LSA100: Rising Ace Vanessa Reynauld is ready to take on the world

Vanessa Reynauld is no longer standing in her own shadows. Her recent breakthrough in China marks the beginning of her bright future in music. Brimming with confidence and charisma, it’s only a matter of time before she steps into the light and becomes one of the brightest stars in the music scene. 

Vanessa Reynauld is a name that sticks to you. Her voice is one that reverberates in your head, a key that hits all the emotional heartstrings — leaving you in awe of the raw talent this girl has in her. She’s tenacious and veracious. But beneath the strong outer shell, Vanessa is a sweet little girl who loves to have fun. 

In 2023, she rose to international stardom after her debut in China — as an adorable young Malaysian girl with surprising powerhouse vocals. Her blind audition became the only performance that got all four coaches to turn their chairs with her rendition of David Huang’s Riding The Wind. Despite the show being temporarily suspended, Vanessa’s popularity continues to grow since her resonating presence in China and beyond.

She harbours big dreams. She continues to muster strength to one day take charge of her path. Her hands clasped, she lets go a deep breath: “I feel like I’m still in a place where things are being decided for me. I’m not able to make the call because things are already figured out. And a lot of times, people aren’t open to new ideas and they are set in their ways. I find it harder to express myself the way I wanted.” 

Hopeful, Vanessa isn’t one who gives up easily. She brings out her two hit songs, Rindu Separuh Nyawa and Andai Itu Takdirnya, both have sealed her position as a frontrunner in the local music scene. One Muzik Muzik semi-final and a double platinum recognition later, she finally feels appreciated and seen in Malaysia. “But one day, I will be confident enough to produce my own music,” she exclaims in full conviction. 

Now that the world has seen a glimpse of Vanessa’s full potential, it’s just about time before this superstar sheds her light on the international arena. We catch up with the bubbly high-energy singer on life after her debut in China, as well as her views on stereotypes when it comes to making music. 

A lot has happened with you since we last spoke! How would you describe the past year for you? Any standout moments that meant a lot to you personally?

I’ve been more aggressively pursuing my career internationally, and I’ve also been in and out of China because of the Sing! China competition, which was one of the biggest competition in China. I must say I’m very happy to be given the opportunity to be on stage because not many people know that the process is never easy. 

It’s like when people make remarks like, “Oh, you should try America’s Got Talent or Britain’s Got Talent” — it’s more than just going up on stage and performing. There’s a close audition and you need to impress the producers. It’s obviously a reality show, so they have to find something that would be able to capture the audience and their attention. They need to see the overall potential, not just mere talent. So when I was shortlisted and progressing through the whole audition process, it took about two months before I was able to actually step on the actual stage. 

It was a very memorable experience for me, a very stressful one as well but the rippling effect of just having me going through what I did has made it all worth it. 

Who would you like to perform with?

I would really love to have a collaboration with Chris Brown! I feel he is very talented in many aspects and he’s able to do all kinds of genres… it’s a genre that I like which is R&B with a little bit of afro. I really like his music and hopefully one day I could collaborate with him because whatever he touches turns into gold. 

You have the ability to sing in various languages, but which do you feel the most at ease with? 

To be honest, I’m more at ease and comfortable singing in English. I grew up singing English songs and I strongly believe that I am able to express myself best in English music. Nevertheless, in Malay music, I feel like there’s a different kind of added flavour — it’s more emotional, melancholic even. But English songs have more soul — I can be ‘garang’ or emote whatever I want to feel in my delivery. But when I sing Malay songs, I have to be very specific with how I want the song to be delivered, especially ballads. It’s very delicate, very concentrated, and I try to really just focus my emotions on the song itself. 

I’m not choosing sides here because I really love singing in all languages. It helps me express different kinds of emotions and activate them. Besides making me a much more versatile singer, it helps me learn how to be emotionally sensitive to the various aspects the different songs require. 

Having been in the local music industry for years now, how has it transformed your singing career? Do you think the music genre that you’re singing in has helped showcase the type of singer you want to be?

My first-ever hit Malay song that penetrated into the local market was Rindu Separuh Nyawa, a duet with Naqiu. Then recently, I released Andai Itu Takdirnya — that blew up as well. That second single also hit double platinum, and I felt that I was finally being seen. I’ve been trying my best to put myself out there and be accepted by the local market. It hasn’t been easy for me even though me singing Malay songs has been very well received and appreciated. However, this is not the result that I want — I have to try my best to create exactly what I want. 

