This 20-Year-Old Singer Wrote A Song About How She Forgot To Wear Sunscreen & It's A Vibe
Nathanie Ngu's snippet of her song has already received 1.2mil plays before it's even been released.
By Tamara Jayne — 22 Apr 2021, 04:46 PM
Few artistes ever make it to my replay list. And Nathanie Ngu is definitely one of them.
Soothing voice? Check. Chill lo-fi beats? Check. Cool personality? Defo.
The 20-year-old singer-songwriter from Kuching, Sarawak is everyone's new favourite person on TikTok and it's not difficult to see why.
After recently sharing a snippet of a song she wrote about how she forgot to wear sunscreen, Nathanie's video immediately took off on social media, with many asking her to release the full version
The video has been played over 1.2 million times since she posted it on TikTok on 11 April, inspiring her to drop the full single this 30 April.
In an interview with SAYS, the Kuchingite credits her love for singing to a teacher who encouraged her to join a competition when she was in primary school
"I remember loving the feeling of performing, so I started signing up for more shows and taking vocal classes to get better!", she shares.
Although she performed at events and weddings when she was younger, Nathanie says she only started seriously doing music when she was in college in 2019.
Most of her song inspiration comes from the people she loves and the nuances of the human experience, she explains, adding that she didn't have many friends when she first moved to the US.
"[I] would spend a lot of time with my guitar in different areas of campus, where I would people-watch and create scenarios in my head about their lives. Then, I would write about them or from their perspective!"
With songs like I Exist and Caught Up, the budding artiste has a way of slipping in a personal raw perspective that appeals to the listener's emotions.
Her most popular single, Who Do I Call?, released not too long ago, was written about losing someone she loved deeply last year.
"I had never really experienced grief like that, so I needed to express that feeling of longing to hear someone's voice, but not being able to. I kinda buried this story in the verses so, at first glance, it could definitely be seen as a breakup song."
Having recently moved back home to Kuching after graduating, Nathanie hopes to perform a lot more in Malaysia if given the chance
"I would really love to see more local artistes in Malaysia and that more Malaysians would support them because I think it is important for us to have artistes who look like us, represent us on a global scale!"
She plans to put out a few singles and might work on a project later in the year.
In the meantime, look forward to her upcoming single, Sunscreen, set to drop on 30 April.
Listen to Nathanie Ngu's latest singles, Who Do I Call? and Bliss, along with her other songs on Spotify:
You can also follow her on other social media platforms here.
This feature is part of the #saysplaylist series, providing your playlist with a breath of fresh Malaysian air
If you have any Malaysian bands, singers, or songs that you think we should feature, drop us a message!
