Singapore-born rapper, producer, and songwriter ALYPH is ready to shake up the scene with The Storm, his highly anticipated debut album, released on 24 January. In a recent press release, ALYPH described the album as a deeply personal exploration of self-reflection, love, and hardship, capturing his artistic journey with unfiltered honesty.
Known for crafting hits for others, he has now turned his creative focus inward, delivering a project that fully embodies his unique sound and vision. Featuring 12 tracks, including collaborations with Malaysian icon Ziana Zain and rising hip-hop artist GARD, The Storm promises to push musical boundaries in Southeast Asia.
ALYPH has long been a pioneering force in Singaporean hip-hop, first making waves with his production alias Magic Potions before rising as a solo artist with viral hits like ‘SWIPE.’ Blending rap, R&B, and storytelling, he has crafted a sound that’s both distinct and boundary-pushing. With The Storm, he fully embraces his evolution, delivering an unpredictable yet deeply resonant musical experience—one that, much like a storm, refuses to be ignored. So we decided to catch up with the man himself and ask him how he navigates through The Storm.
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Hey ALYPH! Congratulations on your release of The Storm. The Storm is a powerful metaphor for unpredictability. Can you share a moment in your life or career that felt like a personal storm?
Thank you. My whole career as it's going right now is a storm. It's always been a storm, and it will always and forever be a storm.
You mentioned the album's title came to you unexpectedly. What other titles were you considering before settling on The Storm?
A few titles were there, but I will not read out titles of certain projects that I still want to use the title. So, I will only give like the few that I definitely, probably won't use. Mula Dari Mula, A Guide for Lost Feelings, The Sound of Empty, Quiet City, Wheelbarrow.
‘Ingat’ and ‘Gerak’ were challenging for you to create and perform. What helped you push through those emotional barriers?
Well, when I'm writing it, I feel it, but I'm able to function. So it is only after the fact that I've recorded everything and I listen back- if it strikes a chord, and then I get worried about how I can perform it or not- that's when I realised that, oh man, it's really close to me. So, in terms of how I can overcome my feelings for it- we’ll only know during a live show, and I hope that I can deliver the song as it's supposed to be.
Collaborating with Ziana Zain on ‘Gerak’ and ‘Teman’ must have been a dream come true. How did you approach blending your styles with hers?
I guess it was seamless, because I already heard her voice while doing my demos. So to me, when I was recording the demos, the song was already completed with her inside. But of course, another challenge was to understand who she is as a person and as an artist, as a singer recording in the studio. But thankfully, she's such a classy and legendary figure and a revered performer, so it was not difficult working with her in the studio, and I think we knocked it out of the park in like, maybe recording wise, maybe it's two hours.
What’s the story behind your collaboration with GARD on ‘Sorok Muka’? Did anything unexpected happen during the process?
Sorok Muka has like six, seven versions. You can ask GARD about that, but earlier on, I knew that I needed a voice like GARD in the album, because his voice is a penetrating voice, and my voice is more rounded. So I needed that. I needed that flare for the album. I needed to add to that sonic value. So, I had a beat, gave it to him- I asked him to write like, four or five times- I don't know.
Many times we were in the studio together, we were also working remotely on the song. I think I will own up to why we had so many versions of that song. It was not on GARD. Everything that he did was really great. I just took pieces of whatever that he did- all his versions, and it became the latest version.
From the viral success of ‘SWIPE’ to now, what’s been the most surprising thing about your journey as an artist?
I think being an artist is that you surprise yourself every single time. With every show, it's a new experience with every studio, session is a new experience, so the surprises never end.
What advice would you give to aspiring artists who are trying to find their unique sound like you have?
Try and figure it out yourself first and then I’ll meet you there.
