NO matter how bad things get, there's always light at the end of the tunnel.
Singer Kael knows this well and wants to inspire people to believe in hope and have faith that things will surely improve for the better through his new song, 'Teduhan Kasih' (Shelter of Love).
The 34-year-old artiste, who is of Chinese, Peranakan and Siamese descent, said the new tune meant a lot to him on several levels.
Although he found it hard to perform Malay songs his perseverance paid off on this track as it gave him more experience and confidence by the end of the project.
"'Teduhan Kasih' is very special to me because it proves that I could have a compatible working relationship with a Malay producer from Kelantan.
"And this tune contains spiritual characteristics that could possibly inspire the listener.
"The genre of this song is also interesting because we rarely get to enjoy a mellow rock ballad," he said.
Kael, whose real name is Michael Lean Chien Er, added that he hoped the song would touch listeners.
"I present this track to all the listeners who are always in trouble or any individual who is having a difficult life journey at the moment.
"Hopefully the song will inspire all of them in their daily life and to persevere in order to carry on," said the Klang-born talent.
Composed by Aris Kapilla with lyrics written by Man Khan, 'Teduhan Kasih' is a song about the hardships of life with a promise that there is a bright future in the end.
The idea for the song came about from Kael's experience of knowing many different people, including those who had undergone the struggles of life.
But during those trying times they were helped by kind people who made a point to care.
On a deeper and personal level, 'Teduhan Kasih' also relates to Kael's own life journey, which was no bed of roses.
Kael grew up in an orphanage. His mother suffered from mental problems that caused the family to split.
His father and stepmother then brought him to Kuala Lumpur to find a better life.
"I was left for a year in a motel. The motel workers often kept an eye on me and gave me food until they had to vacate the room to rent it to someone else.
"I often wandered around the sidewalks around Kuala Lumpur and once slept at a bus stop alone for almost two weeks," he said about his painful childhood.
But it was the kindness of strangers that finally brought a ray of hope to little Kael.
He was sent to an orphanage at the Sunbeams Home Foundation in Ampang, where he was raised there from the age of 9 to 17.
The orphanage gave Kael a valuable opportunity to carve out a better future as he was enrolled in a music school.
After completing his studies up to Grade 6, Kael managed to then continue with his higher education studies at Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman.
He persevered while doing part-time work to pay for the tuition fees until he completed his diploma studies around 2008.
The counselling-psychology graduate gained the attention of music lovers after he took part in the TV3 reality programme 'Lagu Cinta Kita Season 2' in 2020.
'Teduhan Kasih', which indirectly tells the story of Kael's painful journey in life, is part of his continual effort to improve himself as a singer and entertainer.
His previous Malay singles include original soundtracks such as 'Cinta Jatuh' (for the drama 'Mr Bibik') and 'Sentuhan' (for the drama 'Sentuhan Najwa').
Kael has also diversified his creativity and talent by acting in TV3 dramas like 'Suamiku Lelaki Pendosa' and 'Sekali Lagi Cinta Kembali', which managed to garner high ratings among fans.
He was last seen in the movie 'Mar Rak' which was screened in cinemas last month.
'Teduhan Kasih' is now available on iTunes and other online streaming applications such as Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube Music, Tidal and Deezer.