An artist seeking self-expression with a DIY attitude, FIG turns everyday activities and emotions into creative output. The NYC-based Malaysian singer-songwriter began making music in high school, writing and recording snippets to share on social media when she was feeling alone. It wasn't long before she started writing full songs, which she would design cover artwork for, while directing and editing music videos to accompany them.
Before settling in NYC in 2019, change had been a constant in FIG's life. She moved between 10 different schools through childhood and adolescence. Her parents' jobs demanded it, spending time living in the Philippines, Shanghai, Singapore, Beijing, and Frankfurt. Finding it difficult to forge strong friendships and having a hard time expressing and channeling her emotions, she grew comfortable with being by herself. Music kept her company - and eventually became an outlet for her own self-expression.
"I have a playlist that's very dear to me called Don't Notice," she shares. "It carried me throughout high school and was the tracklist of my life at the time. I'd go on these solo adventures to try new food, bike around or visit random places. The songs on this playlist protected me. They were like a blanket wrapping around me and telling me that everything would be okay."
It wasn't long before FIG started trying to write songs like the ones on her playlist. Alone in her bedroom, she would go to YouTube and search "lofi beats," and began writing to the instrumentals and singing. "I actually enjoyed doing it and I started writing pages and pages of random lyrics," she adds. "I was honestly shocked at the process of writing my own lyrics and being able to portray how I was feeling. I did these little snippets constantly where I would film myself on Snapchat and save them. These small snippets helped me to cope and put my feelings somewhere, helping me overcome the nervousness that I had."
FIG's introduction to music came from her parents, who played music and danced at home. When she was age 9, they took her to her first concert to see Beyoncé. And later they would frequently go to music festivals together where she was introduced to a variety of artists. Seeing artists on stage was exhilarating but discovering younger, developing artists and singers experimenting with music on social media gave her the confidence and belief that it was something she could try herself.