Adib Noor
Starting at the tender age of eight, Aziz Harun burst into the international music scene with his self-written single Peace and Harmony, marking a breakthrough moment in his career 12 years ago. Since then, the Bruneian-born singer-songwriter has become a well-known and prolific artiste, and is now poised to make a significant impact once again with his first-ever album.
“My first body of work, titled Yang Benar, Aziz Harun, is a culmination of my musical journey since I started in 2014,” Aziz said.
On why he decided to release a full album, Aziz said, “As an artiste, it’s a sort of an unspoken dream to have your own album – a complete body of work that can be experienced in its entirety by listeners.
“Presenting a compilation of songs rather than just one allows for a more interesting exploration of how they may connect and flow from one to another.”
In the early stages of his career, Aziz followed the common pattern of releasing one or two singles a year, especially in the age of streaming. However, with this album, he is taking a bold step to showcase his growth and the need to express himself through a full-fledged album.
“The album provides my fans and new listeners with an update on where I am musically and how much I’ve matured over the years,” Aziz said. “Yang Benar, Aziz Harun is like a playlist with six songs that best represents my musical and songwriting growth.”
Aziz revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic played a role in the album’s development, as there were several written songs that hadn’t been recorded. After completing his university years, he knew it was time to make a comeback and make some noise.
“When the pandemic settled down and I finished university, I felt the need to announce my return, and an album was the perfect way to do that,” he said.
With the album, Aziz seized the opportunity to collaborate with other notable names in the music industry.
“I was fortunate enough to work with producers Adib Sin, Mike Chan, Iqie Hugh and Glowrush and collaborate with singers Aisha Retno and Marian Carmel,” he said.
“Working with them, except Adib and Mike, for the first time was crucial in achieving a fresh and innovative sound.”
The first single 011 is a rock song produced by Iqie Hugh and showcases Aziz in a new light – a grown-up ready to take on anything, contrasting with the softer, all-smile image of his younger self.
On sharing his thoughts on the song, Aziz said, “It was written to surprise my audience. It’s super experimental (still pop), but it’s still me. I told the producer it should sound exactly like what I wanted. Sonically, it’s the most progressive track on the album, and it was the first one released, eliciting the desired reaction from my audience.”
On which song on the album resonates with him the most, Aziz mentioned Mengapa Harus Begini.
“It’s a ballad that holds a special place in my heart. I rarely get sentimental about a song I write, but because it has been in the archives since 2019, I have high hopes for it,” he said.
Listeners can expect to witness a more mature version of Aziz Harun through the album – a side they haven’t seen before.
“The harsh reality of being in my mid-20s finally dawned on me, and I believe the quarter-life crisis my friends and I are going through will be reflected in my music,” Aziz humourously remarked.
“I’ve always been trapped, in the best way possible, under the success of my old songs like Senyum, Beautiful, Jangan and Jauh. While I’m grateful for these songs and love them, as an artiste, it’s ingrained in me to constantly push the boundaries of past achievements and aim higher. Being a full-time singer is a very ‘adult’ decision that I still need to wrap my head around from time to time,” Aziz said.
Aziz highlighted that having an album gives him the opportunity to solidify his work and signifies his full-time commitment to his craft.
“Having a physical album that fans can bring to meet-and-greet to sign or even hold in their hands keeps the dream alive,” he said.
Behind the scenes, Aziz realised the tremendous amount of work required to produce such a significant project.
“I’ve learnt that producing an album entails a lot of hard work, from writing, recording, and producing to mixing, mastering, packaging the albums, choosing colours, deciding on concepts, and so on,” Aziz said.
“While it may be Yang Benar, Aziz Harun, there is an entire team behind the release that I am grateful for. I couldn’t have undertaken this project without them. I’ve learnt that teamwork is essential in creating something of this magnitude,” he said.
With the album, Aziz hopes fans will gain insight into his musical direction. “I also hope to attract new listeners and fans of my work. I hope they enjoy being part of the musical journey that I’m embarking on,” he said.
Next on the list for the Bruneian-born talent is his first-ever showcase in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in August.
“At the showcase, I will perform my songs from 2014 to 2023. I’m excited because the last time I had a solo show was in 2016 at Jerudong Park. Reconnecting with old fans in Malaysia, and hopefully Bruneian fans who are able to attend, would be a dream come true. It would be an honour to play my songs back to back and reminisce about the growth of my music and those who listened to them,” he said.
