With his guitar straddled on his lap, Thaarmin Thana Rajan belted out verses from his song Too Late; his voice, rich with emotion and precision.
The 19-year-old may be a rookie to the music scene – having dropped his first single on streaming platforms earlier this month – but his vocal talent might have fooled someone into thinking that he’s been doing this for years.
Released on Jan 10 on Apple Music and various streaming platforms, Too Late has been steadily gaining streams, with fans drawn to its hauntingly beautiful lyrics and soulful composition. The song aired on the radio – on FM98.7 – for the first time last Monday.
“It’s about the regret that comes with realising you’ve missed an opportunity to make things right,” he explained of his English song, which features a blend of tabla beats and R&B elements.
Thaarmin wrote Too Late when he was just 13, during a turbulent period when he struggled with anxiety and panic attacks, and music became his refuge. “I always felt different from others, like I couldn’t fit in,” he said. “When the noise in my head got too loud, my hands naturally reached for the piano. With each note I played, the intrusive thoughts grew quieter, until there was silence.”
Opera-trained for four years, Thaarmin is also proficient in the piano, ukulele and guitar. “Music has always been my language. It’s how I express what words can’t.”
If pursuing a music career hasn’t been challenging enough, Thaarmin, who hopes to pursue a degree in music at LASALLE College of the Arts, said he has faced racism from people online.
“On TikTok, many people hide behind anonymity and spew hate comments targeted at the colour of my skin. Even when I go live, where I’m mostly just singing covers, people make slurs or make stereotypical remarks about Indians. These comments are never relevant to the content I’m sharing, which is what frustrates me the most,” he said.
He recalled a particularly painful experience when he posted a TikTok video of him performing a cover of Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso.
“People said things like, ‘This gives Little India vibes,’ or ‘Which dormitory open house is this?’ It’s disheartening to see that people fixate on the colour of my skin instead of the art I’m presenting.”
Thaarmin credits his family for their support through his mental health struggles as well as their encouragement towards his musical endeavours.
“My brother taught me discipline and resilience, and my parents always encouraged me to chase my dreams, even if they were unconventional,” said Thaarmin, whose older brother, Thiruben Thana Rajan, 25, is a national athlete,
Thaarmin is set to release his debut EP (extended play; a musical recording that contains fewer than eight tracks) on Feb 14. Featuring seven songs – all written, composed and sung by him – the EP fuses his R&B and pop influences with his Tamil roots.
While he hopes to produce a full-length album soon, he has already begun penning songs for a second EP in the second quarter of this year.
“I want to keep growing and learning. I’m open to working with a label or a team, but for now, I’m focused on finding the right distribution,” he said.
“I want to represent my community and show that we belong in spaces like this. For the most part, it’s amazing how encouraging people have been, especially considering how young I am.”
