Kaiwyn

‘Good Boy’ captures that powerful shift from compliance to self-empowerment. Was there a particular moment or experience in your life that inspired this song’s message of breaking free from people-pleasing?
Compliance is definitely a word that surrounds my professional work as a doctor and also my upbringing in a traditional ethnic family with set virtues! I think with time as I mature into early adulthood, I realise that I'd been living according to what others expected of me, be it the trophy son, a perfect medical practitioner, an unconditionally loving romance partner or even a model independent artist. It is also my own version of these roles in life that I may have misinterpreted and believed in. I strongly recalled during the height of the pandemic, working altruistically until a breaking point — the moment I decided that I didn't want to be defined by anyone's remark of being 'not good enough' despite my efforts that I now trust myself that I have done enough!

The opening line — ‘I’ve been a good boy all my life, coming to terms with what I like’ — feels incredibly raw. How did it feel to write and sing those words for the first time?
It is quite confronting, actually. It's one of those lines that almost felt like a confession, admitting that I have been blinded and spent a long time being agreeable, following the frames set up, doing what's expected even over my own limitations to fulfill them. But as soon as I wrote and sang it, it also felt freeing. There's something really empowering about owning that truth out loud. It was like exhaling after holding my breath for years, which I tend to do when I feel challenged in life. Literally, it was noticeable to myself now looking back!

You’ve spoken about the tension between wanting to be loved and needing to be free. How have you personally learned to navigate that balance in your life and relationships?
Everything is still a work in progress I feel. You are never ever an accomplished master of anything and there is the importance of continued evolution of such. I've always been someone who wants to give love and make people happy, but I've learned that you can't pour from an empty cup. Being truly loved unconditionally means being seen as you are — flaws, edges, and all. For me, freedom isn't about isolation; it's about creating a space to heal where love doesn't cost you your true sense of self.

As both a doctor and musician, you move between worlds of control and creativity. How does that duality shape your perspective on what it means to be ‘good’ versus being true to yourself?
Objectively speaking, medicine taught me discipline, responsibility, and empathy — all of which are beautiful, but it can also make you cover up parts of yourself to fit a certain image to be perceived as functional in your field. Music, on the other hand, lets me explore the grey area where I can be messy and unpredictable. I know there is still lots of categorisation in music like genres, niches and how to market yourself to a specific audience but ultimately anything can be attempted to fit in a perfect frame. To me, being 'good' used to mean exactly what I just said, 'being perfect'; now it means being honest. That shift has changed everything, in how I work, create, and live, momentarily on this blue dot amongst the vast universe.

The line ‘I’m not someone you can brutalise’ feels like a declaration of boundaries. Do you see ‘Good Boy’ as a turning point in your songwriting — both emotionally and artistically?
Definitely. It feels so satisfying saying that and that line came from a very real place. The misconception is always going to be anger and rage but it is actually about reclaiming respect for yourself, especially when you feel like you've been walked all over. I think this song marks a moment where I stopped filtering my emotions and started writing from instinct instead of fear. This is the first song that I actually used profanity! Artistically, it gave me permission to be bolder, both sonically and lyrically. It's the sound of me stepping into my own voice.

The song closes with the liberating message, ‘No matter who is good or bad, go live your lives!’ What do you hope listeners take away from that final moment of release?
I want to send out the message to people that they don't need anyone's permission to be their authentic selves. Life isn't about ticking boxes or proving your worth — it's about living in a way that feels true. We all spend so much time trying to be 'good' for others, looking for validations, but at the end of the day, the only validation that matters is your own. That last line is my way of saying, 'Stop asking who's right or wrong, just go live!'