It was, therefore, a dream come true for the Kluang, Johor-born singer-songwriter to have had the opportunity to showcase her songs at the acclaimed cabaret club 54 Below in New York City recently.
Heerraa, a student at Harvard University in Massachusetts, said she had long been planning to do a featured show in the United States.
“We reached out to about 100 venues in New York. 54 Below replied, saying they would love for us to have our show with them. It was very cool to be able to showcase my original songs at such a prestigious venue,” the 25-year-old told FMT Lifestyle.
54 Below is a Broadway-themed supper club that has hosted performances by artistes such as Patti LuPone, Lea Salonga, Sierra Boggess and Barbara Cook. In 2022, it received a Tony Awards Honor for Excellence in the Theatre.
“When I got the acceptance, wow, it was such a flood of emotions! It was, ‘Oh my God, this is amazing!’ and also, ‘Oh my God, we’re so new in New York, how am I going to get everyone to come?’”
Heerraa, who has been performing since she was 14, is an acclaimed singer whose hits include “Feel Alive” – winner of the Best in North America (Pop) Award at the Los Angeles’ InterContinental Music Awards – and “Peter Pan”, winner of the Best in Pop (Young Adult) award at the Red Carpet Award Show in the Netherlands.
Early last year, she won “best female solo artiste” at the 6th Annual California Music Video Awards for her R&B single “Attention Island”.
She is also a voting member of the Recording Academy, which presents the Grammy Awards. Her musical influences include Beyonce, Jason Mraz, and – funnily enough – the television show “Hannah Montana”.
The talented singer is also the co-founder of Ascendance, a global youth association dedicated to assisting students to discover their passion and build sustainable careers.
Created in 2015, the association has impacted over 55,000 students across 26 countries, and received the Diana Award for Social Action and Humanitarian Works in 2019.
Speaking with FMT Lifestyle, Heerraa recalls being very nervous as the days drew closer to her Sept 6 performance. What if no one came to her show? As it turned out, she needn’t have worried, as a large crowd turned up for her New York debut!
Audience members included people from the Malaysian community in New York, Heerraa’s Harvard classmates, and peers from the Recording Academy. Some even travelled from out of town to attend the show.
Heerraa entertained the audience with many of her best-loved hits, including “The Girl Who Loved” and “Note to Self”. She even had the crowd singing along with her at the end.
“I wanted to make sure that I did the night justice, that I made it worth everyone’s time in coming. And it was nice to be surrounded by a lot of friendly faces. My sister was in the audience, I think she was even more nervous than I was,” she shared with a laugh.
Heerraa, who has gone on to do several other performances in the US following her New York debut, looks forward to more events and corporate shows in Malaysia when she returns. And at the end of this month, she will release a new single, “Love Wins”, which was co-written and produced by Billboard-charting artiste Justine Blazer.
“Overall, it was really a wonderful evening,” Heerraa concluded of her performance. “I think it was a great way of showcasing how much power music has in being able to change your life.”