ stories, like how they found a song or connected with it. A lot of them tell me they’d just gone through a breakup and that the song helped them. I always feel so lucky and grateful because I wrote it when I was heartbroken, too. To know it’s part of someone else’s healing, or that they feel my anger when they’re angry, that’s all I could ever ask for.

What do you love about the Galaxy S25 Edge?

There are many features I personally love, but here’s my top three.

First is of course it’s super slim feature. I’ve actually compared its thickness to a piece of linguine and a French fry, and it’s the same width, which honestly blows my mind! I’ve always had thicker phones and would usually leave them on a table, and thus, would tend to lose them often. The Galaxy S25 Edge is so slim and lightweight that sometimes I forget it’s even there, but trust me, it is. That’s one of my favourite features.

Another favourite? The Audio Eraser, powered by Galaxy AI. What it does is that it filters out background noise and fine-tunes audio by balancing voices, music, wind, and more, so your videos sound as good as they look.

Last, but definitely not least is the Galaxy S25 Edge’s advanced camera system. It features a powerful 200MP rear lens, with the AI-powered ProVisual Engine enhancing colour and detail for stunning clarity, day or night. Close-ups are sharper and more refined with the AI Zoom feature. It’s hands down the most treasured feature in my phone!

CREATIVE DIRECTION Lena Kamarudin

PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY Shawn Paul Tan assisted by Xie Feng Mao

Chay Wei Kang Lim

STYLING Daryll Alexius Yeo assisted by Megan Lim

HAIR Kenneth Chia using Charlotte Tilbury

MAKEUP Winnie Wong / Flow Salon

LOCATION Mondrian Singapore Duxton

In collaboration with Samsung.