The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word SHANTYMAN
S
H
A
N
T
Y
M
A
N
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Singer" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case singer = shantyman.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does SHANTYMAN mean?
SHANTYMAN noun- The sailor who sings the main line of a sea shanty (the other sailors singing the responses or choruses)