FEB 7 was going to be the day. After five years of clawing his way up, Amir Syazwan Masdi was ready to take on the biggest stage of his life. He was set to perform as one of the 12 finalists of the 35th annual Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL).
However, by the middle of January, a second MCO came into effect and the country was in a state of emergency. By the end of January, the number of infections daily was over 5,000. The event was postponed.
“Since Akademi Fantasia 2016, my journey has been a great one, at least for me and my team. We are constantly progressing, learning and gaining experience, time after time. Although there were ups and downs, it was fun,” said Amir.
Known on stage as Amir Masdi, he first gained fame when he was named champion of Akademi Fantasia (AF) 2016. But when he tried to showcase his talents again at AF Megastar 2017, he did not make it past the
semi-finals.
At the same time, he released a single every year since 2016. It was a 2019 single written and composed by Ezra Kong, Faizal Tahir, Michael Chan Wai Keong, Abdul Karim Radzali and Magdelene Lim that got Amir a slot on AJL.
“I feel the pace of my career is getting better year after year. This year, I’m at my peak because I got the chance to step onto the AJL stage, something which I believe is the dream of every singer,” Amir added.
But not everyone could accept that the song Kau Sakiti had made it that far. It had beaten other popular songs that some critics said deserved to be on the list even more. And some were even vocal about it.
As far as Amir was concerned, it was not his place to judge the song. That, he said, was the job of the expert judges. His task as a singer is to deliver the song as best as he can, to express the context and emotions of the song through his performance.
Instead of listening to his detractors, Amir took the time during the pandemic to focus on his health and fitness, which in turn, improved his performance on stage. One has to be fit to be able to control their singing while performing on stage.
“If not for the pandemic, I think I wouldn’t be focusing on my fitness. It affects my performance on stage. Plus, the pandemic allowed me to practise privately. More than usual,” he said.
At the same time, he took the time to learn from his seniors, attend classes from those who had more experience in the industry, and take comfort in his fans. For Amir, his success would be a “Thank you” to all who have supported him in his journey so far.
“I’m learning a lot from seniors in this industry, and my fans too. They play a big part in my career and personal growth.”
While there are those who struggle between becoming what they want to be and what their fans expect of them, Amir feels blessed that he does not face the same difficulties.
“I believe my fans want me to be myself and be the best I can be. They accept me for who I am and if I make mistakes, they will encourage me to do better. And I thank them for that. Their support has been amazing.”
Amir described his fans as the “tyres to his engine” in how his career is driven forward and his journey is supported.
“Without them, I won’t be able to get anywhere. They motivate me in so many ways, lightening up my mood without them even knowing and they’re willing to do almost anything to support me.
“They sacrificed a lot of their time and paid huge amounts of attention just for me, so I really appreciate each one of them,” beamed Amir.
In addition to his fans, Amir credits his rise to his team, a necessity for a public figure, as he would not be where he is now without them.
“The team is as important as myself. I’m just the frontman who presents everything the team has worked for. They do a lot in helping me as a singer, as a person. Advice, perspective, opinions, teamwork, everything matters in a team. And I need to deliver my position as well to complete it,” he said.
Amir finally got to perform Kau Sakiti at the 35th annual Anugerah Juara Lagu on March 14. But he felt the pressure of competing at such a prestigious event.
“This is my first time performing at AJL. I promise to do better next time,” Amir said.
