Each Measure Feature: Axulion

FEATURE

It seems that the first major hurdle a young artist must overcome is their own self-confidence, and this initial leap can take time. Creating something an artist feels is worthy of releasing into the world is no small feat. But, I’m reminded of the words of legendary music producer, Rick Rubin: “One of the great rewards of making art is our ability to share it...Success occurs when you decide to release your work, share it with the world.”

Axulion, a writer, singer, and producer from Brunei can attest to this, I’m sure. He’s a talented artist with a string of releases to his name–including a full length album–and yet, his new single, Passerby, released earlier this year, marks the artist’s first official release since 2022.

Axulion has spoken candidly about his struggles with self-doubt. In a recent press release, he explained, “I’ve spent years holding back, but this release is me finally embracing who I am as an artist—fully and unapologetically.” We can surmise that in the years since the release of his 2022 album, Axulion has been doing what all true artists do: wrestling with his own sense of artistry in the process of making something special.

Passerby begins like the triumphant closing moments of a movie, wherein the protagonist basks in the resolution they’ve found at the end of their hero's journey. The keys, the clapping snare, and the synth file in sequentially as our senses are prepared to hear a word of wisdom from Axulion, the man of the hour.

“Looking back at the time / I know that it’s been awhile,” he begins in Verse One, before detailing the challenge he faced to pull himself out of a depressive state. The song’s chorus is a celebration of the time he spent away from music–”I’ve never regretted going back again,” he sings. He’s proud of his journey toward the embrace of his own artistry and we find him here making no apologies for the growth period. Sometimes, we have to go backward before we can go forward.

However, Passerby does more than look back. Verse Two finds the artist looking forward to a new beginning. “I’m leaving reality behind / And heading to the other side / I’m not looking back/ Im getting back on track / I can’t stop from dreaming” Here, we find Axulion ready to embrace the role of the dreamer, the artist–one who paints and orchestrates pictures for the world to see.

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