Singapore singer-songwriter Jean Tan releases ‘When It’s Time’, a perfect song for the season of waiting. Available on 19 November 2021 on all major digital streaming platforms via LEEWAY, this track features production by sought-after Singaporean music director and producer Evanturetime (Evan Low) and electric guitar by guitar extraordinaire Leo Goh.
Written in the blossoming stages of a relationship, the song is essentially about being in the period of nervous waiting, between the fluttering of beginnings and the certainty of something more. In a way, it speaks to the universal yearning for resolution and clarity, especially in today’s climate. The song asks the questions: Can there be value, even in the waiting? How do you cherish the present without losing yourself in a longing for ‘something more’?
“Feel alive, yet somewhat dead
Caught between a passion and fear,
‘Cause I don’t know
But I know that when it’s time
The hills will run alive and dance
Songs will grow on leaves of green”
While the instrumentation is simple, the soundscape is lush and sweet, bringing together the chill R&B and jazz genres—think Kehlani meets H.E.R., or SZA meets Corrine Bailey Rae. The song starts with a strong, bluesy instrumental hook carried smoothly by electric guitar, accompanied by a bass line that locks in the groove. Together with the velvety tones of the electric piano and the sharp click of a faraway snare, the arrangement is a soothing balm for those biding their time away.
Full of soulful longing, ‘When It’s Time’ speaks to the season all of us are in and reassures us that there is still joy to be found in the process. Beyond that, it enheartens us to wait a little longer... because, just like gifts unwrapped on a Christmas morning – good things are worth the wait.
Label Info:
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About Jean Tan
Jean is a singer-songwriter based in Singapore. Her music is a blend of folk, R&B, blues, and jazz.
Jean has performed at Singapore’s National Stadium and Gardens by the Bay for the Southeast Asian Games 2015, as well as events like the Singapore Night Festival, Esplanade’s All Things New, Come Together, and Foreword festivals, Riverside Flow, and Zandari Festa in Seoul, Korea. Her last EP 'Hideaway' (2017) was co-produced by Kevin Foo and et aliae, and features songs like 'Crowns', which surpassed 100,000 streaming plays within two months of release. Her songs ‘6.55pm’ and ‘Waiting for Love’ have also been featured in the Korean drama mini-series Barefoot Diva and Le Jour.
Jean often weaves her life challenges into her songs and uses her music for social good. She has performed at schools, teenage homes, community spaces, and for organisations such as Halogen Foundation, World Vision, Relief Singapore, Operation Smile, and Architects of Life. Many have been inspired by her life.
Lyrics of When
it’s Time
A fire wakes; dam breaks
Those troubling words that mustn’t be said
Feel alive yet somewhat dead
Caught between a passion and a fear,
‘Cause I don’t know –
But I know that when it’s time
The hills will run alive and dance
Songs will grow on leaves of green
And I know that when it’s time
Words take their shape and bloom
Longing in their buds
And I’ll know, I’ll know
When it’s time
Soothe the tears, bind the heart
Must hold it well, keep my smile on
Don’t want to hang on your every word
Every silent space that amplifies my beating
heart
Oh I know that when it’s time
It’ll be clear for us to see
The waves will part for you and me
And I know that when it’s time
Love will shine like stars in skies
Promise in their eyes
And I’ll know, I’ll know
When it’s time
Oh I know that when it’s time
It’ll be clear for us to see
The waves will part for you and me
And I know that when it’s time
Love will shine like stars in skies
Promise in their eyes
And I’ll know, I’ll know
When it’s time
Single Credits
Music and words by Jean Tan
Produced, arranged and mixed by Evanturetime
Electric Guitar by Leo Goh
Mastered by Holger Lagerfeldt
Single Art by This Projective
© 2021 Leeway.
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