Tabitha Nauser—a name you probably remember from Singapore Idol back in 2009—is now ready to make a statement through her music. On the second day of Singapore Nights held at The Curator, Tabitha opened her set with her latest single “Rules,” which talked about taking control of your life, decisions, and feelings.

Tabitha admits that she always strives to voice out messages that she strongly feels about, and she uses her music to get these across. “If I’m not being 100% genuine, then what is the point of doing anything at all?” is a statement that she tries to live by every day.

Growing up, Tabitha would watch her mom on TV singing Indian songs, and she remembers being fascinated by it. She didn’t realize that making music is something she could do until she got older although she has always been striving to get herself in the creative space.

Just like most of the people in her generation, it was also quite a journey for the artist before she found what she’s truly passionate about. She tried to work a corporate job, but it only made her realize that it’s not the life she wanted to have. She also tried her hand at theatre, hosting, and went into TV. “But ultimately, it’s always been the music that I’ve been very much into, so I’m glad that I’m on this path now, really focusing on music,” she said.

As an artist, passion and hard work go hand in hand for her. She describes passion as something that makes you do what you’re doing more than ever, and it makes you want to love. She also shared that being in the music industry is not an easy job and learning along the way is a truth you have to accept and get used to early on. More importantly, since no one is going to hand you anything, carving a path for yourself is something that you have to work hard for to be where you want to be.

As they say, there are many places in Singapore where passions converge, but it’s the people who primarily spread vibrancy across the city. As she tries to empower people through her songs, she believes that passion can be made possible through music.