As early as the 7th century, the angklung, a bamboo musical instrument, was already in use, with its origins tracing back to Java, Indonesia.

By the 9th century, Persian and Arab Muslim traders and missionaries brought the barbat, qanbus and oud to the Malay Archipelago. The presence of these instruments led to a long history of the oud, or more commonly known as the gambus, within traditional Malay music.

Gambus
The gambus subsequently led to the creation of the zapin. The version that is practised in Singapore can trace its roots to Johor, Malaysia. Zapin begins with the improvisation of the oud or gambus and closes with a contrasting rhythmic pattern called kopak.

Instruments used: Gambus or oud, marwas, violin, accordion, rebana ubi, seruling, and tenawak

Zapin
Just like zapin, ghazal is closely associated with Johor, Malaysia. Ghazal songs are sung in poetic quatrains and are usually linked to the themes of love. With roots in the Middle East, it has evolved with local influences. The song will begin with a vocalist who will first start singing a line, before the ensemble plays the melody. One of Malaysia's most famous ghazal singers is Hasnah Ismail. 

Instruments used: Harmonium, gambus, violin, guitar, tabla, tambourines, and maracas

Fado
Another form of music introduced to the Malay archipelago through external influences is fado. Brought over by the Portuguese as early as the 16th century, fado is characterised by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor, infused with a sense of resignation, fate, and melancholy. The Portuguese describe fado as saudade (longing, yearning over a loss or absence).

Fado inspired keroncong—an Indonesian musical style that gets its name from the ukulele-like instrument it uses. The repeated "crong-crong-crong" sound produced by the instrument gave keroncong its name.

The origins of Malay music can be traced to as early as the start of 19th century, though the lack of documentation makes it hard to pinpoint an exact timeline.

Traditional Malay music genres consist of asli, ronggeng, masri, inang, joget, dondang sayang, zapin, ghazal, langgam, dikir barat, boria, nasyid, dangdut, and more. Their development in Singapore was brought about by the early migrants to Singapore, and due to its density and location, Singapore became a hub for Malay music. However, many Malay musicians at that time were too modest to put their names to songs that they composed, which is why songs such as Geylang Si Paku Geylang and Di Tanjung Katong have no known composer or original singer.

Asli
Asli music has a slow melody and tempo to represent the Malay values of poise and grace. Asli lyrics are simple and tells an emotionally persuasive narrative.

Instruments used: Violin, accordion or harmonium, knobbed gong, gendang, rebana ubi, seruling, and bass guitar

Dondang sayang
Dondang sayang shares similar melody and tempo with asli. "Dondang" is derived from the word "dendang" which means to sing, while "sayang" represents the different versions of love, longing and dejection. Instead of sentences, lyrics to dondang sayang are written in pantun (quatrains). This music genre was very popular in Malacca, especially amongst the Chinese Peranakans as well as the Riau Courts until their demise in 1911.

Instruments used: Violin, gong, rebana, and gendang

Inang and joget
Although they have different rhythms and melodies, inang and joget are usually played at a faster tempo.

Instruments used: Violin, accordion, rebana, and brass knobbed gong

Bangsawan
Bangsawan, also known as Malay opera, is a traditional theatrical form combining music, dance, and drama. The term "bangsawan" means "nobleman" in Malay. Indigenous to the Malay Peninsula, Riau Islands, Sumatra, and coastal Borneo, it was developed in Penang, Malaysia, drawing influences from South Asian Parsi theatre from Gujarat, India. Bangsawan was the most popular entertainment form of its time and has had a significant influence in Singapore. Some streets in Opera Estate in Singapore such as Jalan Terang Bulan, Terang Bulan Avenue and Jalan Bangsawan are named after popular bangsawan titles, songs, and artists. 

Hadrah and kompang
In the early 20th century, hadrah and kompang music came to Singapore through the Riau Islands and was popular until the Japanese Occupation. A burgeoning number of groups can be found between the 1920s and 1941, but their practice ceased to exist as members shifted focus to post-war rehabilitation.

Dikir barat
Dikir barat originates from Kelantan, Malaysia, with roots in Muslim sufi dhikr practices from Pattani, Thailand. It gained popularity in Singapore in the 1980s and was adapted to the urban contexts in Singapore. Dikir barat is performed by groups of 10 to 15 members with two main singers: the tok juara, who sings melodically on more serious issues, and the tukang karut, providing comic relief with improvisation. They are supported by the chorus who would usually clap and sing in unison.

Instruments used: Rebana, maracas and shallow gong

1960s
Singapore separated from Malaysia on 9 August 1965 and became independent. The new constitution included:

• Article 152.2: The Government shall exercise its functions in such manner as to recognise the special position of the Malays, who are the indigenous people of Singapore, and accordingly it shall be the responsibility of the Government to protect, safeguard, support, foster, and promote their political, educational, religious, economic, social, and cultural interests and the Malay language.

• Article 153A.2: The national language shall be the Malay language and shall be in the Roman script.

