Neon Lights 2019 Confirms Line Up of Mumford & Sons, Halsey, HONNE and Chet Faker

Singapore’s premier music and arts festival Neon Lights returns to Fort Canning Park this November with a host of star-studded headliners.

The festival will be taking place over the weekend of November 23rd (Sat) and 24th (Sun).

Making their Singapore debut at Fort Canning Park, Little Lion Man hit-makers Mumford & Sons will perform their first and only show here in the Lion City on the first day of the two-day event.

Image: Neon Lights Facebook Page

Sharing the stage with them is HONNE, making a quick return from their sold-out show earlier this year to appropriately headline Day 1.

Day 2 sees chart-topping Halsey, with fresh hits like Without Me and the elusive Nick Murphy, formerly known as Chet Faker, take on the Neon Lights stage.

Beyond the acts, Silent Disco will also be making a return on the events ground, alongside a selection of food and drinks.

Tickets are available from Ticketflap and SISTIC, starting from SGD128 for Sunday passes, SGD138 for Saturday and SGD245 for a two-day pass.

For more information, check out the Instagram post below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2Z1yM_HZtJ/

The Weeknd To Perform In Singapore As Part of His First Ever Asia Tour

Abel Tesfaye, better known the world over as The Weeknd, will finally be making his way to Asia with dates that span across Hong Kong, Bangkok, Manila, Bali and more.

More importantly to Singaporean music fans, the singer will be dropping by the Lion City for a one-night-only concert later this year.

According to a poster that was posted on The Weeknd’s Instagram page, the Asia tour will take place from Nov 30 to Dec 18, with the concert in Singapore taking place on Dec 5.

Tesfaye will also be dropping by South Korea, Japan and Taiwan before concluding his inaugural venture to the Far East.

Ticket details and venues have yet to be announced, so stay tuned for more information.

The Weeknd in… ASIA !

A post shared by The Weeknd (@theweeknd) on

Chance The Rapper To Perform In Singapore For The First Time

Chance The Rapper will be heading to Singapore for the very first time for a one-night-only performance.

Concert promoter LAMC Productions made the announcement on Facebook earlier today, after teasing a big announcement the day before.

Chano’s concert in Singapore will be part of his Asia Run Tour, which will see him visit Osaka, Tokyo and Manila in lead up to the Lion City.

The news will be a pleasant surprise for local rap fans in Singapore, with many hoping that this will pave the way for more hip hop artists to make a stop here.

Last year, the Chicago-born rapper won three Grammy Awards including the nod for Best Rap Album for his 2016 mixtape Coloring Book, the first artist to win without selling physical copies of his music.

According to LAMC Productions on Facebook.

Bruno Mars Shows Off His Love For Sneakers On The Grammy Stage

When Bruno Mars and The Grammys are mentioned in the same sentence, it’s usually his music that makes the headlines. This time however, it’s the singer’s footwear that caught the attention of most.

Mars and his dancers rocked the Grammy stage with some of Nike’s top pairs from 2017.

The singer performed in a pair of Off-White x Nike Air Prestos while his two lead dancers wore the Off-White x Air Jordan 1s and the Sean Wotherspoon x Nike Air Max 97/1s, respectively.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Mars went on to win six Grammys on the night, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for 24K Magic, and Song of the Year for That’s What I Like.

The recording artist will be heading over to Singapore and Malaysia later this May, so expect him to rock his sneakers when he hits our shores.

Laneway 2018 Celebrates The Best of Local and Regional Acts

With less than a week to go, we’ve decided to have a look at the full line-up again to make sure you guys can make the most of the festival. Aside from headliners Mac DeMarco and Anderson .Paak, make sure you catch these regional acts as the day goes on.

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As always, Laneway has exceeded our expectations regarding local acts.

In the second phase of Singapore’s line-up, the festival added a number of established and up-and-coming artists from around the region with eight out of the 23 acts coming from Singapore or our ASEAN neighbours.

It might even surprise one to hear that some of our local artists are coming out strong when it comes to the most talked about performers on social media or online searches.

Cuponation found that Indonesian alt-rock band HEALS was the most searched and talked about band in the Laneway line-up, ahead of Bonodo, Billie Ellish and headliner Mac DeMarco. HEALS released their first full-length album ‘Spectrum’ in 2017 so make sure they’re on your list to watch out for!

If you’re looking to bang out to some Singaporean pride, catch rapper THELIONCITYBOY on stage with his infectious energy.

