It’s Dayang Nurfaizah’s time to shine.
Though the 36-year-old songstress has enjoyed some success throughout her 18-year career particularly with her signature hit Seandainya Masih Ada Cinta, Dayang was never quite able to make a major dent in the local music scene.
But in recent years, something has changed. Dayang began taking advantage of her gift of singing ballads, a move that won her three consecutive Best Vocal Performance trophies since 2014 at the Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL) for Di Pintu Syurga, Tak Pernah Menyerah and Lelaki Teragung. The latter also won the prestigious Best Song – her very first one.
Her back-to-back awe-inspiring performances at the song competition, always delivered while dressed in classy frocks and with her hair pulled back into a bun, raised Dayang’s profile. Finally, people stopped and listened.
No doubt, it’s these ballad-driven successes that inspired the direction of her latest self-titled album. The 10-track offering, comprising seven new numbers and the three aforementioned singles, is chock-full of sprawling ballads from start to finish.
It gets off to a strong start with Layarlah Kembali – a heartrending track that sees Dayang begging for the return of an ex-lover. The strength of its melody here is sure to give Dayang her next big hit. The big, dramatic chorus also allows her to demonstrate her vocal prowess, making this a strong contender for next year’s AJL.
Again, she pines for her former flame in another potential chart-topper, Dia, which thrives on a catchy chorus.
Relationship pains are the main subject of the album and with the singer’s emotionally-charged delivery on each track, especially on the crushing Separuh Mati Ku Bercinta, she truly moves listeners.
While the other tracks on the album have subtler melodic hooks and take a couple of repeated listens to get into, tunes like Dalam Diam and Usah Bilang Cinta are gems too.
Dayang Nurfaizah is for anyone who can’t get enough of the goosebumps-inducing ballads the powerhouse vocalist is known for.
Dayang Nurfaizah
Dayang Nurfaizah
DN & AD Entertainment
