Singer-songwriter Haven turns up for our cover shoot in a Nirvana baby tee, baggy berms, and the unmistakable energy of a 22-year-old. She’s chatty, open and candid—bouncing between conversations, choosing the shoot’s playlist, and never holding back her laughter. Does she even know who Nirvana is? “I dare not say,” she laughs. “It’s so performative, right? But I just needed a baby tee for this look today.” It doesn’t matter. She owns it.

During the shoot, she slips effortlessly between designer coordinates and streetwear staples. She especially loves the versatility of Onitsuka Tiger’s minimal yet explorative ready-to-wear line. “I love dressing for comfort, but at the same time I love experimental dressing,” she shares. “There’s always that dilemma: Do I wear a hoodie and slides? Or do I wear something really fancy and uncomfortable, but I know I’m going to look so hot in? Onitsuka Tiger can really play into both, which is something I really love. I can wear furry Uggs, throw on some jorts and a baby tee, and it looks so nice.” Her style mirrors her personality: Playful, relaxed, grounded and intentional.

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Haven Opens Up On Music, Mental Health & Finding Joy Again — Jacket; tank top; shorts; mules, ONITSUKA TIGER. Jewellery (worn throughout), Haven’s own. Socks (worn throughout), stylist’s own.

This version of Haven—real name Teo Cher Win—is extremely light, present and visibly happy. She exudes a spiritedness that lingers in the room. The vibe is far removed from the girl who struggled with depression in her teens.

She had always been a little different from her peers. While eight-year-old girls were playing with Barbie dolls, Haven was putting words into a song. “Looking back, I honestly don’t even know what I was writing, but I knew I wanted to be a songwriter,” she recalls. “I recently found the first song I ever wrote: It’s called ‘Happy’. The lyrics were just ‘I’m so happy, happy, happy’. I was like, wow, Haven really knew what she wanted even then.” She laughs, a little embarrassed. “When I got a bit older, I started writing about guys, and had this song called ‘Hot Take’. Looking through them now, it’s really funny.” She released her first official track, “Piece of Paper”, at 16. And last year, at 21, she put out her debut album, My World.

She may have just crossed the threshold of adulthood, but she has been making music for a decade. She counts female artistes like Billie Eilish, Kehlani, Tate McRae and Melanie Martinez as her musical muses. “Billie really meant a lot to me because she doesn’t just write about love. She writes about her mental struggles. Seeing someone like her go through some of the same things made me feel less alone. I was like, ‘Okay, maybe I’m not crazy’.”

In her teens, music became a form of escapism from the bullying and hurt she experienced in school. “I was always singing—you could never catch me not singing—and I was loud. I would try to make covers with my friends, and they’re always like, 'Dude, shut up, you sound horrible’. Kids were always throwing s**t at me,” she recalls. It got to a point where she had to transfer schools three times.

“I don’t want to play the victim, but looking back, that should not be happening to any kid. I know I have my own faults. I was probably very childish and aggressive and said things to defend myself that weren’t the nicest either. Now that I’m older, I understand it better. Teenagers want to fit in. Sometimes it’s easier to target one person than to stand up for them. Some of them have since apologised, and I’ve learned to forgive.”

The younger Haven often felt alone. “I am an only child and didn’t really have many friends growing up,” she says plainly. One of the few places she remembers feeling a sense of belonging was in a band at her music school, Academy of Rock. “There were like 10 of us rehearsing. Honestly, no band needs 10 people!” she laughs. “But it was just so fun because I got to connect with individuals who were really passionate about music.” She smiles at the memory. “It was the funnest part of my childhood.”

After completing her IGCSEs (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) at a private school, she stepped away from the conventional academic path to focus fully on music—a choice that came with qualms. “I was a 16-year-old. What do I know about life, right? It was a very confusing time.”

Her mother, who moved from Malaysia to Singapore to raise Haven singlehandedly, also had doubts about her decision to pursue music as a career. But she saw how committed she was, and how much work she was putting in. “At first, she was very hesitant, of course. She sacrificed everything to give me an education, knowing Singapore had greater potential for my future. She told me, ‘If you really want to do this, I’ll support you all the way’,” recalls Haven. Her family’s financial limitations also compounded the pressure. From a young age, Haven understood that stability wasn’t guaranteed. She worked part-time jobs while in school to buy her first electric guitar, learning early that independence came with responsibility.

At the same time, she was struggling with mental health. Diagnosed with depression at 13 by five different doctors, Haven recounts how confused and isolated she felt at that time when conversations around mental wellbeing were far less open. “I didn’t know what depression was. I didn’t know what anything was,” she says. Therapy felt clinical; medication felt numbing. Music became her anchor. “When I was listening to music, singing, writing songs, that was the only time I felt free. All the noise in my head stopped, and it gave me something to hold onto.” Her literature teacher, Mr Tong, also encouraged her to journal during that period, to write when she felt she had no one to talk to.

In retrospect, what once felt like the worst time in her life led her to develop resilience. “I learned how to cope with my emotions and manage my own stress by talking my way through it, singing, exercising… just literally anything to distract myself from it. I also learned how to love myself more.” She proceeds to show the tattoo on her left arm that reads “one day at a time”, words of advice from her boss, Leonard Lim, founder of music label and marketing agency Wild Entertainment Group, to help her cope with anxiety.

Hope and persistence carried her through the darkest moments. She told herself: “If I give up (on life), then I will never get to see what my future could have been.” With time, she has also learned to live alongside her condition rather than let it consume her. “My mental illness doesn’t define who I was as a person, and it doesn’t need to shape my life,” she says. “I am my own identity.”

Last year marked a turning point. With the release of her debut album, Haven finally experienced the sense of stability she had been working towards for most of her life: Buying a home for herself and her mother. “At a very young age, I promised her that I’m going to give her the best life she could possibly have. I’m so, so privileged and lucky that I’m able to give that to her because of what I’m doing now.”

The urgency and fear that once powered her life has loosened its grip. This year, she says, feels different—not because everything is perfect, but because she finally has space to breathe and find bliss. “My mum and I are no longer struggling, and for that I’m extremely grateful to my team, my friends, and everyone who supported me.”

The new music she is working on reflects that shift. Where her debut album dwelled on pain and heavy emotions, her next leans towards joy. “The first one was very vulnerable— very in my feelings,” she says. This time, she wants lightness and fun. “I really just want it to be ‘hee hee ha ha’.” She explains why that matters: “I’ve spent so many years writing from a dark place; I wanted to give myself permission to enjoy music again. This time, I wanted to write about joy, friendships, silly moments, and just having fun with sound. My producer and I have been working on it since last August. It’s almost done, and I’m really excited to share it.”

Ask Haven what she’s proud of, and she doesn’t talk about accolades or milestones. “Honestly, last year was such a blur,” she says. “I’m just proud of surviving the year.” Proud of not giving up. Proud of continuing to make the music she loves. If she could speak to the older version of herself who was writing that first album, she would tell her: “''You’re okay. You’re fine. That girl was really stressing out—releasing an album, trying to figure out how she could look after her mum, and have a more stable future. I’m so proud of her for getting through that and not giving up. It was the biggest weight that could have been lifted. I’m just very grateful for everything that I’ve gone through.”

Haven isn’t chasing reinvention or trying to prove something. She’s simply allowing joy to take up space— something she once had to fight for, and now, finally, gets to keep. And for the first time in a long while, that feels like more than enough.