From young, 21-year-old Haven knew that she wanted to be a singer.
When Haven, whose real name is Teo Cher Win, first walked into the studio for her photoshoot, with her luggage in tow, it was almost easy to forget that this isn’t just your average petite, bubbly and cheerful young woman.
As soon as she stood in front of the camera, there was no doubt that Haven was born to be a star.
While most of us might fumble trying to work the camera or figure out what our photogenic angles are, Haven did it with utmost ease as she consistently served a variety of fierce looks while exuding confidence and charm like a seasoned veteran. And despite her young age, one could consider Haven a veteran of sorts as she had dabbled with music ever since she could “stand and talk and walk”.
“My mom used to have photos of me just dancing and singing — she had her hands full because I was very annoying.”
Even though her mother knew Haven had a dream of becoming a singer, it wasn’t without its own challenges especially when it came to being able to afford sending her to music lessons.
“I wasn’t in a financially stable household so it was very tough for her to provide that,” said Haven.
Because of this, Haven wasn’t able to continue music lessons until she was older and could afford them with her own money. She was eventually scouted by Singaporean label AOR Global and signed on at the age of 16.
Since then, Haven has only continued to grow as an artiste, putting out more than 10 singles including two that were released this year after she joined Wild Entertainment Group in 2023.
Although she might have her hands full with the development of her soon-to-be-released full-length album, Haven still found time to perform at the recent Waterbomb 2024 Singapore amidst a line-up of international Korean acts that include Jay Park, Jessi and Rain.
Haven knows that getting to the top will not be without its own challenges, but her relentless dedication to her music is proof why the future continues to shine brightly.
Photographed by ADELE CHAN using the SAMSUNG Galaxy Z FLIP6.
Makeup and hair by BENJI OO.
Outfits, model’s own.
Above: Haven with the Samsung GALAXY Z FLIP6 in blue.
Hi Haven! For those who have yet to get to know you — how would you introduce Haven to them?
Haven: “I would say, hi, I’m Haven. I sing, I like doing music, I like watching movies, and I will also be very socially awkward (laughs).”
So, why did you decide to go with the name “Haven”?
H: “Because I wanted my music to be a safe place for other people; just like how other musicians have been for me.”
What age did you know that you wanted to become a singer?
H: “From the moment I could stand and talk and walk. My mom used to have photos of me just dancing and singing and I would tell her, ‘Mom, I really want to be a singer and I want to perform’. She had her hands full because I was very annoying.”
Did your mom sign you up for music classes?
H: “Not initially but I bugged her for so many years. However, because I wasn’t in a financially stable household, it was very tough for her to provide that. I didn’t really ask that of her as well. So, when I was a bit older and I could go and make some money for myself; that was when I said, ‘okay, I could go and get some lessons now’.”
Above: Haven with the Samsung GALAXY Z FLIP6 in blue.
What aspirations did your parents have for you?
H: “Not anything specific… they just wanted me to go to school and I didn’t do that because I dropped out. But, my mom has always been very understanding. She has seen my passion and my antics at home where I’ll just sing and dance so she always knew that was what I wanted to do and she accepted it very easily.”
What were some of the first songs you wrote?
H: “I wrote my first-ever song that came out called ‘Piece of Paper’ and I penned it because I was really angry with society and how they viewed like a college degree or a diploma, you know, like a piece of paper.
It felt like it was so important that every single time someone talked to me it was always, ‘are you going to get your degree? Are you going to get your diploma? If not you will fail in life’. I even had a teacher who told me that I would fail in life if I didn’t show up for class.”
Above: Haven with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 in Navy.
Breaking into the music industry is never an easy thing to do. What was one of the biggest challenges that you had to overcome?
H: “My mind. It’s like the number one poison for me because there’s a lot of mental blocks and doubts that I give to myself. I’m like my number one enemy and I’ve been working on that throughout the years. It is getting better but it is still definitely a problem that I will fix.”
How do you unwind when you’re stressed out?
H: “I really need to like distract myself completely. I’ve tried going for massages but because it’s so quiet, my mind starts to think about everything. So, I like to have a movie playing in the background. I like to multitask. I also have ADHD so it is easier to focus on doing things and distract my mind.”
In your opinion, how important is it to have a positive mindset or outlook as a singer?
H: “So important. If you don’t have that, you’re done for (laughs).
You have to be mentally strong to keep yourself going because it’s not always going to be good days. There are going to be bad days. If you don’t get yourself out of a negative mindset, you will fall into a rabbit hole. And trust me, I’ve been there and it’s not fun. Having people around you that are always supportive is also very helpful.”
You recently performed at Waterbomb 2024 Singapore. What was that experience like?
H: “It was so fun! Honestly, it was just a surreal experience. I haven’t really processed the performance yet. I think I’m still in shock that I even did it but I’m just super grateful for the opportunity.”
Do you have any dream collaborators?
H: “I would love to work with Kehlani. She just dropped an album and I’ve been listening to that on repeat.”
As a new member of Samsung’s Team Galaxy and a new Galaxy user, what has been some of your favourite features on your Galaxy Z Flip6?
H: “I have two favourites. The first one is sketch-to-image which has been really fun to play with friends. I use it to play Pictionary with them and it’s super fun. The second feature that I’m in love with is the Interpreter which helps with translation. I travel a lot so it has been so helpful and convenient to navigate with my phone.”
Above: Haven with the Samsung GALAXY BUDS3 PRO in Silver. The porcupine is created by haven using “Sketch to image” on the samsung galaxy z flip6.
Any advice for aspiring singers who want to embark on a similar journey like you?
H: “I would say to just do it and not to give yourself any doubt. I know there’s a lot of pressure releasing your first song but you just need to release that first song. The moment you do that, you’ll keep learning and growing all the way. But, if you never do it, then you will literally never do it because you will always give yourself excuses.”
Finally, what’s next for Haven?
H: “I’m very excited. I’ve been working on a lot of collaborations and there’s like a lot of new songs coming out. There will be one that’s coming out in October so keep an eye out for that!”
Follow Haven on Instagram @theonlyhavenz.
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