Jaclyn Victor’s music career has been a culmination of blood, sweat and tears. 2024 marked a momentous year for the powerhouse vocalist as she celebrated her 20th anniversary in showbiz. In addition to pulling off her first solo concert at Zepp KL, the singer was also travelling abroad to record her full-length album “Glorious”.
In part 1 of our interview, we got Jac to do a track-by-track explainer of the album. In the second part, the Kepong-born performer talks about why she wanted to go big with this album release, the struggles of promoting a self-funded album, how her voice has change over the years.
You self-funded and self-published this album, which isn’t cheap or easy to sell. Most artists opt for an EP or release singles instead. How much did you invest in this album?
I’d say the estimated budget was around MYR 180K to 200K.
Why did you choose to release a full album instead of just an EP?
I felt that an EP wouldn’t be enough to celebrate my 20th anniversary. Plus, we had already released a few singles, so it made more sense to do something more significant. An EP usually has only three to five songs, and I wanted to give more than that.
Will there be a physical album release?
Not at the moment. We’re focusing on marketing the digital album first. People didn’t even know I had an album until I was on ‘Gegar Vaganza’ – it was only after Nabil Ahmad mentioned it that more people started discovering it on YouTube.
How many times did you travel to New York to record this album?
Three times. I started in 2023 and recorded one song. Then, in 2024, I went twice – once to record three songs and the last trip for six more.
“Glorious” seems like a promotional single. What’s the official lead single from this album?
In 2023, we released “Kembalilah”, followed by “Kejutkan Aku”, “Sesal Tak Bermakna”, and “B.D.T” in 2024. For this album, we’re letting Glorious take its own course because it’s already well-known, and we even shot a music video for it. But personally, I want to push “Racun” as the main single.
You mentioned that “Gemilang” was originally an English song. Did you go through a similar process with Glorious?
Yes, the original version of Glorious was written differently. But the new lyrics are completely different. I can’t really compare because it’s been 20 years!
Does releasing an album under your own label give you more creative satisfaction?
Yes, definitely. Compared to my previous albums, this one feels more personal. Plus, my voice has matured, so this project reflects where I am now as an artist.
Many singers today push their vocal limits beyond what they can handle, especially with extreme high notes. What’s your take on this?
It’s true – you can seriously damage your voice if you don’t know your limits. Overusing high notes can strain your vocal cords, leading to hoarseness or even permanent damage. Singers need to be mindful of their vocal health.
As a vocalist, what advice would you give to younger artists on reinventing themselves?
I became versatile because I started singing in clubs, where I had to perform all kinds of genres – even those I didn’t particularly like at first. But through that experience, I learned to appreciate different styles, and that helped shape me as an artist.
I think most Malaysian singers are versatile, but audiences tend to associate artists with a specific genre. For example, when people think of me, they immediately think of “Gemilang” – it’s become my signature. That’s why many artists stick to a certain style – it’s what people expect from them. But personally, I always want to explore different sounds.
