Despite the damper Covid-19 has put on all of us, 17 year-old Haven reckons that the year has been “quite a rollercoaster” for her. Signed to local music label AOR Global, the musician has released six songs since she debuted in 2019.

But what’s currently on the forefront of her music career is her upcoming single, EGO, which launches on Sept 18.

“A lot is happening right now for me,” says the singer-songwriter, who is also a secondary school student. “Friends coming and going, delayed projects and most importantly… I’ve been studying like crazy for my ‘N’ Levels!”

Though youthful, the singer is retrospective and shares that she’s been taking time to “reflect on what she’s done so far”.

While her heartfelt lyrics and wispy vocals, juxtaposed against her e-girl aesthetic, has caught the attention of some 5000 followers on Instagram, the music artist maintains that she’s been finding new ways to get creative during the dry season. 

On the ‘gram, you’ll see that she’s been keeping busy with music covers and magazine photoshoots. Decked out in high-necked tops and retro track pants reminiscent of the style of hip-hop artists in the 90s, Haven has both style and swagger. 

We caught up with the chirpy creative over email to know more about her latest project and find out how she’s doing amidst the gloomy season.

1. We’re so excited to listen to EGO, but before that, can you tell us more about the song and what went on behind the scenes?

This song is about how everyone has an alter ego, where we want to do something but we let our ego get to the best of our judgments. I’ve worked on this for about a year now with the mentorship of Yang Constantino, who’s a famous Filipino artist.

And I’ve also been very lucky to have the help of legendary Filipino producer Jonathan Manalo.  You’ll hear very personal anecdotes in the song. It’s something close to my heart.  

As for what went on behind the scenes..I had an amazing time filming the music video for EGO. There were a lot of wardrobe changes and different aesthetics, but at the same time they all lined up with the theme of the song.

It’s all thanks to the stylists, hair and makeup team – they did an amazing job making me look all boujee (fancy) for this shot and I was given a lot of creative freedom by the director Kelvin Sng. He really guided me to perform to my fullest in-depth emotions. 

2. Wow, it seems like Covid-19 hasn’t really affected your drive. Has anything changed though?

I’ve actually got into a new routine during the circuit breaker, I sleep at like 8 am and wake up at 5pm so my body clock has been really messed up. I guess I’m a night owl (hah).

But on the other hand, I’ve had more time to get into a much more healthy lifestyle. There’s more flexibility for me to plan out my schedule. So I’ve recently gotten into working out more and learning how I can properly treat my body right. 

3. Any advice for creatives who’re feeling dried out, no thanks to the pandemic?

Well I would say to not let this be a stopping point of your career (or your hopes and dreams). Because this is a period where you should focus on yourself, and what you can improve in yourself to become the best version of you. 

I would also recommend aspiring musicians to start learning how to write songs or pick up the instrument that you’ve been wanting to learn for so long. And even though not much is going on right now, we can do so much more using this precious time that we have.

When this (the pandemic) is all over, we can take whatever that we learned and build and bring it along our journey.

Tap to watch the teaser for Haven’s new single, EGO.

This article was first published in Her World Online.