Sezairi goes retro with new single called 70’s

SINGAPORE – If there’s one thing about singer Sezairi that fans should come to expect, it’s that he likes to try out new things.

Take his new single, 70’s, which as the title implies, is a disco-driven tub-thumping track, which is a progression from the beats he threw into his EP last year, Fire To The Floor.

The singer will launch the single and the music video on Friday (July 21) at Hard Rock Cafe, and Sezairi said that the track captures, musically, where he is at this point in time.

“It’s me trying to get that mainstream sound,” he said, adding that those who liked his older music could probably still relate to it, even if the new sound is quite a departure from his early, acoustic guitar-driven material.

Apart from the sound, the track, the singer said, isn’t about the ’70s per se. “I wasn’t even born then,” he quipped.

Instead, it’s about capturing the spirit of all the things he likes about the ’70s. “All my favourite things come from the ’70s”, he said. “The music, like young Michael Jackson, the original Star Wars trilogy, Dr Who...”

These references are sprinkled throughout the song, but mostly, it’s a song about having fun. “Music used to be about people in one room, hanging out and listening to music and having fun. I think everything is a little too serious right now, not that I think we shouldn’t be serious, but we should also have fun.”

The music video also captures the fun mood of the song, with scenes of people dancing in a club – and a few other places that you don’t normally find people dancing, like on a bus or along the street. Oh, and people turn into dancing, cartoon cats.

Why cats? “I used to not like cats, but my wife loves cats and I have had to get used to them, and I now, I love them,” he said. He has six cats at home. 

The cover art for the single shows a picture of him depicted as a cartoon cat, recalling the artwork for his EP, Sezairi and the single, Fire To The Floor.

“I’ve been adding all these cat things to what I do, and this is just another part of it. So that’s why people end up having cartoon cat heads,” he said. “I liken it to be like how Batman had to overcome his fear of bats. Not that I think I’m like, Catman. But I just really like cats.”   

Liking cats isn’t the only thing he has had to learn over the course of the relationship with his wife – they dated for eight years and have been married for about one-and-a-half years.

“I think I learnt more about her after we got married,” he said. “Once you’re married, you’re with that person all the time and you develop a certain language in the way you communicate with one other. When certain things happen, people react differently, so I have had to understand how she reacts.

“It’s a slow process and you have to deal with situations together and just try to figure out a way.”

Does the release of 70’s mean that a new album is on the way? “It depends,” he said, noting that he has projects lined up for the rest of the year. “But I’m always making music, so we’ll see what comes up.”