Singapore music going global

If 2016 was about recognising and supporting more young local musicians, 2017 will probably be the year the rest of the world sees just what Singapore has to offer.

One name music lovers abroad should be looking out for is, of course, Nathan Hartono. The 25-year-old singer-songwriter is already gearing up for a busy year ahead, with plans to formally enter the Chinese market — even though it has only been two months since he was placed first runner-up in the fiercely competitive Chinese reality singing competition Sing! China.

Over the next few months, Hartono will release new music and go on tour in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and, of course, China.

“I am personally very excited because I have performed only in Indonesia and China,” said Hartono, who has seen his popularity skyrocket since appearing on Sing! China. “But to be able to tour on my music on that scale ... I can’t wait!”

Hartono, who has been involved with brand campaigns ranging from Singtel to DBS over the past few weeks, added that he intends to cut back on individual engagements and focus on bigger things next year.

“Next year onwards, it’s going to be (about) bigger projects, fewer engagements and more planning. I have a rough idea (of what next year is going to be like), but it could totally flip by the end of the month. I am excited because I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said.

Hartono is not the only local musician with plans to conquer audiences abroad. Singaporean singer Linying, who made her debut this year with the EP Paris 12, played in Singapore, Vienna, Berlin, Dresden, Seoul, London and Melbourne last year alone. This year, she will also be looking to make a bigger bang locally and abroad, with plans for the second leg of her Paris 12 tour, a sophomore release and a ticketed solo show here.

“I think this year has really been momentous. It represented a lot of things that changed, not just with the music but personally as well,” said Linying, who is signed with Universal Music Singapore and the Canada-based Nettwerk Music Group, which is known for introducing North America to Coldplay, Sarah McLachlan and Avril Lavigne.

“The transition into being able to do the things I wanted to do, like write songs, get a record out, go on tour — it started very unambiguously. It was on Jan 2 when (my single) Sticky Leaves went viral globally on Spotify, and I guess that’s why this whole experience of change has been so tied to this year — because of how momentously it began.”

As Singaporean musicians begin to find opportunities abroad, independent acts here will are likely also to see greater support for local music from record labels and audiences. Gentle Bones and The Sam Willows, who only just signed deals with Universal Music Singapore and Sony Music in 2015, as well as Mandopop singer Derrick Hoh, held their first ticketed concerts here in 2016, with others planning their own tours and shows for the year ahead.

Jude Young, who has just signed a distribution deal with Warner Music, is hoping to play at regional festivals this year, and is in talks to hold a music showcase for his debut EP, Young, which debuted in first place on iTunes.

“I think what is very heartening is we are all making very good headway at the same time, and I don’t think this is by chance or coincidence or timing,” the 23-year-old said. “I think it’s been a long time coming and I am glad there’s been this collective awakening because we’ve got really, really capable acts that deserve our support, not just because they are local. Legitimately, these are good artistes who really deserve our recognition and support. It is very satisfying (and a relief) for myself to notice that there is a very strong push in these recent years.”

Explaining why support for local acts has been growing over the past two or three years, Mr Julius Ng, managing director of Sony Music Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, said there were more talented musicians surfacing and demanding to be noticed.

Noting the success of The Sam Willows, which became the first South-east Asian act to enter the Spotify Global Viral 50 chart after the release of their debut album, Take Heart, Ng added that the label plans to push its artistes’ music regionally — especially in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

“For Singapore music, I believe there will be a lot more artistes coming around, kids out there who are really experimenting with a lot of different kinds of music,” Mr Ng said. “Now with Spotify, Apple Music and social media, it’s so accessible, people don’t really have to pay for music. I think that is really good for the Singapore scene.”

While Willy Tan of content production and talent management agency Aging Youth is concerned that the looming recession may result in budget cuts and the loss of work for young musicians, he believes more local acts will reach more audiences abroad next year. He recently signed new Singaporean electronic act Jasmine Sokko, who is working to secure a few local and overseas gigs this year, after her debut single went up Spotify’s Top 50 viral charts in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwian.

“I believe the Singapore music scene is still growing, our musicians are constantly expanding their reach overseas and I reckon, more music acts will venture out to the rest of the world in 2017. This will be pretty exciting to watch,” he said.