MENTION the name of Singaporean crooner Imran Ajmain, and fans on both sides of the Causeway will think of his romantic ballads especially the hugely popular Seribu Tahun.
The 42-year-old singer-songwriter however, has made a New Year resolution to go beyond rhythm and blues (R&B) and ballads, to give music lovers more musical variety in the years to come.
ERASE AND GO
Busy preparing himself for two days of concerts at Ken TTDI in Taman Tun Dr Ismail on Feb 2 and 3, Imran has also released a brand new single with a pop-rock feel, titled Padam Dan Pergi (Erase And Go).
"I actually wrote this song back in 2011, and wanted to give it to someone else. However, my team could not find one who could match the requirements of it, so I ended up recording it, and this took place late last year," said Imran at the launch of Padam Dan Pergi at Volvo Cars Ingress Swede Automobile, Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya recently.
EVOLUTION
Imran added that he chose to experiment with genres such as pop-rock, hip-hop, folk and traditional pop or Asli, as part of his "evolution" as a singer.
"I'm not one to release new music fast, because I prefer to craft songs that are powerful, memorable and stick with listeners for a long time," he said, adding that he had also chosen to be "less active" in social media as he wanted to be remembered more for his music than his private life.
"My coming concert will see me perform, for the first time, new sounds apart from the usual R&B. It is also going to be a peek of what my coming compilation album will have once it is ready later this year," said Imran, whose compilation album will have 25 of his best known songs sung in pop-rock, Asli, hip-hop and folk besides R&B.
RENEWAL
When asked about the inspiration behind Padam Dan Pergi, Imran said that it was all about renewal in one's life.
"It's not a personal experience about the end of a relationship, but a general story about the need for all of we singers to reinvent ourselves to stay relevant and move higher in our careers," he said.
HIGHER LEVEL
Imran added that the song which was released on all digital music platforms on Jan 19 did tell the story of lovers who ended their relationship amicably in order to move on with their lives, but it could also be interpreted on a "higher level" to mean a singer's journey to break up with his favourite music genre in order to master other genres.
"I wrote and co-composed this song with a new composer, Ahmadul Amin who is very promising in his craft, and who excels in folk, rock and pop music.
"It is heavy on electric guitars, and that is a refreshing change from the 'old Imran' that we've all been encountering for more than a decade."
MORE COLOURFUL
Imran added that he had chosen to dress in brighter and more colourful suits for his music video instead of the usual dark colours he has been associated with.
"No, it's not that I've become more optimistic about life. I've always been such, just that I have decided to look the opposite of the old me, hence I'm now wearing more colourful suits."
SOLD FAST
When asked about his coming concert, Konsert Malam Seribu Tahun Imran Ajmain, Imran said that he was delighted that tickets were sold out fast.
"Fans snapped the concert tickets up within a day, both for the earlier Singapore concert on Jan 12 and the coming KL concerts. Amazing!" he said.
Imran will perform 25 songs in his two-hour concert, but "each night will be a different experience".
"The Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore saw 600 fans sing along with me all the way. I'm sure the KL attendance will be much bigger. It's been five years since I last had a concert, and it's best to have one in the beginning of the year."
STILL FRIENDS
On another note, Imran said that he was still great friends with his former business partner, celebrity chef, businessman, singer and motivational guru Datuk Fazley Yaakob.
"My decision to leave our mutual business, Suka Sucre Restaurant, was made last year, and he was OK with it.
"Not that I didn't enjoy working with him, but I've got several new commitments now, and therefore I've decided to let some things go," he said, adding that he had just been appointed as the Malay affairs director of Singapore's copyright and royalties collection body COMPASS.
HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY
Imran also said that as one of the heads of COMPASS, he had a heavy responsibility to Singapore's music industry and had to be in his hometown more often than usual.
"And while I'm performing my duties for COMPASS and Singaporean music as a whole, I will also be taking the opportunity to spend more quality time with my mother, who has always been my biggest fan," said Imran.
Konsert Malam Seribu Tahun Imran Ajmain is co-organised by Elmi Elmo dan Hashtag Media.