I’m not a composer or songwriter, so I can’t really do something for myself but I do know what I want to bring to the table. Unfortunately, not everyone is open to new ideas. So it’s a lot harder for me to express myself the way I wanted. One day, I will be confident enough to produce my own music.

You were also awarded ‘Best New Artist’ at Anugerah Industri Muzik 23 (AIM) last year. How has that had an effect on your career since?

My career has been better. In the music industry, people see me differently. And I started singing when I was a young teenager with a kids talent show at 14 and then Ceria Poster right after. People always see me as that kid. And I find it very hard to come out from that ‘label’. I don’t know why but I feel like it’s very hard to show my abilities as I grow older. I’ve always been that ‘child singer’ for so long, people didn’t really take me seriously as a professional singer. And it also affected my value as a singer. I knew I had to work my way out of it. 

So when the single Rindu Separuh Nyawa became big, the perception changed. And winning the Best New Artist award, it’s another level-up for me. People began to notice me as a real artist. The award has also helped me achieve a milestone that cannot be undone — you have to acknowledge this recognition, right? It established my years of hard work and people can see now how serious I am in making a mark in this industry. 

Talk to us about your experience being on Sing! China despite it being short-lived with the show’s suspension. What are some of your biggest takeaways?

I think with the show being suspended, it left a lot of us wondering. As contestants, we just hope it will resume soon because all of us in the show gave our best effort in the competition. We were all very pumped and motivated to start the fight to the finish but we had no control over it. Hopefully, by the time it resumes, we’ll have used this extra time to better prepare ourselves for what’s coming in the competition — yes, I’m still hopeful up to this year. 

We’ve also gotten some hateful comments by angered netizens telling us to leave the show or not to support the show. It was hard at the moment especially being away from home and not having my family around made it even tougher. But I’m glad the feedback from Malaysia has been super positive; they are really proud of my achievements even though I only appeared in one episode. So I do hope I get another chance to perform on stage and make them proud again. 

What are the curveballs that you’ve successfully overcome so far in life?

I think for me, it’s more about finding self-confidence and my stage presence. I’ve never been confident with myself because I did not believe in myself and I’m not confident in my own skin. I’m always conscious of how my hair looks, and what my dress is like in the eyes of others, and so I felt that was always taking over my performance because I’m always overthinking. And I believe it stems from back then when I was constantly bullied as a kid. They would be laughing at me, staring at me, and teasing me with all sorts of hurtful remarks. But here I am now — I know people are proud of me. 

Now that I’ve accepted fully what God has gifted me — my body, my hair, my voice — I am proud to be me.

Are we expecting much bigger things from you next? 

I’m in the middle of releasing a new single… it’s a Malay ballad, but me and my label are also discussing doing something different. Slowly, I think I’ll be branching out into something else other than ballads. Because you know, my look is very vibrant and I can give you a little pop and sometimes it gives soul and afro.

So I feel like I wanted to do something more suitable for my age, I’m only 23! Tapi jangan risau (not to worry), I will still be doing lagu jiwang Melayu (soulful Malay songs) if that’s what people like. Also, you can start to expect some Chinese music from me as well. I will be expanding my career in both countries, Malaysia and China. And as for an album, it’s in the pipeline — not soon but trust me, it will happen! 

LSA100: 100 Malaysians, 100 Milestones

Lifestyle Asia KL presents LSA100, an annual list that recognises Malaysia’s most influential names and celebrates their talents, contributions, successes and milestones. As the bellwethers of style, travel, design, entertainment, business, sports, and more, these 100 Malaysians represent the next generation of go-getters who are paving the way for sharing their know-hows with the world through the power of digital media. LSA100 comprises five categories namely The Rising Aces, The Trailblazers, The Disruptors, The Navigators and The Tastemakers. Find out more about LSA100 Class of 2023 HERE.

editor-in-chief & creative direction MARTIN TEO | interview IZZATI SAIDIN | assisted by MALLIE MARAN, PUTERI YASMIN SURAYA, RONN TAN | photography ERIC CHOW (BLINK STUDIO) | videography POR JIA JUN | makeup SHIYO JOO using YSL BEAUTY | hair CODY CHUA | stylist AZZA ARIF | wardrobe SUPERDRY