Photo Courtesy of LAYYI
Singapore’s rising voice LAYYI is making waves with her blend of soft pop, R&B, and acoustic soul. Known for her heartfelt storytelling in tracks like “Hey Love” and her EPs homebody and life(?), LAYYI crafts music that feels personal and deeply relatable.
In this written interview, we explore her creative journey, inspirations, and the stories behind her songs.
Can you introduce yourself to our readers and share how your journey as a singer-songwriter began?
I’m LAYYI — a Singapore-based singer-songwriter who writes pop songs with a little bite and a lot of heart. My music lives in that space between “laugh about it” and “feel it in your chest”: honest, a bit cheeky when it needs to be, and always rooted in storytelling.
I started writing in the quiet of my room, and i learnt that it was the only way I could make sense of big feelings. I grew up being the kind of kid who kept everything in, so songs became my safest language — a private place where I could be brave, messy, dramatic, soft… all of it.
At first, it was just notebooks and voice notes: melodies that came out of nowhere, lines I’d scribble at 2AM, and little demos made in my room before I ever imagined anyone else would hear them.
Over time, I realised I didn’t just love singing — I loved translating life into songs. The more I shared, the more I noticed how music can make strangers feel understood in the exact same moment.
That feeling changed everything for me. What began as something personal slowly became a purpose: to write songs that are specific to my story, but still make other people go, “Wait… that’s exactly how I feel.”
Now, I’m building my world as an independent artist — releasing music, performing, and shaping an era that reflects who I am: playful but sincere, bold but vulnerable, and always evolving.
What inspired you to start writing your own music?
When I started writing, I didn’t even know I was doing it. I didn’t coin myself a “songwriter” in any right, because it was part of a phenomenon, a natural occurrence that came in my quiet time, I believe, with God.
I remember singing the same few songs over and over as an act of worship, and at some point, I decided that I had more to say and wanted to speak in my own language.
So I started writing new lyrics to familiar songs, and started writing from then on. Fast forward to the pandemic, I had just quit a band that I thought was for me and was going to be my music career and felt lost, questioning if music was really my thing.
I had a song written about these feelings and posted it on social media. That garnered more attention and positive feedback than I thought, and I took that as a sign to fully step into this world of music and the arts.
How would you describe LAYYI as an artist in three words?
Unapologetic, heartfelt, cinematic
Your music often feels deeply personal and introspective. How do you decide which stories to tell in your songs?
I don’t decide, not really. When I sit down to write I usually already have something to say. It’s often something I need to hear in the moment or a period of time in my life.
I would also say that I am naturally introspective and contemplative and I guess my songs reflect that.
What usually comes first for you — lyrics, melody, or a specific emotion?
I’m sure the answer most songwriters would give is probably that it can come in any order and i second that. Currently, my most powerful songs have sparked from the message first.
I always try to seek out the main message because knowing what I’m trying to essentially say makes great material to work around and actually build not just a song, but a journey out of. I can only mould sculptures if I have clay.
I can only cook a dish if I have the ingredients. So, for me, I think the message is the anchor point that helps me decide how I write. However, as a songwriter, you also often have other tools on hand so that you can start building on something as quickly as you need/want to, perhaps a chord progression I’m into recently or a certain saying or word i picked up from a conversation somewhere. Those things keep me prepared and prove to be useful for me as well.
Can you walk us through your creative process when writing a new track?
I sit down with my guitar and fiddle with it for a few minutes. I usually land on a chord progression that feels right for the moment and play that over and over. I almost just empty myself of the day and start listening to my heart if it wants to speak.
If I already have an idea I built off it, and if not, then I tend to make utterance of whatever is in my head, even if it’s gibberish or doesn’t yet fully make sense.
And then if I feel like I’m onto something, I start to mould and build the song with the materials I have and rinse and repeat. After the song is fully written, I go to my trusted producers and work on the song together.
Which song of yours feels the most personal so far, and why?
So far, I’d say “I’ll be blue” and “Hey Love”. They are both songs that I feel anchor my soul into something real and edge very intimate and personal experiences I had birthing these songs, into my heart.
They were both songs that I desperately needed for myself, life lessons I needed to learn and remember, and I never imagined another soul echoing the same sentiments.
“Hey Love” introduced many listeners to your sound. Looking back, what did that song mean to you at that time?
I had just left the pop band, which I thought was the endgame for me in terms of reaching my dreams in music. I felt lost.
I didn’t have any answers, or rather, answers I thought I needed. I think I get lost a lot in life, and I think I’m coming to terms with admitting that truth even as I’m growing older.
I feel like people are increasingly ashamed to admit this when they’re older, because we’re supposed to “know better,” but truthfully, none of us really have it all together and all of us can still feel lost sometimes.
This song is the north star I go back to whenever I feel lost again. It grounds me, affirms me in the right ways and gives me the hope that I need to continue the journey. It still does today, 5 years later, and I hope this song and its message will prove themselves in time and age like fine wine.
Your EP homebody resonated with many fans. What was the main message or feeling you wanted listeners to take from it?
“Homebody” felt like a lighthearted, I-just-met-you-at-a-party type introduction of myself. A look into the life of an introvert and a natural, chronic introspector.
I hope the listeners can resonate with the journey from the self-isolation to spiralling to the dilemma of wanting not to feel alone, yet disliking having our energies drained.
How do you think your sound has evolved since your debut?
I’m not sure if the sound has evolved. I think I’ve kept the same sounds since my debut, but I think I’ve grown as a person and as an artist.
