S1E7: Sezairi: From Singapore Idol to regional singer-songwriter pop star

Sep 26, 2023

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A lack of paying gigs in the past decade despite the odd high-profile appearance has not deterred him from being a full-time musician.

Synopsis: Each month, The Straits Times invites music acts to its podcast studio to perform a live version of an original composition and chat with us.

In this episode of Music Lab, ST's music correspondent Eddino Abdul Hadi hosts home-grown singer and songwriter Sezairi.

The singer first made his name when he won the third and last season of reality television show Singapore Idol in 2009. With his velvety voice and smooth R&B tunes, the singer has since seen his popularity expand into the region in recent years.

In 2022, he made history as the first local musician to have a song clock more than 100 million streams on Spotify with the emotive ballad It’s You.

He recently released his fourth album, Self Soothing, featuring songs driven by the pursuit of inner peace and emotional stability.

Sezairi also sings a live and full intimate acoustic version of Daylight, a song from Self Soothing (link below to the separate clip).

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:24 On the album title and how music had a soothing effect on him as a child; having anxiety about his identity as a singer and songwriter

7:55 At 17, deciding he was done with academics and wanted to study music, earning the ire of his father; being kicked out of Lasalle College of the Arts

14:10 Lying about being television host-singer Najip Ali’s cousin at the Singapore Idol auditions; having nerves as a performer till only recently

21:51 Musical culture, support for local artistes in Indonesia, being a hit over there, bringing best practices to SG, redefining the meaning of a "musical KPI"

24:48 On encouragement from his wife Syaza Qistina Tan: "Babe, if we go hungry, we'll go hungry together"

27:29 Being one of the singers of NDP 2021 theme song The Road Ahead and performing to an empty audience

Listen to Sezairi's live performance here: https://str.sg/iq9Y

Discover Singaporean artiste Sezairi at:

YouTube: https://str.sg/iq9G

Spotify: https://str.sg/iq9N

Instagram: https://str.sg/iq9x

Produced by: Eddino Abdul Hadi (dinohadi@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim, and Eden Soh

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

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Channel: https://str.sg/w9TX

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/w9TB