Creating Cultural Harmonies

Hey everyone,

If you grew up in Singapore, you’d know that it’s Racial Harmony week. As a third culture kid who’s fascinated by cultures, I remember celebrating this day in my childhood and teenage years in school, and I would don not just my motherland’s national costume, but also the costumes from Singapore’s 4 core races.

But ever since junior college, the hype has seem to have toned down. Unlike Western culture where days like National Best Friends Day and Halloween are hyped about, Singaporeans are more lowkey at keeping quirky non-public holidays like this alive. I thought it’d be nice to bring the vibes back through this newsletter!

For this week’s picks, I’ve taken a deeper dive into the four language genres that make up Singapore’s cultural scenes. Also, I’ve been in a rabbit hole in Indonesian and Vietnamese music lately, so I’m sharing some new discoveries that I find a strong affinity to.

What’s your latest favourite regional bops to listen to? I’d love to hear it!

From your music polyglot,

Val ♫

(P.S If you are reading this in your email, please click “Read Online” at the top-right corner next to the date for a better reading experience!)

In this week's setlist:

• 🦁 Uniquely Singapore

• 🐲 Jakarta Jams

• 🐃 Vietnam Vibes

• 🎶 New Music This Week

🦁 Uniquely Singapore

I admit, when it comes to new music that’s popular with the masses, this little red dot has a lot to catch up to compared to its neighbours. But hey, that doesn’t mean the vibes don’t slap — it’s just waiting for the right time to shine. And sometimes, it just needs one music muser to hype it up.

Here’s a taste of Singapore delights from the latest music scene:

• 分開或許妳會快樂 by Homeless Scholars

• Bisik Cintamu by Amni Musfirah

• Killing It by Yellow Claw and Yung Raja

🐲 Jakarta Jams

I grew up listening to Filipino ballads and indie and have always been drawn to their emotive musical storytelling, so imagine my excitement when I hear the same yearning being sung in Bahasa!

Honestly, listening to Indo ballads feels like a warm hug and an ode to the hits from Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid. It is incredibly nostalgic. To my OPM pals listening to these tracks next, you’ll know what I mean.

Here are some really good ones from my Indo playlist:

• Sebatas Mimpi by Angie Carvalho and Yovie Widianto

• Bawalah Cintaku by Afgan

• Berharap Kau Kembali by Fabio Asher

🐃 Vietnam Vibes

You’ve heard of the viral Vinahouse songs and Viet-dubbed Chinese music all over social media, but let me introduce to a side of their music scene you might not check out the first time: Viet alt rock.

Something about the way Vietnamese sounds and paired with echoing guitar riffs and full drum arrangements is tickling my ears the right way. It’s like a cross between slow Japanese anime OSTs and Thai street rock.

Here’s some cool guitar-led tracks to chill out for the rest of the day:

• Giấc Mơ 20 by Microwave

• 5AM by Cá Hồi Hoang

• Mấy Khi by The Flob

🎼 Lyric of the Week

🎶 New Music This Week

眼泪不再流 by Jurine Chia: Fresh as a springwater lake and crystal blue as the sea at noon — that’s how this song feels. It’ll have you reminiscing about your high school happy crush.

Từng Ngày Yêu Em by buitronglinh: Still having withdrawal symptoms from my Vietnam trip! Here’s an easy listen that’s as slick as a gel pomade.

Mùa Hạ (Nostalgia) by Em Ellata: Put a little groove to your week with this upbeat track — it’s the perfect audio to pair with a playful stroll along the streets of Hoi An.

Inspired by this week’s music picks?

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