At just 22, Layla already has a seven-year career under her belt with Warner Music Malaysia. The KL native released her first Mandarin single, “By Your Side,” in 2021, and in July of the same year, was featured on the iconic Times Square digital billboard in New York.
Speaking with FMT Lifestyle, the bubbly Layla shared that music has always been in her blood. Coming from a musically gifted family – her father is a musician, her mother a choir singer, and her siblings singers too – Layla’s talent developed naturally. “My mom said I sang before I spoke my first words,” she fondly recalled.
Layla’s debut album, “1671,” includes 10 tracks, with eight in Mandarin, showcasing her linguistic versatility. Among her hit “Bambino,” featuring rapper Bunga, has racked up over 800,000 views on YouTube since its release in 2021.
Though Layla has been familiar with the stage since childhood, her popularity surged in 2020 after her appearance on reality show “I Can See Your Voice.” Her Mandarin rendition of a Tiger Huang classic wowed the judges and earned her a devoted fanbase.
Last year, it was her rendition of “Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies” – a Cantonese classic by Hong Kong band Beyond – that truly brought her into the spotlight, especially with Malaysia’s Chinese community.
Layla shared that the cover took her two months to perfect. “Many Chinese people were so impressed because Cantonese is very hard compared to Mandarin,” she said.
So, what led to the singer’s fluency in Mandarin? Layla said it was her mother. “My mum wanted all four of her children to go to Mandarin school. She believed that learning a new language and culture would be good for us,” Layla explained.
“At first, she said until primary school would be enough, and then you pick on your own. But I was so comfortable with the environment that I said no, let’s continue.” In fact, Layla was the only one among her siblings who continued her education in Mandarin.
Studying at SKJC Chong Hwa in Kuala Lumpur helped mould her into a multilingual singer. In fact, Layla is pursuing her further studies at New Era University College in Kajang, where classes are fully taught in Mandarin.
Over the years, Layla has commanded major stages, performing solo for crowds as large as 10,000. Reflecting on her performances, she shared: “I prefer singing cover songs, as it helps me connect with the audience. When I sing their favourite songs, their eyes just light up. Once I go up on stage and have a mic in my hand, it’s like there’s a ghost that possesses me,” she laughed.
Though Layla enjoys fame today, she revealed that some people were unhappy with her preference to sing in languages other than Malay. To this she said: “Malaysia is such a beautiful country with so many different cultures, and I want to emphasise that through music.”
“Just because I’m Malay doesn’t mean I have to sing only Malay songs. I can sing Malay songs, Tamil songs, Bollywood songs, Chinese songs – anything.”
Not only does she sing, she started her career as a child actress. Recently, she starred in the local Mandarin film “Small Time Heroes,” a role that earned her the “Most Promising Actress” award at the 32nd Malaysian Film Festival in 2022.
With icons like Amy Winehouse and Anne-Marie as her inspirations, Layla is still discovering her musical identity. “The beautiful part is being able to explore many sides of myself,” she said.
“I used to limit myself to certain genres, like Chinese ballads. But slowly I realised that I can sing Chinese rock songs, host in Mandarin, and even teach in Mandarin.”
Currently, Layla is working toward a degree in early childhood education and dreams of balancing her love for singing with teaching, possibly incorporating music into special needs education. She hopes to be remembered for both.
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