I’d like to think that I’ve become a little bit more sure of myself, a little more sure about what I want and what I’d like to see happen for me, a little bit better at writing and expressing my art and I’m actually enjoying the process a lot more.
I learn to give myself space and learn that I deserve it. I deserve to take up space. Still feels weird saying that, but I pray one day it’ll be like breathing to me to know this.
You’ve gained international recognition and were part of Spotify’s EQUAL campaign. What did that moment mean to you?
Being part of Spotify’s EQUAL campaign felt like a quiet “yes” from the universe, like, you’re allowed to take up space here.
When I saw myself featured as the EQUAL Campaign Ambassador for Singapore & Malaysia (including the New York Times Square moment), it hit me on two levels: personally, it was validating as an independent artist who has been building everything step by step; and bigger than me, it felt like representation — a reminder that maybe you don’t need a label to make things happen for you.
You can make things happen for yourself, and all the opportunities you get are the opportunities meant for you.
As a Singapore-based artist reaching global audiences, what challenges and opportunities have you encountered?
As a Singapore-based artist, the biggest opportunity is also the biggest challenge: you’re building from a smaller ecosystem, so you learn to be resourceful, but you also have to work twice as intentionally to be seen.
Challenges-wise, distance is real. A lot of industry moments still happen in bigger hubs, so access can feel limited, not just in terms of networking, but also in terms of budgets, teams, and the speed at which things can scale. There’s also the constant pressure to “prove” that your story matters internationally, even though music isn’t supposed to need a passport. And because Singapore is compact, you end up wearing many hats — artist, producer-brain, marketer, project manager — which is empowering, but can be exhausting too.
But the opportunities are honestly exciting. Being based here means I’m surrounded by so many cultures, sounds, and stories and that naturally shapes my writing and visuals.
It also forces you to build a strong point of view. You can’t rely on hype; you have to rely on craft and clarity. And now, with streaming, short-form video, and global communities online, you can find “your people” anywhere, whether that’s in the Philippines, the US, or Europe — without waiting for permission.
I also think Southeast Asia is having a real moment. Audiences are curious, borders feel more fluid, and collaborations happen so naturally in our region. So for me, the goal is to keep making work that’s rooted in where I’m from, while speaking a language that anyone who’s ever loved, lost, healed, or laughed through pain can understand.
When you’re not making music, what inspires you creatively?
Life experiences, inner thoughts, live shows, movies, and kdramas. A lot of things, really. I think getting inspiration is less about trying to find it, but more about being available to receive it.
I think artists are basically vessels. We’re subjected to inspiration, and honestly, I think the need to keep producing and releasing songs to be sustainable can cause us unnecessary stimulation and clutter in our inner world, and I suspect that’s where “writer’s block” exists.
I think the better we are at being available to ourselves and the moments the day brings you, perhaps the better we will be at taking inspiration from anywhere.
How do you handle creative burnout or self-doubt?
Unfortunately, I’m wired up to carry a sense of self-doubt in every part of my life. But there was a canon event very early on, starting out in this career, where I’ve experienced an overwhelming amount of self-doubt. I felt like I had nothing significant to bring to the table and questioned if I deserved to be here.
I struggle with a huge sense of imposter syndrome and often feel like I need to earn the spaces that I want to take up. At the moment of the canon event, I felt like I didn’t deserve to take up space in the industry, especially because I respect it so much, and there were so many around me that I deemed way more deserving than I. It was then that I realized I needed anchors.
Life will always sway me, and I will always be tempted to veer off the path even if they’re right for me. I needed grounding values, convictions, a personal worldview and an ever-improving and accurate view of myself to deal with the volatility of life. At that point, I decided to explore inwardly, my pillars, why I’m here and why I deserve to take up space in spite of what I’m feeling.
Burnout is real, I think I do my very best to protect the space in which I create. I believe that space should be the most sacred, pure, childlike and untouched.
Even though I’m young in the game, there were already periods of time where I felt like I compromised the craft and the love of it for the work that has to be done around it. I reckon this is reality for most independent artists.
So I try to remember the why, and who I am and reprioritize my responsibilities. Nowadays, I’ve worked out a schedule that works for me that stems from those realigned priorities, which helps me protect what I need to keep and still move the “vehicle” wherever needed, even if it means moving a little slower.
I’ve also learnt to seek help from others along the way, letting go of a little bit of control just so that I can prioritize the important things for myself.
What’s one lesson the music industry has taught you so far?
It has deepened my understanding of what it means to be human.
The realities of life show that the person you are intertwines closely with strategy and people.
The way we slip up and the moment where we all find fulfillment and joy. They all reveal to me that we are just so human. And art amplifies that.
It shows us the good, the bad, and the ugly and then hopefully helps motivate us to change for the better and shows us that there are better days.
Are there any upcoming releases or projects you’re excited about?
I’m currently building up to my first debut album titled “Love(?)”. It’s my first take at love songs and love from the pov of someone who’s never really fallen in love.
(Note: I’m not sure when this is going to be released, but my next single, “SOUR GRAPE” is out 6th of March )
Is there a genre or collaboration you’d love to explore in the future?
I’d love to collaborate with artists in the region and also explore songwriting for other people.
What message would you like to share with your fans and new listeners in the Philippines?
Thank you for your warmth and support. I’m only beginning to grow a tiny little audience here, but every time I go there I feel so welcomed. You guys really know how to have fun, and know how to be a real community, and I can’t wait for the day that I get to perform there and meet you face to face really soon.
Meanwhile, please stay tuned with my music, with the stories, and I hope it adds value to you.
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