Rising star Heerraa is just getting started

MALAYSIANSKINI | With so much new music flooding the waves, it takes originality and an intangible uniqueness to break through as a successful artist.

At just 23 years of age, rising star Heerraa (above) is taking the world by storm, thanks to her strong vocals, captivating performances, and knack for songwriting, 

Ever since she was a child, Heerraa knew that her future career would be in music.

“I’ve always wanted to become a singer, ever since I was five years old.

“So, I was really excited when my mother started sending me for vocal lessons,” said Heerraa, whose musical journey started at age 11.

Today, she has performed internationally and received many notable awards, including her most recent ICon Award at the InterContinental Music Awards 2022 (ICMA) in Los Angeles.

Her composition ‘Feel Alive’ also won the Best of North America (Pop category) at this year’s annual music awards show held to recognise music talents from different countries.

Heerraa brought home US$1,000 (RM4,457), an ICMA award certificate signed and endorsed by the InterContinental Music Awards Organisation, and private coaching with members of the judging panel comprising top Hollywood music executives.

She told Malaysiakini she was at a loss for words.

“It was something I never imagined would happen to me. I was so stunned that I fumbled my acceptance speech,” she said.

Getting the right mentors

She attributes much of her success to her mentors at ET Ideas, a Malaysian social business incubator that helped turn her dream of being an international singer-songwriter into a reality when she was 14.

She reminisced about attending one of ET Ideas' events, where she met founder Elango Thiyagu, who later became her mentor.

“That was the first time someone believed in my crazy dream of becoming a singer.

“That was how I met the lovely people of ET Ideas, who guided me to where I am today,” she said.

However, not everyone stood by her passion.

After graduating from secondary school, the top scorer’s decision to pursue music as a career raised some questions.

Her mother’s support did not dissuade critics.

“While all my peers were signing up for university, I wanted to pursue a full-time career in music instead.

“It was not easy for my mother and me as people around us questioned her decision of not pushing me into university.

“But I’m glad my mother stood firm despite all the pressure she faced as it enabled me to turn my career into becoming the international singer-songwriter I am today,” she said.

Heerraa said her experience showed that youths still struggle to get support for them to pursue their desired careers.

Youth empowerment

Having this in mind, in 2015, she formed Ascendance with some friends, a youth empowerment group to help young people figure out their passion and achieve holistic success.

What started as a project to help disengaged peers to begin living to their fullest potential has become one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing youth movements.

Today, Ascendance is run by young leaders from eight to 25 years old, having impacted 35,000 students across 28 countries through their programmes.

“It’s a different universe working with the young adults in Ascendance, who have grown to become leaders in their communities while juggling their responsibilities as students.

“It is moments like these that make our work very fulfilling,” she said.

Although Heerraa has already made a name for herself through her music and Ascendance, she still seeks to achieve more.

After five years of building her career, the singer joined the prestigious Harvard University in hopes of finding new ways to improve her craft - whether in music or her business.

“I applied to Harvard to learn how I could improve my music while taking my career and Ascendance to the global stage.

“Unlike most people who were studying to get a job, I was studying to improve and better what I do since my music career is my full-time job that is growing every day,” she said.

A consistent top-scorer at Harvard, the songstress excelled in her classes as the foundation of her career supported what she learned in university.

“All of what I’m learning would not have made sense if it wasn’t for the five years I spent developing myself as a singer-songwriter and performer,” she said.

Besides attending classes, Heerraa also made sure to be involved in the university’s extracurricular activities.

Putting her skills to practice, she also produced a song for the Harvard Undergraduate Songwriters’ Collective (HUSC) album.

She also serves as the director of communications for Harvard Extension Students’ Association, which looks at ways to make the student community more inclusive and united.

Though she is excited about the opportunity she’s been given to experience top-tier education at one of the world’s most reputable institutions, she acknowledged that she faces some challenges, especially in monetary terms.

Fundraising a challenge

To deal with the hefty cost of her education at a top institution, Heerraa raises funds via several avenues.

“I am working hard on my career to raise funds to pay for my education, to lessen the burden of my single mum who is supporting my whole family.

“Other than conducting music performance classes and songwriting workshops to raise funds, I recently started a Patreon page where the public can pledge a monthly amount as low as US$2 (RM9) to help with the production of my music and also fund my education,” she said.

With her ever-expanding portfolio accompanied by a hectic schedule, one wonders how the singer balances her time between all her projects.

Heerraa credited her team, who were always there to catch her before she burns out.

“There are times when I am swamped with assignments and recording, and my team helps cover for me in my duties in Ascendance.

“We are there to support each other’s goals.

“What keeps me going is my mission to build young people and change the world.

“So if that means staying up until midnight for meetings or waking up at 5am for classes, I’ll happily do it all,” she said.

Heerraa, who describes her brand of music as the “sunshine genre”, hopes the positivity in her music spreads the warmth of hope and love to listeners.

Drawing inspiration from the lessons and trials she goes through in life, Heerraa shares how her songs such as ‘Chasing Daylight’, ‘Wonder’, and ‘Feel Alive’ all share themes of hope, happiness and change.

In her debut album, to be released at the end of this year, listeners can indulge in her musings and much more.

“The journey of making this album has been full of learning and exploration each time I step into the recording studio.

“The best part is that I am recording a multi-genre album where I get to learn about the various styles of music that can best bring out the message in each song.

“So far, I’ve recorded ballads, R&B and Retro-Pop songs, and even a full song in Bahasa Malaysia,” she said.

Heerraa believes that everything she has achieved so far in her career wouldn’t have been possible without the support from mere strangers-turned-fans.

“Without the public’s support, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

“Many kind people have shared my songs and posts, which helped my music career grow.

“Some people have even pledged a certain amount of money every month to help me fund my music and video production.

“Collectively, their funds help me worry less about the cost of producing music and instead enable me to focus on producing impactful songs and lyrics,” she said.

The singer is over the moon about being able to do what she loves and she hopes that her peers will also experience the same joy.

She encourages young people to stay consistent in the pursuit of their happiness and to find the right environment for them in relation to their goals, as this will not only help them discover their talents but will also lead them to the right people who can support their journey.

Malaysianskini is a series on Malaysians you should know.

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