Honeybees! We have someone new for your stan list right here, so hold on to your horses! Timur is a Malaysian artist that is the bridge between western electro-pop and one of our favorite genres, K-POP. Timur already dropped her debut single ‘Not A Criminal,’ which blew us away, and she is just gearing up to gift fans with her six-track debut EP. We cannot wait.
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We are already positively obsessed with this queen and were lucky enough to get to ask her a couple of questions about her music, inspirations, and singing in the shower! Keep scrolling to read our interview with Timur!
Having heard your debut single ‘Not A Criminal’ we can already hear how unique your electro-pop sound is and can’t wait for the full EP to blow us away! What are your favorite lyrics from ‘Not A Criminal?’
Thank you! I’m looking forward to showing you what else is coming! I think my personal favorite line in the song is, “I want to retrain, unchain the pain that keeps me bound to you,” because it really shows how trapped they feel and how tied to the other person they still are.
We can definitely hear the K-POP inspiration in your music and also the inspo from pop icons like Lady Gaga and Rihanna. Who is on your daily playlist?
I actually have a whole range of playlists, depending on my mood of the day. But I have to admit, Shakira, Dua Lipa, and BTS do make quite a few appearances!
Who is your favorite artist right now?
Does Lin Manual Miranda count? I’ve been obsessed with Hamilton for several years now and Encanto has absolutely renewed my love for him and his writing style. Encanto is currently my go-to album for driving to tennis at the moment!
With your first EP coming to us hopefully soon, is there something you are most excited for your fans to see or hear when the EP is out?
I’m excited for everyone to see the continuation of the storyline from the music video! I hope people will make predictions and speculate about what is to come in the next three parts of the series. I’m also looking forward to showcasing all the different styles of music that are present in the EP. I hope my fans will enjoy and appreciate them!
Coming from Malaysia and being ready to take on the world, what is something you want people to remember you for after you “made” it?
I take pride in my Malaysian roots, so I hope to be remembered for representing Malaysia and Southeast Asia in a positive light.
Having been born and raised in Malaysia and in the UK, how did both countries influence you in your musical journey? What is something that you brought with you from Malaysia to the UK and vice versa?
I think growing up in Malaysia really helped to diversify my taste in music and really made me appreciate listening to music in a variety of languages. This is very much reflected in my music as I plan to release both Malay and Chinese versions of all my songs! As for the UK, I think it’s influenced my style of writing music. I love just trying to be a little bit witty when I write lyrics!
You were trained by Datuk Syafinaz. What was that experience like? And what was the biggest advice they gave you that has stuck with you until today?
It’s been great to work with Datuk Syafinaz. She’s not only helped with my vocal training but has also given me loads of advice on the industry and how to manage myself. She is one of the loveliest people and is always willing to help whenever needed. I think the advice she gave that really stuck with me is to not be afraid to say no. I think it’s a really important piece of advice because we often second guess our own judgment because it can be different from what other people suggest. Thus, whilst I think it’s important to listen to advice and take what others say into consideration, at the end of the day anything I put out will come out from me and I need to be happy with it.
We heard you started out singing in the shower, as all great icons have, what is your favorite song to sing in the shower?
Aah yes, my favorite stage – the shower. I mean, you have to cover all the bases when you’re singing in the shower, but I have to say, I am quite partial to attempting to belt out a show tune every now and then. In fact, when I was at university, my bathroom shared a wall with the bed of one of my friends, and I may or may not have woken him up a couple of times to ‘On My Own’ from Les Mis.
We are actually already rooting for Timur world domination to happen. What is some advice you’d give to young aspiring singers that will be inspired by your music?
Thank you! That’s certainly what I’m hoping for too! Hmm, not sure I’m quite qualified to be giving advice yet, but maybe I’ll just say I think it’s really important to not be shy and put yourself out there. It’s something I know I still struggle with because I’m naturally such an introvert, but if you want other people to find and enjoy your music, it’s really quite necessary.
Where will we see Timur in 10 years? What are some of your biggest goals you want to achieve during the next decade?
Well, I definitely hope I’ll still be making music and performing. If all goes well, I’ll also have completed a couple of tours and released a few albums too! As for my goals, it would also be an absolute dream to eventually be nominated for a GRAMMY, or any of the other major music awards and be recognized for my work. I also think it would be super fun to collaborate with other artists around the world to release an even larger variety of music!
We absolutely love this girl and hope you are ready to support her too! Here is to that future GRAMMY nom! What do you think about ‘Not A Criminal?’ Are you ready to stan Timur? Ready for her EP? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
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TO LEARN MORE ABOU TIMUR:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE
