Kick-starting the youth month of July, SHINE Festival is the beginning of many events and activities lined up for the youth as a rally call for younger singaporeans to #OwnYourDreams. Festival goers had a chance to find out more about activities such as from extreme sports, e-sports and the good ole’ dance and music from booths around the event. Besides the array activities, SHINE Festival also saw our very own local and international acts sharing the same stage, all for the love of music.
In line with SHINE Festival’s aim of empowering young Singaporeans to bravely pursue their dreams, the SHINE X *SCAPE Talent Development Programme was set up to provide a platform for aspiring talents to learn from industry professionals.
Up and coming local talents Sophia Joe and Axel Brizzy were given the opportunity to learn from mentors Kevin Foo and Jon Chua respectively. The best part of the programme would be the learning process – with exposure to professional input and equipment – as Axel recalled how every day of the mentorship was filled with new knowledge to take away. Both eventually took the stage alongside bigger names, but definitely stood on their own and made it theirs. If you are looking to hear from them, both have their singles up on Spotify – with two more to be released by each of them at a later date.
It is only fitting that SHINE Festival collects the best of our local music talents, who have, over the years, proved that music is a viable career path in Singapore. Speaking from their experiences, ShiGGa Shay, Linying, Sezairi and Natalie Ong took to the floor, their passion for what they do tangible in the air.
A common thread weaving between them is their desire to be heard – their main motivation to keep making music. So, what does it takes then, to be a successful musician? Sezairi shared that one would need conviction – it is about having a good idea of what one wants, and having the courage to pursue the less-taken road with clear goals in mind.
Linying added on that thanks to the Internet, geographical lines are blurred and with platforms like Spotify, it has helped opened more doors and allowed Singaporeans to reach a wider audience. Linying is no stranger to the international stage – her impressive records include 20 million hits, a premiere on Billboard, and even performing at Coachella. Indeed, with the right attitude and exposure, what else is needed before we could, perhaps, see someone fly the Singapore flag high at the MTV or Billboard Music Awards?
Natalie Ong could just be a living example. Some may remember her as the girl who wowed many across the globe with her rendition of Christina Aguilera’s The Voice Within at The X Factor Australia. She has recently released her very own single, Get Gold, under the tutelage of Josh Wei. Josh describes the collaboration with Natalie as one that is refreshing and different because she is more daring to try new things, and is always throwing out ideas. He adds that there are a lot of good programs in Singapore now to help new talents shine, and the local music scene has reached a point where it is producing good music – as seen with another performer, The Sam Willows.
However, in order to set us apart from the West, what is needed now to push Singaporeans to even greater heights is to be different. We are definitely looking forward, but most importantly, hopeful, like how ShiGGa Shay has managed to produce tracks after tracks while staying true to the Singaporean flavor. Also one of the performers, he echoed everyone else’s views, and urged young Singaporeans to boldly chase one’s dreams.
If impressing judges and having her own single is not enough for Natalie, she has one more to add on to her list of experiences – singing with Jessica Jung!
Headlining this year’s SHINE Festival, Jessica was in Singapore to perform for her fans as a solo artiste. Natalie also had the opportunity to collaborate with Jessica on stage – this collaboration opened up K-pop for Natalie as she had no prior experience with K-pop when she lived in Australia. She thought it was interesting, and has begun to enjoy K-pop for its myriad of styles. Natalie also mentioned that the music has allowed her to appreciate the Korean culture.
On the other hand, Jessica expressed that she feels blessed for being able to travel to many places as part of her job, where she could experience different cultures, sights and sounds. Jessica’s story may be a little different from the rest, but nonetheless equally inspiring. Stepping out of her comfort zone to pursue her dreams of having her own label, she founded Blanc & Eclare, which could be seen as a reflection of her own styles.
Fun fact: Jessica chose Elle Fanning as the celebrity she would want to model her clothes because she feels that Elle’s sweet image is suitable for her brand!
This sweet, delicate image is also reflected in her music, which plays up on her saccharine voice. Jessica performed tracks from her albums ‘With Love, J’ and ‘Wonderland’ for the huge turn out that braved the sun and heat that day. Fans sang along to familiar tunes such as 'Wonderland' and 'Big Mini World' as she performed.
Jessica’s collaboration song with Natalie, ‘Falling Crazy in Love’, also showcased both their vocals melding nicely into one despite both voices being distinctively different. Fans could also be heard singing along to title track, ‘Fly’ and spontaneously rapped along to fill in for Rapper Fabolous’ parts. Jessica was also seen on several occasions, pleasantly surprised by the loud cheers. For sure, this would be the highlight of her trip, and a night to remember for everyone.