Inspired by the women in her life, the R&B singer is an unstoppable force of passion and resilience, climbing the charts with her empowering songs

Hosting, radio dj-ing and acting in theatre productions—Tabitha Nauser explored these creative fields, after finishing third in Singapore Idol season 3 and landing a part in the official theme song of the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, in order to find her own footing as an artiste. But the year 2017 saw the Generation T 2018 honouree returning to her first love—music—with a renewed sense of purpose and confidence, all fuelled by the success of her debut single, Bulletproof, which topped Spotify’s SG Viral Chart in its first week of release.

On stage, the 27-year-old R&B singer is strong, youthful and unmistakably honest, which is no different from her private self. Cases in point: the empowering anthems—inspired by her own experiences—she has since released such as Body Language (featuring Malaysian rapper SonaOne), which talks about self‑confidence, and Rules, which speaks about being in control of one’s life.

Her latest single, Don’t Let Me Drown, which was released last month, contains another important message that we sometimes fail to acknowledge—that our feelings and opinions matter.  

Tatler Asia
Image: Unsplash
Above Image: Unsplash

Childhood Pursuit

“The first time I knew music was my calling was when I was about 6 years old, watching my mum, who was a Tamil singer, perform on television. I had always been the girl who’d sing everywhere, even when it was 11pm and everyone else was in bed.”

Building A Voice

“I started my music career wanting to show people what I could do. In a way, I had a very me-centric mindset. But as I grew as a musician, I saw what a great platform I had to talk about important social issues and inspire others to be more open about sharing their experiences.” 

Tatler Asia

Power Of The Masses

“The most rewarding moment of my career thus far has to be hearing the audience sing along to my songs when I opened for Khalid’s American Teen Tour in Singapore last November. It was a crazy feeling to know that my music resonated with them.” 

In Good Company

“Over the years, I have learned to trust my gut instincts more, because I know what works best for me. I’ve also realised the importance of having the right team, who has my best interest in mind and won’t force an ideal upon me.”

Tabitha says…

My pre-performance routine…
I don’t really have one. I just sit somewhere quietly and zone out. 
 
My favourite drink…
Bubble tea!

A song that resonates with me…
God is a Woman by Ariana Grande.
 
My sources of inspiration…
The strong, opinionated women in my life—my mother, sister and friends—and their stories.
 
My dream collaborator…
I actually have three artistes that I want to work with: Drake, Childish Gambino and Solange.

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