Towards the end of this conversation moderated by sound artist weish and featuring singer-songwriter Charlie Lim, hip hop trailblazer Yung Raja (whose real name is Rajid Ahamed), and music multi-hyphenate Ruth Ling, a very Singaporean sound started to rumble across the island and filter into the recording spaces of all these local music-makers—the unmistakeable symphony of an equatorial rainstorm.

Besides illustrating the sometimes unavoidable pitfalls of remote recording, these peals of thunder and lightning erupted at a particularly ironic point in the conversation, namely when all these speakers were explaining why exactly they believe the future of Singapore pop is bright.

Part of their optimism is related to the possibilities of technology, which has already helped to create opportunities for many young artists today and looks set to reshape the music industry even more in the years ahead. Other factors include the emergence of ecosystems that are nurturing local creative communities, and how music-makers here are engaging with their Singaporean identity in inventive new ways.

In this finale episode of PopLore, find out more about what Singapore’s pop music history means to these shapers of its future, and how they view the unique traits and burgeoning potential of homegrown pop. 

PopLore: Stories of Singapore Pop, produced by Hong Xinyi and Dorothy Ding, is commissioned by Esplanade as part of PopLore: A Year of Singapore Popular Music in celebration of its 20th anniversary in 2022. This episode was produced in collaboration with indiego. 

Catch Charlie Lim with his band The Mothership and guest artists on 16 Sep at Esplanade Concert Hall.