Iman Fandi’s latest single is something of a departure for the 25-year-old artist. Not just in terms of genre—though its mix of R&B and dancehall elements is an experiment for her—but in terms of the path on which it sets her career. Titled Out Of My Mind, the single is only her second release as an independent artist, meaning that the Singaporean singer-songwriter is looking out, for the first time, at a career defined solely on her own terms.
“I’ve definitely had more freedom,” Fandi says of life as an independent artist. “There’s more hustling, and there’s definitely stress. A lot of things come down to the decisions that I make, whether they’re right or wrong.” Far from being daunted by this, though, Fandi has decided to hit the ground running, and relishes the faster pace of independent artistry. In the few months since she split from her former label, she has released two singles and performed at the halftime show for the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, joining her brothers on the pitch. “I’m someone who likes to work a lot. I’m very on the go, I like to keep myself busy,” Fandi says.
As glamorous as a career in pop stardom sounds, though, it isn’t all smooth sailing. Especially in the digital age, an artist’s success is often ruled by an inscrutable algorithm, and a career can be defined by a single viral moment. It’s a game that Fandi knows all too well. “There’s a lot of trial and error, especially when I’m navigating the marketing and promotional side of music,” she says. “It’s about studying the algorithms, learning from that, and seeing what works and what doesn’t work.” It would be easy for a young woman in her position to become jaded by it all, but Fandi’s practicality is refreshing. Rare is the artist who is so passionate about all aspects of the job. A key element of experimentation with Out Of My Mind was in the song’s marketing rollout, which she approached with enthusiasm. Brainstorming ideas with her team, she landed on something which required her to break out of her comfort zone: a TikTok series in which she shares her personal experiences with her viewers, drawing them into her world. “I just talk about my daily life and what I’m going through. I’ve never done that before, and it feels so intimate—but the response has been really good,” Fandi confesses. “Seeing people relate to the stories that I share, it all leads up to [what I’m trying to do] with the song.”
Behind every successful marketing push, though, there needs to be truth. Fandi’s truths are deeply personal and hard-won—Out Of My Mind is about her mental state after the end of a four-year relationship, which informed the song’s themes of independence and acceptance. This level of honesty is new for Fandi, and it’s something she admits she was apprehensive about. “I’m a pretty private person, and I was raised to sort of put a blanket over things sometimes,” she confesses. “Releasing Out Of My Mind and being a little deeper and more free with my feelings allowed people to see a different aspect of me.” This honesty is resonating with fans, and Fandi recalls instances of listeners approaching her in person and confessing that the song’s lyrics have given them the confidence boost they needed. “The lyrics are very simple, but direct. They hit hard,” she says. “It makes me feel good to know that there are people out there listening to my stories, and seeing that I relate to them and that we all go through the same things.”
These experiences of genuine connection solidified something that Fandi has known for a while—that underneath all the algorithms, passing trends, and viral moments, true success as an artist comes from authenticity. “It’s not about following trends, though that’s what some people or certain labels are very focused on,” she says. “You just have to do you, and trust that the right audience will come.” Here, she draws inspiration from another pop diva who’s well-versed in the art of patience and sticking to your guns: Zara Larsson. “She’s really creating her own space, and it took her such a long time and a lot of trial and error. That motivates me and shows me that no matter how long you’ve been in the industry, your time will come,” Fandi says. “Just keep going. Just keep being passionate about your work, and keep working hard, and the right audience and the right support system will come.”
Ahead, Fandi tells us more about life as an independent artist, her latest single, and what to expect from her upcoming EP.
GRAZIA Singapore (GS): How are you feeling about the reception to Out Of My Mind?
Iman Fandi (IF): Releasing a song is always very exciting, but it makes me a little bit nervous as well, because you never know what to expect. Music is very subjective, right? But I have heard a lot of comments from people who really are enjoying the genre of this song. I haven’t previously experimented much with the style of music that I’m putting out right now, especially in comparison with my first single, Tiptoes, so I’m surprised that a lot of people really like this song as well. Or maybe they like it even more than Tiptoes, because of the storyline behind it. This song has a deeper meaning; it hits home, at least for me.
Putting out this song in this kind of format is also a little bit of an experiment, I won’t lie. It doesn’t have an official music video, and it has a lyric video. I wanted to showcase a lot more of the behind-the-scenes of making a song, like the process of shooting cover art. That was a really fun way to showcase the song and for people to get insights into what happens behind the scenes when I put out music. A lot of trial and error, but the reception has been great. It’s always exciting to put out new songs.
