There’s an air of excitement that surrounds Lars Häggström when we meet at Two Men Bagel House in Holland Village, a bright spark in his eyes that seems empowered by and enamoured with the world around him, perhaps life itself. Häggström, perhaps better known to fans by his moniker yaeow, is in Singapore for the week, where he will be performing as a special guest on friend and collaborator, alt-RnB pop singer-songwriter lullaboy’s (real name Bernard Dinata) Coming Home Tour.

“I’m an introverted person and actually don’t like being in the spotlight, and embarking on this project, initially it was supposed to be all about the music, as opposed to becoming a public figure,” says yaeow. “But there was something missing and I realised that the only way I could bridge the gap and get closer to my fans was if they could see me, for me to tell them who I am, and make that connection. That’s why I decided to introduce myself properly, the real me, how I look, and what I’m like, and it opened up this whole thing where I became open to touring and doing live shows.”

Going back in time a little, we spoke about yaeow’s humble beginnings, where he revealed that music actually wasn’t always a part of his life growing up in Sweden. “For my dad’s 40th birthday, my mum bought him a guitar, but he never learned, so I ended up learning how to play it. Then in junior college, I ended up in a bad ski crash, where I spent a year in rehab learning to walk, and spent a lot of time in my room. So I ended up playing guitar for most of that time, and realised music is what I wanted to do,” says Häggström.

“But the problem was that I didn’t have music theory or training, so I googled music schools in Hollywood in Los Angeles, which is where the music industry is. I applied for a course, went there, and in six months, I learned the basics of how to write songs, the business side of music, and essentially got a 360-degree view of the music industry,” he adds. ” I spent all my time in the studio, one-on-one with the teachers, learning like a sponge and getting so much encouragement from them. By the end of the course, I wrote maybe 100 songs? Not all of them were good, but you know, it all helped prepare me for the career ahead. After that, I left LA, went back to my hometown, built a studio, and hustled to make ends meet. It was tough, but I invested in music because I knew and believed this was what I was good at. Four years of writing, learning to produce, and working on my craft led to me finally releasing music on YouTube yaeow.”

Those initial releases resonated with maybe 100 people, which then became 1,000 people and even more, and now, yaeow can boast of tracks that have literally received millions of streams, from Kina collaboration ‘Wish I Was Better’ to ‘favorite lesson’. All this allowed him to quit his day job, and finally focus full time on music, including a chance collaboration with lullaboy. “Bernard actually found me and my music and said we should work together via social media. After that initial message, he came to LA a year later when I was there, and we just chatted about life, relating to being artists and the difficulties of signing with labels and how we get pulled in different directions. One year later, he was back in LA, and we did a studio session, and carried on with that same thread from the previous conversation, just focusing on what matters, which resulted in the track ‘Coming Home’.”

And then Bernard called Häggström last year, months after that studio session, and let him know that ‘Coming Home’ would end up as the title track off the new lullaboy album. “I was so surprised and amazed by it, and despite being in different countries, we ended up working on the music video separately, eventually leading to the release of the song,” says Häggström. “And then one day we were on livestream talking about it, he brought up the tour, and told me that I should come along once it was all planned out. So we checked the dates, and it all worked out, and well, here I am.”

Singapore marks the second last stop on the Coming Home Tour, after having started in Jakarta in late November, before travelling to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Taipei, all of which saw sold-out shows, with one newly added, final stop in Manila in January. “It’s been such an amazing opportunity to meet the fans and experience live shows. Being part of his tour was a way for me to dip my feet in and feel how I perform live and get a sense of how it works, and it’s been so amazing meeting the fans in Asia,” says Häggström. “It’s been a dream touring with Bernard, because it’s been so collaborative and comfortable being on the road with a friend, alongside my manager Chris Freeman, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me next.”

