Malay-Sikh Singaporean artist ABANGSAPAU is a 20-year-old Hip-Hop/R&B artist currently residing in Yishun, Singapore.

In less than a year since his debut, ABANGSAPAU has amassed a large fanbase in the local hip-hop scene, performing at many shows. Once a wayward youth, ABANGSAPAU believes in the importance of vulnerability, delivering his music candidly but bolstered with swagger.

In his Instagram series 'A Conversation with the Mirror', ABANGSAPAU talked about ego, and questioned the rat race to fame in today's hip-hop scene. The video resonated with many people and garnered over 20,000 views on Instagram.

His latest Single, 'BUAT APE?', has over 15,000 streams across all platforms. In the music video, which fuses traditional Malay music with hip hop drums, ABANGSAPAU proudly embraced the sarung—something most people his age no longer wear.

‘Aura’, his first single, hit over 12,000 streams across all platforms. It was a fusion of lo-fi hip-hop and electropop, where he rapped about his failed quest for love. Bandwagon called it "one of the best-produced tunes to come out of Singapore in the past five years".

With ABANGSAPAU’s unpredictable music style and plenty up his sleeve, one thing is certain: he is here to stay.

aeriqah is a singer-songwriter who deeply resonates with the sounds of dodie, Daughter, Canyon City and Billie Eilish. She takes her most sacred and painful experiences, and turns them into music and lyrics, writing about mental health, heartbreak and letting go. She values honesty in her music and writing, for catharsis, helping others feel less alone during those sad nights (or days).

Instagram: www.instagram.com/aeriqah/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/aeriqah.music/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCFrIT-gV2OtAsJEbX0EH00g

Fingerfunk is an electronic/R&B/hip-hop quartet who, amidst the abundance of heavily produced commercial music, pushes live performances to the forefront.

The band consists of FRZ (vocals), Hisham.tha.mc (rap), Leo Goh (guitar), and Andy Chong (pad). They blend track production techniques with live elements, choosing to create music as humanly as possible in their performances.

Fingerfunk may be relatively new in the Singapore music scene, however, each member has long cut their teeth in the music world, with several accomplishments under their belts.

Lead singer FRZ was part of Malay boyband Northbound, signed to a Malaysian label. He frequently performed in Singapore and Malaysia.

Guitarist Leo Goh went to school at Musicians Institute, after which he pursued a music career in LA. Leo opened for Macy Gray and Michael McDonald under his band Groove Martini and was also engaged as a brand ambassador for Gibson during The 2017 NAMM Show.

Andy Chong has played for numerous Singaporean musicians including Dru Chen and Izat Ibrahim. As part of Gentle Bones, he opened for Selena Gomez during the Singapore leg of her world tour. Andy is also part of MOTUS and Flame of the Forest, both of which regularly tour Asia.

Marcus 李俊纬 is a Singaporean bilingual singer-songwriter well versed in music performance, acting, and hosting. With his affable nature and charisma, the triple threat performer promises regional commercial appeal and star potential.

Other than being active in the music and events scene in Singapore, the multi-hyphenate is constantly involved in singing in variety shows overseas, emerging as the champion of the ‘Sing China! Singapore Selections’ in 2017 and also appearing in ‘Sound Of My Dream 2’ as one of the aspiring artists.

Marcus uploads his work on YouTube, which is recognised and featured frequently on Taiwanese media platforms such as VS Media Taiwan，台湾达人秀, and 快点TV.
Marcus will also be releasing his debut Mandarin single ‘这是我的表白’ in November 2019.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/leejunweimarcus/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/leejunweimarcus/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCgrITRQLa-_ntzG6zg51HQQ
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/18G699wFEzXLGHsgsDZyYj?si=x1l3QIuLTFWthQ9thZqRkg

Marian Carmel is a Filipino singer-songwriter based in Singapore who takes influence from soulful R&B tunes reminiscent of Emily King and Lianne La Havas. Her lush vocals breathe life into the melancholic nature of her songs, which are often born out of catharsis.

In 2016, her first year pursuing music, Marian found herself as one of the mentees for Singapore's Noise Music Mentorship Programme. She joined competitions such as MTV Asia’s Project: Aloft Star where she was flown to Bangkok, Thailand to compete in the Top 5 Finals. She also joined Yamaha Asian Beat where she emerged as the 1st Runner Up in the Singapore division.

The 22-year-old’s first release was “Thursday”, a feature on a song co-written and performed with Singaporean rapper Axel Brizzy. On top of being dubbed the “Best Song to Sing Along to” at the Singapore Youth Music Awards, the R&B tune has garnered over 700,000 listens on Spotify, and debuted on eight Spotify-curated playlists all over Asia (New Music Friday Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong).

Marian’s debut solo single ‘Might Never Get Better’ will be released in the last quarter of 2019. The upbeat alternative-R&B track is a hushed cry against her encounter with panic disorder and its relapse. Despite its playful instrumentals, the song’s backbone is a set of dark lyrics, echoing the sensations that come with a painful recovery.

Drawing inspiration from nature, relationships and various affairs of the world, NAMIE colours her compositions in a delicate and cathartic manner. You'll hear musical influences from jazz, soul, folk, and electronica.

In 2018 she released “Notes”, a 4 track EP. Over the past year, she performed her original works in NAMIE & The Waves alongside four other musicians. Armed with curiosity, creativity, and her quirky charm, she strives to incorporate all her artistic interests into her work, finding balance in free improvisation and extended vocal techniques, among other interests.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/namierasman/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/namierasman/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCz8HZW1WVvLlWkCkH-JyvHA
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/4RzMSPRBduryBjIEsAvMKz?si=viLyUDxWRCOBrifhkp7WcQ
 

RENE is a singer-songwriter from Singapore. Her debut single ‘Lonely’ was released in April 2018, and her follow-up single ‘Cheese on Toast’ was released in February 2019. She is releasing new music in November 2019 and expects to release her debut EP in 2020.

RENE’s music is greatly influenced by a mix of artists that she’s listened to while growing up and those she currently listens to, such as McFly, HAIM, and Paramore. Her songwriting reflects themes such as the vicissitudes of coming of age and personal relationships. She is a pop artist at heart, but enjoys crossing the boundaries of genres by drawing inspiration from all types of music and art.

RENE has performed for events like Esplanade’s All Things New (2019), Esplanade’s Red Dot August (2019), Festival for Good (2018), and in popular music venues like Timbre @ Substation. Most recently, she was featured in a live radio interview and performance on 987 FM’s Fresh Music Live. RENE has participated in music competitions, notably winning first place for The Great Singapore Replay Season 1’s Open Call in 2017. She was subsequently featured in a live interview on Channel News Asia’s First Look Asia segment in September 2017. She also performed as an opening act for ROYAL ESTATE's EP Launch in March 2019.

The Cold Cut Duo 雙節奏, a singer-songwriter band from Singapore, consists of Wilson and Gwendolyn.

The duo released three singles this year: ‘Take Flight 起飞’,
‘I’ll Keep Loving You 我會愛著你’ and ‘#Addicted’. Their second single ‘I’ll Keep Loving You 我會愛著你’ hit the charts in Singapore and Taiwan KKBOX, coming in #26 among songs from internationally renowned artists. Their originals are also featured on several Spotify playlists in Singapore and Malaysia.

The Cold Cut Duo participated in TikTok’s Valentines’ Day Original Song Competition in 2019 and came in 1st place for “Best Original Song” with their song ‘美麗回憶 Beautiful Memories’. The Cold Cut Duo is also amongst TikTok’s Top 100 artists at position 52 with their song ‘Take Flight 起飞’, which has been used by more than 1,908 TikTok users across Asia.

They are also well known for their covers on YouTube, with mashups and medleys of electronic and dance music. Their work has been featured by various media companies including YES933, VS Media, and ET Today.

The Cold Cut Duo is currently preparing to release their first EP next year.

whirring is a duo that specialises in electronic music. Aqid Aiman uses the Ableton Push, and Michelle Jeon does the synths, while both handle the vocals. They use lush shimmering synths and layered vocals that tangle and intertwine to captivate their audiences. Their music digs deep in weaving personal narratives that explore anxieties and vulnerabilities that lie beneath the surface of the human psyche. Their inspirations include The xx, Oh Wonder, Chvrches, and Lorde.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/heywhirring/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/heywhirring/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCZvBTUZY620FcgKDLY5ierw

Starting out timidly by posting covers and originals on Soundcloud, 22-year-old Zalelo now has chart-topping tracks like ‘Jagiya’ and ‘Won’t You Say’. 

Resonating most with pop and R&B, she is inspired by Tori Kelly, Kehlani, Ariana Grande and JoJo when it comes to vocals and songwriting. Apart from singing, Zalelo acts and is an active volunteer. She has been featured on Mediacorp Suria and Channel 5 in shows like ‘Runcit’ and ‘Tanglin’ and also a few commercials. She is an executive committee member of The Widaad Project, which provides local and overseas aid and teaching.

On top of all this, she is also studying Communications in Singapore University of Social Sciences. Singing is ultimately her passion, and it is her dream to use her voice to spread positivity and show the world that tiny but mighty Singapore truly does have strong musicians. She hopes to release an EP which features an English-Arabic fusion song soon, to pay homage to her Arab roots.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamzalelo/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXtr7z84Fb3C5qyF8yfLr4Q
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/7oIoEMjF4BysMurJ32HZQh?si=iNSvJeVeQX27VyP2txVXsw

Charlie Lim is a singer-songwriter and producer based in Singapore.

Charlie’s debut record ‘TIME/SPACE’ made it to the number one spot on the Singapore iTunes charts. It was later awarded ‘Best Pop Album of the Year’ by The Straits Times. His recent album CHECK-HOOK released in 2018 also clinched Best Song of the Year by Apple Music for single Zero-Sum, garnering over 5 million streams to date.

He played a central role in writing and performing the theme song ‘We Are Singapore’ for the 2018 National Day Parade. He was also featured on Tatler Gen T Asia 2019 for playing a fundamental role in enriching Singapore’s music scene.

Charlie continues to produce music and contribute to the local scene and is growing to become one of Southeast Asia’s best voices in pop music.

Joanna Dong is a jazz vocalist, musical theatre actress and TV host. Over the years, she has established herself as one of the most talented and sought-after jazz vocalists in Singapore, with a repertoire that spans a wide range of audiences. Joanna is bilingual and very passionate about sharing her love for jazz with Mandarin speaking audiences.
Joanna became the pride of Singapore after a stellar performance at ‘Sing! China’, coming in as a second runner-up under Jay Chou’s team in the popular Chinese singing competition. After her hugely successful two-day '我是真的' (So Here I Am) concert at the Esplanade Concert Hall, she followed up with '我是真的' (So Here I Am) EP digital release and Asia tour across seven different cities.

Joanna has also performed at other notable events such as Jeremy Monteiro’s Jazzy Christmas Concert, Jay Chou’s ‘The Invincible 2’ Concert World Tour, the 2018 National Day Parade, and the 2018 Formula One Singapore Grand Prix.  

Kelly became a household name after being crowned a winner in the female category at the inaugural ‘Project Superstar Competition’, beating over 10,000 applicants.

Kelly’s career has skyrocketed since then, releasing five albums throughout Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. At the 19th Singapore Hit Awards, she won the ‘Regional Outstanding Artiste Award’. She was honoured with the ‘Outstanding Regional Artiste and Vocalist Award’ at the 14th Global Chinese Music Awards, before being selected to be the official ambassador for the Global Chinese Music Awards 2015.

In 2017 she collaborated with Warner Denmark’s Christopher on the song ‘Heartbeat 心跳’, which raked in half a million views in less than one week of its release.
 

Sezairi is a pop singer whose meteoric rise has left the nation in awe. Sezairi started singing at the tender age of five and hasn’t stopped since. He formed a band at the age of 14 and learned the guitar to complement his vocals.

It was 2009 when Sezairi got his big break, after winning the Singapore Idol series. Since then, he has released hits and chart toppers that remind people of his adeptness in his craft. His recent EP ‘Sezairi EP’ was completely written by him and co-produced by elite Indonesian producer Ari Renaldi.

Sezairi creates unique songs that are regularly well received by the public and continues to hone his craft, always looking for ways to make captivating music.

His achievements included:

• Number one spot on Spotify’s Viral 50 Chart within a week of the release of his song ‘Fire to the Floor’. The song retained the spot for two weeks after.
• Number two spot on Spotify Singapore’s Viral 50 Chart within a week of his single release ‘70s’. This song even made its way to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. The single was also a hit on Indonesia’s iTunes and Spotify Viral 50 Chart, while garnering over 400,000 listeners on Spotify.
• Number one on Spotify Singapore and Malaysia Viral 50 Chart within a week of the release of his ballad ‘It’s You’, while it reached number three on Indonesia’s iTunes. Two million online listeners tuned in to listen to the song, which has since received a gold certification. The song’s music video appeared on the third spot in Apple Music’s ‘Best of 2018: Editors’ Picks’ Global Playlist, where it was recognised as one of the year’s most identifiable and noteworthy songs.

Shabir started song writing and song composition when he was 12 years old. Starting out as a self-taught keyboardist, he went on to learn Hindustani classical music under the tutelage of violinist Sri Veereshwar Madhri and guitar from Steve Vatz.

He is a multiple award-winning singer-songwriter, record producer, music composer and performer. He is the winner of the inaugural singing competition Vasantham Star 2005. He was awarded the Singapore Youth Award, the highest national honour given to young achievers by the Singapore government in 2017. He was the first artist of Tamil and Indian descent to win the award.

Shabir remains one of the leading recording artists in Singapore with a strong fan following in the region, having released three albums to date 'Alaipayuthey', 'TraffiQ' and 'Swasam-Scents of Prose'.

Shabir's music is known to be an eclectic concoction of various genres and influences that includes pop, alternative rock, hip-hop and world music. Shabir's lyrical style consists of wordplay, metaphor and he often experiments with cadence. His voice culture is characterised by his distinct style that owes itself to his early influences such as Rage Against the Machine, Metallica, Wyclef Jean and Bob Dylan.

Shabir achieved mainstream success in India as a composer, songwriter and singer in the highly competitive Indian film music industry in 2019 with back-to-back releases, with his songs crossing 70-million collective views on YouTube. To date, he has been signed to eight films as a composer, songwriter and singer, making him the first music artist from Singapore to achieve this feat.