Shelhiel is a future pop singer, songwriter, producer, and visual artist from Malaysia. His presence on the Jaded stage marked not only his first time performing at SXSW, but his first visit to America. Wrapping up a critically-acclaimed debut EP release, Shelhiel is on a quest to redefine Asian pop music to the world.
"It’s very surreal for me to come to America to perform for the first time. I’m here for the first time and I’m here to perform - it’s a bit crazy for me. I just can’t wait to go to the venue and feel live music again."
"We still need time to figure out what the Malaysian sound is, compared to places like the UK, and to develop our subcultures. I feel that is because of social, political, and economic factors. But it's very important for society to progress, and develop distinct subcultures - for example, grime music, or MC culture."
"My friends and I are always having conversations about M-Pop and what it means in music. We can’t expect people to always be thinkers all the time, some people just want to listen to music and they don’t give a fuck about whether it’s Chinese, Malay, or English - maybe they just want to listen to hip hop or they just want to listen to songs."
"If I wasn’t doing music, I might be a visual artist or creative director, definitely something along those lines."
"In the end I want to do more than music. But music is a medium of integration. There are so many things and paths that can cross."
"As cheesy as it is, life is beautiful, love life. Everything comes from the core in you, including your art."
