Lav Looi releases new vocal version of song for Malaysia Day

Malaysian composer and vocalist Lav Looi has released a new vocal rendition of “Standing In The Eyes Of The World.” The release lands on 16 September 2026, timed to Malaysia Day. Her brother, violinist Martin Looi, also plays on the track.

Lav is based in Madrid, far from the country the song celebrates. She built the new version from an instrumental she originally produced for Martin’s own album. That earlier arrangement had already found real success on its own.

The instrumental first appeared on Martin’s album Velvet Alibi. It won two Silver Medals, in the Violin Pop and Album categories, at the 2026 Global Music Awards. For this Malaysia Day version, Lav steps into the lead role herself.

Lav Looi : From instrumental to vocal tribute

Lav produced and arranged the original instrumental for Velvet Alibi. That version centred on Martin’s violin playing throughout. Its recognition at the Global Music Awards gave the arrangement a life of its own. That came well before Lav returned to it.

For the new release, Lav replaced Martin’s lead violin with her own vocal performance. She added layered harmonies and new vocal production on top. Martin’s violin work still appears in the track, alongside the original award-winning production.

Still, the result is not a cover in the usual sense. It is Lav revisiting her own arrangement, this time as the vocalist rather than the producer working behind a violinist. Martin’s contribution remains audible throughout, even as the lead voice changes.

That approach let Lav keep what already worked about the arrangement. She did not need to start over. Instead, she built a second life for the same music, aimed at a different moment: Malaysia Day itself.

A personal project from Madrid for Malaysia Day

The song began as a much smaller idea. Lav planned to record only a short section for Merdeka. So she meant to post it on social media, nothing more.

Lav reflected on how it began, speaking from Madrid. “At first I thought, okay, I’ll just record a short section for Merdeka and share it on social media.” Once she finished that short recording, the project grew.

“Once finished, I felt inspired to complete the full arrangement for Malaysia Day,” she said. What started as a quick clip became a full vocal rendition, timed instead to the later national date.

Living abroad shaped the project as much as the music did. Lav said releasing the song became a personal way of feeling closer to home. It let her express a sense of Malaysian identity that has grown more pronounced while she lives in Spain.

The sound, and the song’s history

Musically, the track opens in an intimate pop setting. Piano, acoustic guitar, finger snaps, and shaker carry the first half. The arrangement then expands into a larger, rock-influenced second half.

Finally, the track closes on traditional Malaysian percussion and instrumental textures. That closing section ties the pop and rock elements back to the song’s national roots. It mirrors the shift from a personal Merdeka clip to a full Malaysia Day release.

“Standing In The Eyes Of The World” was originally made famous by Ella. Wah Idris and David Gates composed the music, and Habsah Hassan wrote the lyrics. The song has held a place in Malaysian national celebrations for years.

Lav’s version sits inside that tradition while changing who carries the melody. The instrumental keeps its award-winning bones. Only the voice at the centre of it has changed.

Who is Lav Looi

Lav Looi is a Malaysian composer, producer, topliner, and vocalist based in Madrid. She also graduated from Berklee College of Music. Her work spans contemporary pop, commercial music, and artist projects.

Her music has featured in campaigns for KFC, Pizza Hut, Panadol, AirAsia, Gojek, and Llao Llao. She was also the featured vocalist on KFC’s recurring Bucket Kongsi campaign across three years. That commercial work runs alongside her artist projects.

Lav produced Martin Looi’s album Velvet Alibi. It won two Silver Medals in the Album and Violin Pop categories at the Global Music Awards. She also arranged and produced his record-setting performance of Negaraku at Menara Kuala Lumpur.

That Negaraku performance is recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records. Between the two projects, Lav and Martin have built a partnership around national songs performed at a high level. This latest Malaysia Day release extends it further.