Dream come true for Alyph as he duets with Ziana Zain on debut solo album

On his debut solo album The Storm, Singaporean rapper and producer Alyph checked off a major wishlist item - duetting with Malaysian pop diva Ziana Zain.

- Eddino Abdul Hadi

Ziana, one of Malaysia's most established female singers, appears on the two songs that book-end the bilingual work opening track Teman (Friend) and closing song Gerak (Move).

"It feels like a fever dream," Alyph tells The Straits Times about collaborating with the 56-year-old diva. "She brings class and ageless, timeless entertainment to people. She's one of the artistes whom I have always wanted to work with."

The 35-year-old says there were plans for him to produce music for Ziana in 2017, but it did not work out due to label disputes, which have since been sorted. Alyph is currently under the rosters of Universal Music and Def Jam Recordings South East Asia, while Ziana has been signed to various music labels, including Sony Music and EMI.

Released in January, The Storm comprises hip-hop and R&B songs in English and Malay, and is Alyph's first solo full-length release. He previously dropped solo EPs like III/III (2021) and a joint album with Malaysian rapper SonaOne titled Detail (2019).