Red, White & Diamond

Vol. 44 | Celebrating the Red Dot’s Senior Birthday!

Author

Valerie S.
August 06, 2025

Happy midweek guys,

National Day’s coming up, and everyone’s getting into the national spirit — whether it’s celebrating at the annual parade, chilling at home, or making a beeline for the Causeway checkpoint for a quick getaway with our neighbours.

This year’s National Day feels extra special for me because it marks my 20th year since moving to Singapore. There’s a sense of awe, and perhaps a little bit of pride too, when I look back at how I went from being a 7-year-old kid who had no idea how to speak Singlish or enjoy local zi char, to someone who now effortlessly code-switches between my native accent and Singlish, and craves local dishes whenever I’m overseas. Filipino blood runs in my veins, but I’m also every bit as Singaporean as I can be.

This week, we’re tuning in locally for sounds you might not have explored yet. It might still be a while before Singapore music becomes known for more than just its memorable NDP songs, but I hope the music from today’s era can still make you say, “This is home, truly.”

Happy National Day! 🇸🇬

From your true-blue Singaporean,

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:

🦁 Made in Singapura

Being in the open jam scene lately, I’ve met some of the many talented musicians in the country. It’s heartwarming that the STEM-heavy culture that once defined our identity is changing — new art and music can still flourish and emerge against all odds, and I’ve no doubt that the music scene will continue to grow in time.

Here’s some music released this year from our very own local artists that are worth sharing:

💿 Tunes Hitting the 60s This Year

Back in the early days of radio, Singapore had its own local music scene emerging, heavily influenced by American rock ’n’ roll and British pop. However, this momentum didn’t last long. The 1960s marked a period of major political and socioeconomic transition, as Singapore shifted its focus toward industrialisation and nation-building after gaining full independence in 1965.

Here are some bops that your grandparents may have listened to back in their days:

📣 Sing, Singapore!

And here we are (literally) with this year’s NDP theme song to celebrate the National Day holiday!

The song gives off “Lean On Me” vibes, with ooh-ing background vocals and finger snapping. It’s much calmer than previous years’ theme songs, and it’s easy to sing along to without the high belter vocals or acrobatics.

I really like how soulful this year’s theme song is. The lyrics flow naturally, and the pairing between melody and words doesn’t feel forced or rushed. It’s the kind of track that fits any Singapore scene, whether you’re strolling past colourful shophouses or taking a kopi O break at your favourite hawker centre. Or maybe it’s just because we have the brilliant Charlie Lim composing this year’s national day song 🙌

Check it out here!

🎶 New Music This Week

SORRY? WHAT? NO. by Rhea Asmara: Chill out with harp-like instrumentals with this upcoming Indonesian R&B pop artist. It’s got the perfect beat arrangement to remix in a DJ set.

Al Sham by Elyanna: Our vocalist’s got the hypnotic vocals that can send ships and their men to the deep waters. Big props to the electric synth flute - it’s giving major robotic rattlesnake dance.

Friends by DON WEST: This particular soul genre is really finding its way to me at this point in my life, when I’m searching for music that feels like an old soul with a young spirit. This song is one of those new finds that are popping up on my playlists.

Inspired by this week’s music picks?

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