Henry Moodie, the enigmatic musician renowned for his soulful melodies and elusive persona, recently graced Kuala Lumpur with a surprise performance at The Exchange TRX. Amidst a packed mall, eager fans gathered to experience the magic of his music. This unique event, marked by a sense of shared connection and passion for his art, showcased the profound impact of Henry Moodie’s music transcending physical boundaries.
Initially, the 20-year-old was mainly known for singing covers on TikTok until his hit single “Drunk Text” became a global hit, captivating audiences worldwide including K-pop idol NCT Dream’s Chenle (천러) and even XODIAC’s Zayyan (자얀). With his evocative lyrics and haunting melodies, his songs topped the charts in Malaysia and Indonesia. Just recently, we were given a chance to speak with Henry Moodie about his stay in Malaysia as well as meet his fans.
How’s your stay in Malaysia so far?
So good, everyone here has been so nice. Just the service and the people, and the show on (Sunday, 5th May 2024) everyone was just so lovely. I’m really happy to come here, everyone has been showing support.
Were you expecting that kind of crowd in The Exchange TRX Mall?
(laughs) Not at all. We anticipated maybe a crowd but we could never assume it would be that big. So, I feel bad for people who couldn’t really see me but we just didn’t think that many people would turn up. I’m so happy everyone turned up and connected with my music but yeah, apologies to everyone who couldn’t see me.
Before you came here, do you know what sort of fanbase you had in Malaysia?
Well, I guess like I knew because there’s an app called Spotify for artists which is the backend data from your Spotify, so I kind of knew that Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was one of the top countries but it’s so different from the numbers on the screen than in real life. I guess I knew but I didn’t know it would be this big.
Would you care to elaborate more as to why your concerts are free? Why not a paid ticket concert?
There’s this kind of rule in music that you can’t put on a show and sell tickets if there’s something else planned in the future like there’s always politics involved (laughs). But, I still want to make sure I do the show, so we just do it for free, like anyone could come and also it gets rid of that of people’s financial background, making it more inclusive and fun. Another part of the reason was that the song went no.1 in Malaysia first and then Indonesia, which is why we wanted to make this trip happen so I could personally meet fans in Malaysia and Indonesia. I feel like it’s so important to actually see people in real life and express my gratitude.
What are the highlights of this Asia trip so far?
I want to come back (laughs). I think I’m just shocked at the amount of people who have supported my music and streamed my music. And it made me so grateful to come out here and see everyone. It’s so weird because I’m literally from the other side of the world from a little village with a lowkey life back home. So coming out here, I feel like a male Hannah Montana in a way (laughs).
With the success of your free concert, would you consider doing a paid concert again here in the future?
YES! I’m not allowed to announce it yet but yes, do expect something.
How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?
I would say…depressing(?) (laughs) But it gets happier but the stuff coming out is happier. The current music itself is quite sad. But I would say vulnerable, personal, kind of like classic singer-songwriter-sounding pop.
Out of all of your songs, which one is your personal favourite and why?
Out of all the ones I’ve released, maybe, “Pick up the phone” might be my favourite and I think because songwriting and music for me has always got me through hard times and the song was made with the intention of wanting to help people who are struggling. I feel like hopefully I’ve done that with that song as I tried making it like a motivational song, Also, it goes really into depth in the first verse about my mental health struggles, my anxiety and stuff so it’s definitely a personal song to me.
Could you share the inspiration behind your latest single “Beat Up Car”?
YES, so for “Beat up car”, I wanted it to sound like you’re being transported into a movie scene, almost like a coming-of-age, main character track wanting to run away from real life. A lot of people asked me to write a love song so I was like “Gotta write one!”. Wrote “Beat up car” and I’m so happy a lot of people connected to it.
Would you mind sharing your songwriting process? Also, how do you maintain your identity as well as your authenticity in music?
