[VIDEO] 24-Year-Old From Sarawak Releases Music Video To Make You Feel Like You’re Underwater
Dark, intense, and emotional in the best possible way, Faithlyn is an upcoming Malaysian artiste who’s hard to miss
Faithlyn recently went viral when she released a TikTok snippet of her latest single, ‘SOULMATES’.
Hailing from Kuching, the 24-year-old has hit us right in the feels with her latest single, SOULMATES, which speaks about love, obsession, betrayal, and self-reflection.
Prior to the single’s release on 23 April, she shared a short snippet, which immediately took off on TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@celestialdevilette/video/6964275090133388549?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsays.com%2F&referer_video_id=6964275090133388549&refer=embed&is_copy_url=0&is_from_webapp=v1&sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6891592316085601794
“This was a relatively personal song because it is about my ex and our long-term relationship that became very, very toxic. It was a karmic love, someone who mimics a soulmate but is not really meant to be for you. Basically, I just can’t let go lol,” she shares in an interview with SAYS.
The budding artiste, who graduated from Berklee College of Music last year, first started singing at 11
“I used to watch Disney channel and wanted to be just like Hannah Montana. I started getting vocal lessons when I was 14 and from then on I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the performing arts.”
Currently in Kuching because of the pandemic, Faithlyn reveals that she also spent her growing up years in Sibu, Singapore, and the US in pursuit of better educational opportunities.
Image via Faithlyn
Having majored in Music Business, she shares that her biggest takeaway from Berklee was that, “Studying and good grades don’t mean a damn thing if you don’t know how to actively search for opportunities and go through many experiences.”
“Having connections is the most important thing in my line of work. I was a straight-A student throughout Berklee, but my peers who put themselves out there are now signed to different labels and work in high-profile businesses in the music industry. So, grades don’t mean a thing.”
Her music inspiration, which mainly stems from past experiences and traumas, led her to compose her debut single, Look What I Started, which was also released this year
“Look What I Started was produced by my friend and ex-classmate Shelby, or professionally known as Nxrvous. He and I have been wanting to do a song together for a long time and he was kind enough to take me on as an artiste.”
“… When I wrote that song, I wasn’t in a great emotional state of mind. The self-reflection I experienced when we all had to self-isolate due to the pandemic made me realise a lot of things and internalise a lot of emotions that I hadn’t dealt with. LWIS basically speaks about not being able to take responsibility for the things I’ve done. It’s about guilt, self-harm, addiction, and selfishness,” she adds.
Like many, Faithlyn is also influenced by Doja Cat, Billie Eilish, and Nathy Peluso.
Image via Faithlyn
The singer, who says that her songs may sometimes sound “somewhat aggressive”, explains that the dark tones come from when she’s most passionate about her feelings.
“Or sometimes I turn it off and write fun verses and spew anything that comes to my mind.”
When it came to putting together the music video for SOULMATES, she and the team aimed to invoke certain feelings in the audience and you can definitely sense that in each scene
Image via Faithlyn
The music video was shot in Kuching by Andy Phe at Bespoke Photogenics and Koh Khai at The Scope Inc back when there wasn’t any surge in COVID cases yet, she shares.
“I think I had mentioned to Khai (the director) that I wanted the audience to feel like they’re sinking in water or floating when listening to my song. So, naturally, we incorporated that into the MV. I had also mentioned I wanted a futuristic theme, hence the scene in the first verse. I think Khai’s intent was to leave the audience with a vibe or a feeling that would last even after they’ve watched it. That’s why there were so many scene changes, he wanted it to be intense.”
You can watch the music video for SOULMATES here:
The singer-songwriter reveals that she has exciting plans and new music in the works but with everything going on, they’re currently postponed for now.
In the meantime, however, you can enjoy her singles on Spotify:
