We have officially entered the month of August! What better way to celebrate our nation’s 55th birthday, than to show support for some of our very own local artists? Even if you do not listen to Chinese music, chances are, you would have heard of the name JJ Lin. His music has taken both Singapore and the world by storm, and the good news is, our city-state has also produced other local artists that are drawing attention in the music scene. They have featured in the headlines for performing at famous local events, and even topped Singapore’s Spotify charts!
Here are five refreshing local artists from genres such as R&B and Synth-pop, which would definitely change your view on local talents.
1) Disco Hue
Disco Hue is a synth-pop quarter composed of main vocalist Sherlyn Leo, guitarist Rush Ang, drummer Billy Chua and keyboardist Auzaie Zie. Influenced by the likes of French electronic duo, Daft Punk, Disco Hue produces catchy synth-pop tunes with infectious melodies, electronic hooks and groovy bass lines. Their hits are reminiscent of discotheque and boogie music from the olden days. In 2019, Disco Hue released their debut album, The Yearbook, via Warner Music Singapore. The album describes the relatable coming-of-age story of teens as they overcome obstacles such as departure from friends and pursuing further studies, which most Singaporean teens face. Consisting of nine tracks, the album includes some of their top hits such as Can’t Be Mine and Better Now. Head on to Spotify or YouTube to check out Disco Hue’s The Yearbook!
2) Sam Rui
Sam Rui, otherwise known as Samantha Casey Rui, is a Singaporean singer-songwriter who produces alternative R&B music. Ever since her single Better topped Spotify’s Singapore viral chart in 2017, she is recognised as the next R&B sensation. The release of her debut album, Season 2, in the same year boosted her profile as an R&B artist and aided her breakout in the Southeast Asian alternative R&B music scene. The honesty in her lyricism and sultry silk-like tone of her voice appeals to many listeners as she describes many of her relatable real-life experiences such as stories of her break-up and her ex-boyfriend. From 2017 onwards, she progressed as an artist and in 2019, she even headlined for the Sundown Festival held at Siloso Fort in Sentosa. If you are a fan of R&B, you should definitely check out Sam Rui’s latest EP In Between on Spotify.
3) Jasmine Sokko
Jasmine Sokko is an up-and-coming Singaporean electronic music singer-songwriter who is taking over the local music scene with her chill and vibey tunes. Ranked fourth in the Singapore’s Top Female Artists list, the 23-year-old Singapore Management University undergraduate has many chart topping hits under her belt. Her debut single ‘1057’ was released independently and topped Spotify’s Singapore Viral 50 in 2016. Subsequently, she released ‘Tired’, ‘F5’ and ‘Hurt’ which amassed millions of streams on Spotify. Unlike any other successful artist, Jasmine Sokko likes to keep her personal life lowkey. She wears a mask during her performances and only shows portions of her face on her Instagram posts. When asked about why she decided to pursue music, the enigmatic singer admitted in an interview with 8 Days that she “simply wanted to be cool”, and it definitely has been proven that it is the best decision she has ever made. Check out Jasmine Sokko’s latest single Mess, on Spotify now.
4) Yung Raja .
Yung Raja, who is known as Rajid Ahmed off-stage, is a Singaporean rapper and songwriter. Raja is best known for his own unique style of infusing Indian culture into hip-hop hence making a Tamil-English fusion rap. This is best seen in his songs Mustafa and Poori Gang where he makes references to popular Little India eateries like Muthu’s Curry and South Indian delicacies like thosai. However, not many know that Raja was an actor before he started his music career, having had minor roles in local productions. However, he did not feel fulfillment in acting and was sure that a break would come soon. Hence, when fellow actor Fariz Jabba suggested that Raja look into joining the music scene, he decided to go for it. Since then, the two have been often seen on stage together and many may recognize them from 2019’s National Day Parade (NDP) where they made their voices heard along with Wheelsmith in NDP’s first ever segment devoted to hip-hop and rap music.
5) brb.
Brb is a Singaporean R&B trio consisting of Clarence Liew (CLO), Auzaie Zie (Disco Hue, Thievves) and Marc Lian (formerly TRICK). Their debut single Cool With It was an instant hit when they released it back in 2018. The three of them started writing songs when Marc was looking for collaborators to make R&B and hip-hop music. With each of them being individual songwriters, the chemistry was there from day one. The cohesiveness and understanding of one another’s music abilities seemed to be one of the main reasons for their knack to churn out songs easily. Their much anticipated debut album was released in March this year via indie label Unami Records. The album which you can listen to on Spotify, features two previously unreleased tracks along with two singles which have already passed a million streams on Spotify.
With these five suggested artists, we hope you would give our local talents a chance and see the tremendous musical talent that they have to offer!
By Nicole Ang & Effa Athira