Great question! I normally start with concepts of something that happens in my life that I want to write about. A lot of people start with lyrics, and a lot of people start with melody. I would typically start with the melody first and chords then build the track around that, starting with the chorus because I feel like a hooky chorus is important, especially with pop music. It kind of depends, sometimes we start in a studio with the producers, and sometimes I’ll write it at home and bring it to everyone in production afterwards.
For example, in “Drunk Text”, I wrote the chorus in my bedroom the day before going to the studio and it took a few months to finish it. We changed the verse a couple of times, and we changed the lyrics and the chorus. I know a lot of people, would keep the original studio version but for me I would go back and re-record the vocals and change the lyrics and melodies because I’m actually a perfectionist (laughs), so yeah pretty much.
What usually helps you during your songwriting process and do you still seek validation from everyone when you put up a song?
This is so weird but I would usually write on my phone but it would give me headaches so now, I put my laptop on night shift and write on my laptop instead. It keeps me off of any distractions and I think I end up writing songs quicker.
And yes, I seek so much validation from everyone, the minute I write this song I’ll send it to everyone like, “Do you like it?”. Because I feel like there’s a difference between the songwriter’s opinion on a song versus the consumer’s opinion on a song. Like my sisters, they’re not musical at all but I value their opinion on a song probably more than if I were to send it to someone in the industry. So, I always send it to random people because I really want to get their opinion.
Could you tell us more about your new upcoming album?
Yes, I’ve got so many new songs I’ve written…it’s probably the most personal music I have written, diving into concepts I’ve never worried about before, writing more about life and things about growing up as a teenager. I’ve written a lot of love songs but this next body of work, there’s definitely still love songs but it’s quite a lot of concepts that’s just outside of love and pretty much growing. I’m so excited for people to hear it. I’m teasing two songs on Tiktok but I haven’t quite figured out which one I will release first.
Do you have any artists in mind that you would like to collaborate with? If so, who would it be?
I would say…well, I’m a massive Swiftie so probably Taylor Swift. Or I think Conan Gray, I would like to work on a duet would be cool.
Malaysia fans memang superb bab sing-along. Any concert, any event, pergh 😘😘😘#HenryMoodieinKL #TRX #TheExchangeTRX #henrymoodie pic.twitter.com/sDeY2yRSCE
— sY!LL 💕 (@AshleySuh0103) May 5, 2024
After becoming an internet sensation, how much has your life changed and how do you adapt to these changes?
I think my life is definitely busy (laughs) but it’s good, I love doing shows. I just love doing this as a job. I have always dreamt of doing this. Back in England where I spent most of my time, I can definitely go out and do anything as I’m not that big in the UK. But coming here is a different experience. It’s like a double life, I love it. But yeah, life’s got busy.
What’s the biggest difference between making covers online and actually becoming a famous singer?
I would say singing covers is super fun but singing an original song helps you connect with a song on a personal level because you have written it yourself. It’s definitely more emotional but I also think as a musician, there’s much more longevity in being an artist. I always wanted to put my focus on writing music ever since I was young. It has always been like therapy for me. I think it’s super important for artists
Since you’re a busy bee now, what do you do to recharge to combat exhaustion?
I am still figuring that out (laughs). I think when you have really big events that would release a lot of adrenaline, it can really make you really wired. I tried to sleep as much as possible, I got into meditation. The screensaver on my phone is literally a quote. It says here “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet, only through the experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired and success achieved” I feel like sometimes I can get really stressed out if everything feels overwhelming, so I just remind myself that that’s going to strengthen me as a person.
You mentioned mental health, have you had that problem in the past? Do you have a message for those going through the same as you?
Yeah, I’ve always struggled with anxiety so music has helped me through so many difficult times. I would say (to those struggling with the same issue), “Hold tight” because I think sometimes when you go through something, it strengthens you as a person and you come up the other side stronger and learn something, grow as a person through that experience.
Check out Henry Moodie’s personal favourite song below!
Ariani Soraya contributed to this article.
