SHE'S had viral hit songs that celebrate her Sabahan heritage like 'Sumandak Sabah' and 'Oi Gaman', which have garnered more than 22 million views on YouTube.
Armed with a powerful and emotive voice, singer-songwriter Velvet Aduk has been captivating Malaysian music fans for the past 18 years.
The pop, ballad and folk Dusun artiste, who hails from Penampang, Sabah, is happy to mark another milestone after releasing 20 singles and a Malay studio album.
Velvet, 37, recently produced her first studio album of English songs made up of 14 soul-stirring tracks.
These include 'What are you doing with someone else's husband?' and 'Trauma bond', which is a departure from her previous works.
The feisty independent singer understands the appeal of producing easy-listening songs that are fun and jivy, but she does not want to be stuck in a creative loop.
With her latest release, titled 'Darkest Knight', she bares raw emotions instead of just performing catchy tunes to win over crowds.
Velvet said the project was a labour of love.
She collaborated with fellow Sabahan musicians Andy O'Mail and Brandon Laurie to co-produce the album, which explores mature themes like betrayal and infidelity, and addressing them with honesty and vulnerability.
"In this album, I'm expressing emotions that are often hard to put in words. I'm just being real in my lyrics, especially on the less perfect parts of relationships.
"It's about what I observe around me, the complexities that people hide.
"We often see the surface of a relationship, but not the broken side of the people in it," she shared.
Velvet is also thankful to the Communications Ministry for its support, via MyCreative Ventures' Digital Content Fund — a government-backed investment arm dedicated to supporting Malaysia's creative industries.
She said that the grant, disbursed under the Dana Kebolehpasaran (Marketability Fund) category, has made it possible to produce seven out of the 14 tracks in her album.
To celebrate the release of the English album, Velvet will be staging a one-night-only concert to showcase her debut English album at Jao Tim in Kuala Lumpur on March 2.
Set to start at 8.30pm, the show will feature two captivating 45-minute sets with a 15-minute intermission.
Audiences can expect to be serenaded by soulful melodies and lyrics capturing themes of heartbreak and modern loneliness as Velvet gives free rein to her artistic muse.
Tickets to Velvet's 'Darkest Knight' performance at Jao Tim are currently on sale at RM100 each.
For more details on the showcase, visit www.jaotim.com. Check Velvet Aduk out on www.velvetaduk.com.