With heavy influences from R&B artists and a love for funk, soul, and gospel music Nick Zavior is Singapore’s multi-talented rhythm and blues singer. Nick has performed alongside the likes of superstars Babyface, David Foster, Yuna, and many others, in the process honing his talent and love for his craft.
Focussing on releasing his debut album this year, Nick’s “I Don’t Wanna Waste Your Time” dropped on 26 June, making it the latest addition to the album.
Tell us your name, and how you’d describe yourself to someone whom you’re meeting for the first time.
Hello! I’m Nick Zavior. I am a Rhythm & blues singer/songwriter/producer from Singapore.
What are the five tracks of your life?
1. Burn – Usher
2. Numb/Encore – Linkin Park/Jay-Z
3. A House Is Not A Home – Luther Vandross
4. Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
5. You Send Me – Sam Cooke
Why would you consider this playlist to be significant to you?
Every song here was part of a definitive moment in my music journey.
‘Burn’ was my introduction to R&B. When I decided to get more serious with my singing, ‘A House Is Not A Home’ was on repeat. Still is.
Before Luther Vandross, there was Sam Cooke. I found Sam Cooke remarkable because of how he could just command the crowd with just his voice. No dancing, no light tricks or pyro, just him and his voice could take you on a journey you never knew you needed.
Watching Michael Jackson perform ‘Billie Jean’ for the first time was surreal. I had never seen someone so entertaining in my life.
The Numb/Encore collaboration introduced me to Jay-Z. Jay-Z used a lot of old school R&B music as samples for his songs. Sometimes I’d like the sample more than the rap so I’d go find who the artists were.
Pick one track and tell me your fondest/most interesting memory of it.
‘Everytime I Close My Eyes’ by Babyface. I discovered this song during a time where I was really into BoyZ II Men and all the R&B love songs of the 90s. Naturally I found out that most of them were written by Babyface. So it was crazy when I heard I was going to be performing alongside him at the Batik Music Festival in Yogyakarta as part of David Foster & Friends.
At the press conference the day before the show, David Foster asked me if I knew a song from Babyface that I could sing for him. I knew almost every song of his but Everytime I Close My Eyes was the first thing that came out of my mouth. Babyface was seated only a few feet away so it was nerve wrecking as hell, but i pulled through. And the best part was we sang the last line of the chorus together! It was special!
If I had asked you this question 10 years ago, what is the one track that your then-self would have picked as your favourite?
A House Is Not A Home.
Nick Zavior | Listen to his playlist here | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram
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