MALAYSIAN R&B SINGER-SONGWRITER CAPTURES THE CAREFREE FEELING OF LA AND SUMMER ROMANCE
Listen to “Manhattan Beach” HERE
1 September 2026 – Malaysian R&B singer-songwriter, producer, songwriter, and arranger Nigel Tay, also known as NGL, releases his new single “Manhattan Beach,”. Inspired by his time living in Los Angeles and his first trip to Manhattan Beach, the track captures the carefree feeling of summer, new romance, and those simple moments that make you wish the day would never end.
Inspired by Nigel’s first beach day in Manhattan Beach, the song brings together memories of crazy waves, cool breezes, blue skies, long walks, cold drinks, and getting stuck in LA traffic on the way to Santa Monica or Venice. Light, flirty, and nostalgic, “Manhattan Beach” is about a place, a summer, and meeting someone who makes you not want the day to end.
A Berklee College of Music graduate, Nigel first gained recognition as a Top 7 finalist on The Voice of China in 2018, before showcasing his skills as a producer, arranger, instrumentalist, and bandleader on Mango TV’s Me to Us (我们的乐队) in 2020. He later formed MiLK as the band’s vocalist and leader, before continuing his career as a solo artist and sought-after producer and songwriter in Greater China. His credits include collaborations with Tia Ray, Nana Ouyang, Mikah, Step.jad, and Caelan, alongside work on major Chinese music programmes including Singer, Infinity and Beyond (声生不息) and The Treasured Voice (天赐的声音). His latest full-length album, CRÉMA, was released in 2025, followed by his Turn to Gold headline tour across Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing.
With its warm R&B sensibility and easy-going pop feel, “Manhattan Beach” sees Nigel turn a personal LA memory into a nostalgic summer soundtrack. Following the release of “Manhattan Beach,” Nigel will perform across Southeast Asia throughout 2026, opening for Jesse Barrera & Albert Posis in Manila, Jakarta, and Bangkok before joining Jesse Gold in Singapore.