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[2/2] Singapore R&B Singer-Songwriter SAM RUI On Her Latest Album Release

“There are times when it gets lonely and I’m always scared I’ll become complacent.”

Sam Rui, Season2 album release, R&B

Click here to go back to 1/2 of the interview with Sam Rui.

Q: How do you think you stand out among other R&B artists in the region?

I feel that if you want to get noticed, you would need this balance of talent, hard work, and luck. And something that sets you apart from everything else out there, something that makes your work distinctly yours.

The fact that I don’t really have the chops of a traditional R&B singer actually worked in my favour. My voice is at times quite thin, whiny even, which doesn’t really do me any favours in singing songs meant for richer voices with more body. But because of that, I learned to write in a way that played up the things that worked about my voice and brought out its tone, which helped me develop a distinct style of electronic R&B of my own.

“My cousin in Vancouver messaged me on Facebook one day with a screenshot of the playlist and was like, “Dude is this you?”. I was like oh wow it is. The play count jumped like crazy overnight and the traffic to my profile has continued to increase since.”

In terms of the lyrics, I also kept them very personal and is inspired through personal experience. I don’t dilute that level of honesty in my song lyrics that helped connect with my audience. So, at the end of the day, it’s not just about a good beat with good lyrics. You get to know the person behind the music as well and discovered that being able to relate is what draws me to the music I like. I like to think that’s what draws people to my music.

Music for me was always more of a sideline thing, something that I had never dared to pursue it head-on. Even when I started writing for the album, I never would have imagined that my songs would get the initial traction that they did. I must admit I got very lucky when one of my first 2 singles ended up on a Spotify Fresh Finds playlist. My cousin in Vancouver messaged me on Facebook one day with a screenshot of the playlist and was like, “Dude is this you?”. I was like oh wow it is. The play count jumped like crazy overnight and the traffic to my profile has continued to increase since.

Q: What do you think are challenges to being an artist like yourself?
As a solo artist, I felt that I have plateaued too quickly. Sometimes I worry that I’m writing all of this stuff thinking what it should be, but may actually be really terrible since I have no one to keep me in check.

If you’re in a band, or even just a duo, there’s going to be a much bigger pool of ideas just waiting to be sifted and developed just because there are multiple people involved in the creative process. There are times when it gets lonely and I’m always scared I’ll become complacent. However, I’ve been fortunate to have many friends from the music industry whom I can hang and bounce ideas with. They keep me in check, inspire me, and push me out of my comfort zone.

“I feel that if you want to get noticed, you would need this balance of talent, hard work, and luck. And something that sets you apart from everything else out there, something that makes your work distinctly yours.”

Q: So, what now?
Honestly, I feel like everything escalated far beyond my initial expectations and every month a new opportunity falls into my lap that I wouldn’t have dared to wish for when I first started. Touring would be the ideal plan for next year, but i’ll just see where things take me. I’m now planning my very first solo showcase slated to take place end of the year while working on some stand alone collaborations.

Click here to go back to 1/2 of the interview with Sam Rui.

 

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