On a mission to amplify Malaysia&rsquo;s music bigger than ever, Naki's mix of styles sounds like no one but himself.

If there is one new voice that can undo you with a single verse, it is Naki. The Sarawak-born singer-songwriter carved his place in the music scene with the aching 2023 single Lelah before following it up with his debut EP, Melankolis. His music lives in that tender space between heartbreak and healing, the kind you reach for when you are gutted, alone, and in need of something that feels like a shoulder to cry on. What first drew you to music, and at what moment did you realise it could be more than just a passion, something you&rsquo;d pursue as a career? Music was always my safe space, the place I&rsquo;d run to when the world felt too loud. I realised it could be more than just passion when I wrote my first proper song and saw how people connected to it. That was the moment I thought, &ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t just for me anymore; it&rsquo;s something I can share.&rdquo; Malaysia&rsquo;s music scene is diverse and ever-evolving. How do your roots and cultural background influence your sound and storytelling? My roots shape how I see life, and naturally that spills into my songs. Growing up here, I was exposed to a wide range of sounds, from traditional music to pop and indie, and I think all of that influences my storytelling. It gives my music its layers and its DNA. If you had to describe your musical identity in three words, what would they be, and why? Raw, heartfelt, evolving. Raw because I don&rsquo;t like to polish away the realness. Heartfelt because every lyric has to come from something I have actually gone through. Evolving because I never want to stay the same. I want my listeners to grow with me.

"...vulnerability is not weakness; it actually makes the music more powerful." - Naki

Can you walk us through your creative process? What usually comes first: the melody, the lyrics, or the mood? It always starts with the mood. If the vibe is not right, it is hard for me to create my music. Once the mood is there, usually the melody comes in naturally, and lyrics flow in from anything that I feel inspired by at that time &mdash; it can be my emotion, the ambience, people around me and more. Are there particular themes you find yourself returning to in your music, even unintentionally? Love and loss, for sure. I don&rsquo;t always plan it that way, but somehow my heart keeps pulling me back there. Maybe because those emotions are close to many of us. What has been the most challenging song you&rsquo;ve written so far, and what did you learn about yourself in the process? That has to be Lepas Pegangan. I consider it one of the toughest songs I have ever written because it forced me to open up about many things that I usually do not talk about publicly. The kind of feeling that you have kept for so long that you are desperate to let it out, but you are not sure if it is the right time or if it will cause you harm. What I learned from putting together that song is that vulnerability is not weakness; it actually makes the music more powerful. As someone young to the music scene, how do you navigate the balance between authenticity and the pressure of the industry? I keep reminding myself why I started. The pressure is real, but...

Get the latest issue of <a href="https://www.magzter.com/MY/AMTD-Digital-Media-Solutions/LOFFICIEL-HOMMES-Malaysia/Fashion/">L'Officiel Hommes Malaysia</a> for the full story

Photography Joe Ng Creative Direction, Styling &amp; Words Syazil Abd Rahim Hair &amp; Makeup Wuzz Siew Photography Assistant David Ong

Interview: Naki wants you to sing your heart out

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