The Beatles, formed in Liverpool, England, played a pivotal role in the 1960s counterculture and, unsurprisingly, influenced Malay music and musicians of the time. “Pop Yeh Yeh” bands were popular with youths. The genre was named after the famous Beatles song, She Loves You. The popularity of guitar also surged overnight, and Singapore became the epicentre of the pop revolution with over 120 local music labels.

1970s
In the 1970s, American and British subcultures and countercultures such as hippies, disco and rock fascinated the youth, while also raising concerns among the authorities. During this decade, Singapore also emerged as a key recording hub for local and regional Malay superstars under major labels like EMI, WEA, Warner, Polygram, and Senada. The airwaves in the '70s were dominated by artists such as Ismail Haron, J. Mizan, Rahimah Rahim, and Anita Sarawak.

In 1975, Iskandar Mirza Ismail, affectionately known as The Music Man, won first prize at the Singapore Electone Festival. As the eldest son of veteran Malay singers Ismail Kassim and Nona Asiah, he was mentored by Zubir Said, composer of Singapore's national anthem. Encouraged by Said to attend Berklee College of Music, young Iskandar Mirza became a versatile musician, composer, conductor, music director, and producer. He worked the nightclub circuit in the ’80s, composed for regional artists and Anita Sarawak in the '90s and later on directed for musicals and Singapore's National Day parades. Through his work with Spotlight Singapore and ChildAid, he presented young and local talents to the world.

1980s
In the 1980s, there was a surge in demand for concerts and recordings, largely contributed by popularity created by television. This era also saw the rise of rock and heavy metal music, with many homegrown groups gaining prominence. Many of these groups eventually moved to Kuala Lumpur to tap into Malaysia's huge domestic market. Band such as Sweet Charity, Kembara, Gingerbread, Black Dog Bone, and The Flybaits gained lasting recognition, and their songs continue to resonate today.

1990s
In 1991, Orkestra Melayu Singapore (OMS) was established by the People's Association to promote and preserve traditional music, blending both Western and traditional Malay instruments. The orchestra was initially led by Conductor Emeritus Mokhtar Abdullah, its founding music director. Jais Minsawi took over the leadership from 1995 to 2009. Since 2009, Amri Amin has led OMS. OMS established its youth wing, OMS Belia, a few years before forming its own gamelan group called Pangrawit Anyar Gamelan Ensemble (Singapura) in 2006.

From 1991 to 2000, Fuji Television launched Asia Bagus!, a star-search programme aimed at promoting young emerging performing artists across Asia. Airing weekly in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand, the show was hosted by Singaporean performer, Najip Ali who also introduced his own brand of music and style to the local Malay music scene. Asia Bagus! discovered Singapore talents such as Maizurah Hamzah and Sheikh Haikel and Ashidiq Ghazali from Construction Sight.

Some of the most iconic Malay songs from Singapore in the 1990s include Dhikir Fikir Fikir by Rausyanfikir, Rentak Oonik by Najip and Aku Yang Masih by Nuradee.

2011
Akeem Jahat gained recognition in the Malay hip hop scene with his releases Suke Hati Nenek Volume I: Akeemotherapy on Soundcloud. Known for his clever wordplay, Akeem addressed issues resonating with the Malay youths.

2017
Aisyah Aziz made history as the first Singaporean to win Best APM Song at Anugerah Planet Muzik (Malaysia) for her song Senyum Saja. She was nominated for nine awards and also took home two other awards, Best Song (Singapore) for Senyum Saja and Best Collaboration (Song) for Tanda Tanya. After leaving her Malaysian record label, she continued her career as an independent artist currently based in Singapore.

2018
Gemadah: Traditional Malay Music Festival, was formed by the Traditional Malay Music Consortium and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. Gemadah celebrates traditional Malay music—new and old compositions as well as musicians. The festival features workshops, talks, a residency, pop up performances, and a gala showing that caps off the festival.

In the same year, Wisma Geylang Serai started a new platform for young musicians and music makers. The platform asked its participating artists to create a new work that showcased a distinct laga concept, where they have to merge two or more musical genres, collaborate with a different group of a contrasting style. The last edition of the festival was in 2020. It was directed by and hosted by Najip Ali and like many events in 2020, it was livestreamed Facebook and YouTube. Until today, Wisma Geylang Serai continues to support local Malay musicians by featuring them in their programmes.

2020
The pandemic did not stop traditional Malay musicians from performing and creating. When all live performances were stopped, musicians adapted and continued their work online. One of the groups that recorded music from a distance was Alto Aura - Hati ke Hati.

2021
The National Arts Council, Singapore (NAC) announced the Self-Employed Person Grant (SEPG). This is a time-limited scheme that aims to provide support to Arts Self-Employed Persons (SEPs) affected by Covid-19. Through this grant, NAC looks to create work opportunities for arts SEPs by encouraging them to come together and work on projects, especially projects that can make a longer-term impact on the practices, professionalism and livelihoods of arts SEPs.

To date, Singapore's Malay music scene continues to thrive as artists continuously create Malay music.