On that note, Häggström actually has incredibly big plans for 2025 and beyond, with his debut album slated for February 2025 (with AWAL and Universal Music Publishing Group), after his new single ‘what if… (dancing alone)’ slated for an early January release, alongside his very own headliner show in London in mid-January commemorating five years of yaeow. “There’s a lot of flying back and forth; I’m just starting my journey into live shows, but I’m so inspired and so excited how it’s all coming together,” says Häggström. “After the album, I’m planning to do a tour too, with talks about going to China, the rest of Asia and even Australia if we can, alongside hitting a few festivals. I want to make merch and vinyls, but the more busy I get, the more I realise how precious and limited time is as a resource.”

“Sometimes I need days off where I don’t do anything—maybe play tennis, read a book, get myself completely off. I need my silence after so much noise. Staying connected to what I feel is exciting for me when making music is about staying true to my sound, creating new ways, and trying to explore new parts of my music. That’s where a lot of this upcoming album came from, where I’m really dialling into things I haven’t done, venturing out, and taking new elements to expand the sound. There’s a lot of range, with a more complex and broad sound that really sees me taking creative risks!”

But no matter how much change he undergoes, Häggström seems determined to stick with his roots, where his music has always been about being real, about connection, about vulnerability in their lyricism and melody, providing comfort to those who need it most. “The name yaeow came from the word ‘yellow,’ which is such a good vibe, a happy colour, and I do like the Coldplay song too,” says Häggström. “I wanted something really short and unique. I had no idea how to even pronounce it, but it began to take on more meaning, almost like a family name of some kind. I guess my story really is that I am a very emotional person, an emotional kid who kept so much inside of me. I felt like I never belonged, and that eventually showed up in my music. Things can get better, and things will get better, as a community.”

“There’s a lot of heaviness and beauty in the world, and it’s about finding people willing to support you. That’s what my music and story are about. I’ve learned throughout the years about myself, found happiness, and seen all the love out there. I’m always going to be sensitive and heartfelt, and also never giving up, with love and hope,” he says. “And for me, the pillars of support are family, friends, and fans. I hope they realise that when I’m having a tough time, I go back, read their comments, and get a new source of energy. They are who bring it all together, keep me motivated and focused. I do music for myself, but yeah, it’s very special, and I really feel so thankful to them, for supporting me, for the love they give and how I wouldn’t be who I am without them.”

This tour has also been integral for Häggström to finally meet the fans and connect with them, creating these special moments together. “There’s a lot of intangible benefits from being on this tour – meeting the fans has been both overwhelming and incredible, and it’s hard to expect what it would be like onstage and also having the time in between to see different parts of the world,” he says. “It’s been a blast connecting with the culture and food, with all these experiences just enriching my personal view of the world. The hospitality has been amazing, and they’ve all been so polite and respectful. Nothing can replace this. It’s a core memory as my first tour, meeting fans for the first time. Everyone has been saying, ‘Come back,’ and I’m sure I will.”

“As for being here in Singapore, I had no preconceived ideas coming in, but wow I really love this city so much. I’ve been touring to places like the Botanic Gardens, Marina Bay Sands, and Dempsey Hill, and the energy and vibes are perfect for the last gig of the year,” he adds. “That’s what really keeps me going – my connection with people and my love for music. It does something nothing else can do for me. Knowing I can reach and help people similar to me keeps me going.”

Thinking back to one of his biggest inspirations, Häggström mentions how it would be a dream to one day collaborate with Lauv. “Back when I was studying in LA, I actually saw Lauv’s first-ever headline show, and that only had less than 100 people in attendance. That was also the week he released ‘I Like Me Better’, and to think about how he’s gotten so big since then, it just inspires me now that I’m starting out my journey too,” he says. “I’m so lucky to be part of such a small group that gets to this point in their music career. I never thought I would be where I am, and to be able to live off music, I’m always grateful and thankful, and always looking forward to the next step. And really, for me, this is going to be an amazing year of firsts, and this album, I hope, will solidify me, and formally announces me—my first full-length album which launches yaeow into the spotlight, and lets me put my mark on 2025.”

yaeow plays on 21st December 2024 as a special guest on lullaboy’s Coming Home tour, at the Esplanade Annexe Studio. Tickets available here.