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

Wani knew she was destined for the stage from the age of 10 when she boldly entered herself into a local TV singing competition. Fast forward to today, with nearly three million streams on her latest hit Cak Cak Cekuk, she is still keeping her eyes on the long game. &ldquo;I still have a long way to go,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;This is just the beginning.&rdquo; Your latest single has been making waves &mdash; what inspired the story behind it, and what message do you hope listeners take away? The message is pretty simple; it&rsquo;s about marriage. Something a lot of people can relate to, especially when they&rsquo;re about to tie the knot. It&rsquo;s not just about being ready financially, but also emotionally and mentally. But if you look at it from another angle, it&rsquo;s also about resilience, determination, and the courage to level up in life, whether that&rsquo;s moving into a new chapter or just preparing yourself to face the world. At the end of the day, it&rsquo;s meant to be light-hearted, easy to vibe with, and fun. Nothing too heavy. Every song carries a piece of the artist. What part of yourself did you pour into this track that feels most personal? For me, it&rsquo;s the delivery. The arrangement is really close to my heart because I love music that blends traditional elements with a modern twist. That&rsquo;s the kind of sound that excites me, and I feel like it really defines my style. Will we ever get to hear a song that is produced 100 percent by Wani Kayrie? I won&rsquo;t say no, but not anytime soon [laughs]. Songwriting isn&rsquo;t exactly my strongest suit yet, but I&rsquo;m learning. I want to make songs that last longer than just a TikTok trend.

"I feel like music is something you just have to listen to and feel. Emotions speak louder than any description." - Wani Kayrie

What&rsquo;s something about your evolution as an artist that longtime fans might notice when they listen to your new material? Definitely my sound and how I deliver it. When I first started, I was trying to be versatile and explore everything. Now, I&rsquo;m a lot more selective; I only want to put out music that feels authentic and allows me to give my all. I think every singer eventually reaches that point where they want to find their signature style. It doesn&rsquo;t mean I won&rsquo;t try new things or collaborate, but I want to do it while staying true to myself. Everyone can sing, but finding your true voice takes time and a lot of trial and error. That being said, how would you describe your sound? Honestly, I can&rsquo;t really put it into words. I feel like music is something you just have to listen to and feel. Emotions speak louder than any description. It&rsquo;s like art, not everything needs to be explained. Sometimes, you just let it speak for itself. When creating, do you usually start from an emotion, a lyric, or a melody? I usually start with the mood, the vibe, and the message. Lyrics are important, of course, but how you deliver them matters even more. The way you stress certain words, the emotion in your voice, even the pauses &mdash; all of that makes a song feel alive. There&rsquo;s a reason Ariana Grande whispers on some lines, Dato&rsquo; Sri Siti Nurhaliza emphasises certain words, and Mariah Carey closes with big runs. It&rsquo;s all about how you make people feel when they listen. Who are the voices, local or international, that inspire you when you&rsquo;re exploring new sounds?
I&rsquo;ve always looked up to...

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

Interview: Wani Kayrie's music universe

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