GS: What was the process of working on the single like?
IF: I actually wrote the single a while ago—I think last year. I was working with Sheikh Akbar, who is my producer, and he was actually the one who inspired me to put out the song. We were working on it for quite some time, which also played a part in framing what my EP was going to be about. I wanted each chapter of my EP to have a different feel. That’s why, compared to Tiptoes, this song has more of an ethereal, softer side, while still being groovy and having elements of pop and Afrobeats. You can hear that the genre is definitely fusion, and that’s what I want, but I also wanted to showcase that I have a soft side. I think that made the production a little bit difficult, just trying to find that balance of soft but also confident, but the process was really fun.
GS: Who is the first person that you play your music for?
IF: Honestly, I like to keep my music to myself until I feel confident in it. It’s usually my producers who hear all the gossip and all the feelings first, because they need to know what I’m feeling or what I’m thinking—so that we can create magic. They’re the ones who listen to a lot of my stories firsthand. Also, compared to being in a label, now that I’m independent, I like to have my friends in the studio to give their input as well. When I’m working on something, I like to give them little snippets of it, and sometimes I get very, very [varied] reactions. That’s also where I adjust certain things about the music and storytelling, because as friends, they know me so well.
GS: What are the main themes in the song that you wanted to share with people?
IF: The main theme, honestly, is to know your value. Know that you can and should walk away from things that do not align with you, and that there are better things out there, whether it’s [regarding your] career, relationship, friends, or whatever else. Sometimes we have this mentality that what we have right now is all there is, but I want people to open up their eyes and to be open to trying new things—to say, “no, I’m stepping away from this because I know my worth and because I know that something out there is meant for me.” I like to believe that things that are meant for you will stay. Also, just to empower women to say, “It’s fine if you don’t want me, go ahead and find something else.” That’s the story that I’m telling.
GS: Have you always used songwriting to tell a story or convey a message?
IF: Definitely, whether it’s storytelling or just having fun with a song. I have a couple of songs, like Tiptoes, where it was very much about: okay, if you like me, show me. I like to have those little stories in my songs. I think it’s also really fun to see how my listeners and fans interpret the song. I’ve seen renditions of people making their own covers with instruments—I think someone was using a harp on one of my songs, and then another person was doing Super Bowl remixes to different songs. It’s really nice to see how they can incorporate their own feelings and their own vision into my work.
GS: What are your favourite lyrics from Out Of My Mind?
IF: I would say it’s the first verse, which was a reflection on myself. “Maybe I should slow down, or maybe I should stop. Maybe what the world was telling me I never bought.” Sometimes, we’re so engrossed in something that we forget to just step back and look at how there are other things out there that might be better. They say grass isn’t always greener on the other side—but sometimes it actually is, and you’ll find something new, even in yourself. When I left a relationship of about four years, I realised I had so much more to give—not just to other people, but also to myself, to my career and my music. I became more expressive, I became more ambitious, and more driven to do what I wanted. Of course, that also takes a lot of time, sacrifice, and hard work. But it’s [an experience] that made me realise that sometimes you need to stop looking at one thing that you thought was your whole world, or you’ll forget that there’s a lot more out there on Earth.
GS: What can fans expect from your upcoming EP?
IF: My EP is called Afterglow, and I came up with the name [and concept] last year. A lot of people said that since it was the Year of the Snake, it was the year of shedding, but I never really believed that until I felt it. Towards the end of the year, I had so many reflections on my life, my career, my music, and my relationship, and it all made me very passionate about writing. I remember writing all of my songs and feeling very ambitious about 2026—feeling like it was going to be my year. I wanted to give myself a chance and try out a whole year of being an independent artist, and that’s where the idea for the EP came from. I wanted a way to share the feeling of freedom and knowing my worth, and the independence and drive that come from being passionate about something. So the EP will be released towards the end of the year, closer to October. Everything is being planned around that, so this year really feels like we’re working on something new every single month, which I really look forward to. I’m such a planner.
GS: Finally, if you had to describe Out Of My Mind with only three words, what would they be?
IF: Ethereal. I would also say, even though this is more of an action, a shrug. And lastly, confident.
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