The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word VOCALIST
V
O
C
A
L
I
S
T
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 = vocalist.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 VOCALIST mean?
VOCALIST noun- A singer; a person who likes to sing.