In a music scene constantly evolving, it’s rare to come across an artist whose journey is as compelling as his sound. Enter Zachary—a singer-songwriter and producer! His debut single “Like There’s No Tomorrow,” released on April 4, 2025. It is already turning heads for its poetic lyricism and immersive soundscapes. But Zachary isn’t just a musician—he’s also an emergency department doctor. His unique dual identity brings a rare emotional depth to his music. It blends the fragility of life with the intimacy of love.
“Hey HypnoticAsia readers, I’m Zachary, a singer-songwriter and music producer,” he introduces himself. “I mainly write pop and R&B songs, though the line between genres gets blurred once I get deep into the music. I also work in an Emergency Department as a doctor. It’s great to be here—thank you very much for having me.”
Like There’s No Tomorrow
The inspiration for “Like There’s No Tomorrow” came from a deceptively simple yet emotionally profound question. That question: “What would you say to someone who means the world to you?”. For Zachary, that reflection birthed something quietly powerful. “It wasn’t an easy question because there’s so much to say,” he explains. “I realized I’d want that person to feel both the grandiose nature of the love that I have, as well as my gratitude for the chance to do beautifully mundane things together—hence the line, ‘(Will you) hold still as I take your photo’ and ‘Be mine, for more than a lifetime.’”
Crafting the song was an emotionally anchored process. Zachary poured himself into every note, every lyric. “To me, words and music are conduits through which we express our innermost feelings,” he says. “Every word and sound I chose had to align with and manifest this very ethereal and precious feeling. I added layers upon layers of not just musical elements but also lyrical meanings and metaphors to eventually create and shape this song into something that I feel captures the feeling of loving someone irrevocably and irrepressibly.”
Experience Turns to Lyrics
His experience in medicine deeply informs his songwriting. Working in emergency care has immersed him in the unfiltered emotional spectrum of humanity. It’s something that gives his music its aching realism. “My medical background and experiences influence my songwriting at the deepest level because I have seen people and their emotions in the most extreme and unadulterated states,” he shares. “Most people assume it’s sadness I’m referring to, but I have also witnessed love, joy, relief and gratitude in equal measure.”
Themes of transience and fragility are natural extensions of this experience. “A lot of the need for catharsis comes from the transient nature of moments and relationships and really, life itself,” Zachary reflects. “If there’s one single lesson I’ve learned being a doctor that I’d take away, it is that life and love are precious and should be valued above everything else.”
For Zachary, songwriting is a cycle of “witnessing, empathising and then expressing.” He hopes that what brings him catharsis can offer his listeners the same. “Eventually my own personal experiences and those of others start to coalesce,” he says, “and it becomes writing about a universal human experience that everyone can relate to. I have found that to be the most meaningful way to write.”
Zachary Is Juggling Two Careers
Despite juggling two demanding careers, Zachary insists that music isn’t a task—it’s a calling. “They are both things I enjoy doing so most times they don’t feel like things I have to balance in the traditional sense,” he says. “I think about, write and compose music whenever I can—not out of obligation but necessity—because it has become a part of me, and it would just feel unnatural not to do so.”
On a typical day? “Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I never have a typical day in my line of work,” he laughs. “But very roughly, I work 12-hour shifts, and my free time is spent between writing music, playing football, and playing snooker—especially with my father.”
Zachary Debuts
Zachary describes his sound as a genre-blending reflection of his upbringing. “I don’t have a singular musical influence because I grew up listening to English pop, Mandopop, K-pop, J-pop, and even dialect music as a direct consequence of my cultural exposure,” he explains. “Singapore truly is a melting pot of all types of cultures—something I’m always proud to mention.”
His current sound leans into a fusion of K-pop, R&B, and English pop. He notes that “the beauty of music is it is never stagnant, so perhaps the next time you ask me, I might have more answers to give you!”
As for describing his sound to someone who hasn’t heard his work? “I like to think that I take the best of those elements and genres and combine it into something unique that my listeners can relate to,” he says. “I would like to think of my sound as unabashedly authentic and a reflection of who I am—my experiences growing up, and the vicarious experiences of countless others whose lives and paths have crossed mine.”
With “Like There’s No Tomorrow,” Zachary hopes to make a lasting emotional impact. “I hope that my song inspires so much emotion and nostalgia in my listeners that they play it on repeat,” he says, “if only to transport them to a time in their lives that they hold closest to their hearts. I hope that it will be a reminder of something precious and beautiful to them.”
Although Zachary’s story is still unfolding, his message is already crystal clear. Message of love, in all its forms, deserves to be felt fully. In a world constantly rushing forward, he invites us to pause. He wants us to hold still just for a moment and feel like there’s no tomorrow.