Want something a little sweeter or melancholy? Hit up The Obedient Wives Club (we very obviously mean the band) for some tunes reminiscent of an 80s or 90s movie soundtrack.

Click here.

Laneway will be in Singapore Saturday, 27 January at The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay.

Swee Lee’s New Flagship Store Has Something For Everyone, Including Sneakerheads

Like many young aspiring musicians, I spent most of my teenage years frequenting Bras Basah Complex, browsing and jamming to my favourite tunes on the variety of guitars at Swee Lee Music.

The humble guitar store has since become a force to be reckon with in the music retail industry, spanning across a whopping 13 stores throughout Southeast Asia, seven of which reside in its hometown of Singapore.

From new logos to branch expansions, following the growth of this homegrown brand has been heartening, and the opening of its latest flagship store at Star Vista (#01-07 to #01-10) marks a new chapter in Swee Lee’s history.

At the new store, the retailer is expanding beyond the confines of musical instruments by enhancing the retail experience for music-lovers of all stripes. Upon entering, visitors will soon realise that this is more than just a music store.

In addition to the rows of guitars and effect pedals, the new store boasts a range of electronic DJ equipment, music accessories, and even apparel and footwear from adidas, Converse, Superga and Asics.

What’s more, the 5,000-square feet store boasts a cafe with beans from Common Man Coffee Roasters and ice cream from Island Creamery.

“At Swee Lee’s heart is a commitment to truly catering to the evolving needs and desires of our customers,” said managing director Meng Ru Kuok in a statement. “We want to push the boundaries of retail and elevate what people can expect a shopping experience to be.”

For a closer look at the reopened outlet, check it out below.

[caption id="attachment_10484" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Image: Swee Lee Music[/caption] [caption id="attachment_10478" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Image: Swee Lee Music[/caption] [caption id="attachment_10479" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Image: Swee Lee Music[/caption] [caption id="attachment_10485" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Image: Swee Lee Music[/caption] [caption id="attachment_10483" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Image: Swee Lee Music[/caption] [caption id="attachment_10482" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Image: Swee Lee Music[/caption] [caption id="attachment_10481" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Image: Swee Lee Music[/caption] [caption id="attachment_10480" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Image: Swee Lee Music[/caption] [caption id="attachment_10477" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Image: Swee Lee Music[/caption]

Swee Lee Star Vista is located at  #1-07/08/09/10 The Star Vista, 1 Vista Exchange Green, 138617 Singapore.

COMMENTARY: Why I’m all for Spotify

It’s been a long time since I’ve thought about the trusty old iPod Classic, with its 160GB storage and click-wheel, let alone used it. So, imagine my surprise to have stumbled across it while doing a spring clean of the house. Long gone are those days of tediously scrolling down a list to find the song you wanted.

Music streaming platforms have altered the way we listen to and discover new music. Spotify, Apple Music and SoundCloud now dominate the industry and one would be hard-pressed to find someone who buys all their music, whether through physical copies or on iTunes.

Before the advent of these large-scale streaming platforms, discovering new music was largely a social task. Discussing what gigs people went to over the weekend or what they themselves had recently discovered on iTunes was the only alternative to sifting through artists and songs yourself.

As a huge fan of Spotify, I can obviously see the appeal of having a platform (which boasts more than 30 million songs) that simplifies the process of finding and listening to music. No more waiting for albums to download or trying to remember your iTunes account password to verify a purchase. Not to mention, the algorithm used to create customised radios and playlists such as Discover Weekly is amazing for people like myself who want new music without putting in the effort.

Spotify even lets you know if there are concerts in your area that you might be interested in going based on which artists you follow. This is especially great for lesser-known artists to spread the word about their performances.

Despite the age-old controversies and issues music streaming sites and platforms face (ahem, Taylor Swift and Apple Music), I personally think that for every perceived disadvantage there are also benefits to using apps such as Spotify.

Some may argue that smaller and indie artists stand to lose money when it comes to streaming platforms but from my standpoint, it was through Spotify (and their algorithms) that I discovered countless lesser-known artists, many of which have less than a thousand streams on their most popular songs.

Another point to mention is the way artists are paid through streaming services. Downloading or buying an album may cost a set amount, say $14.99, and the songs on the album can be played and replayed an infinite number of times over many years. However, royalties for that one sale will only get paid out once regardless of how often its songs are played.

In contrast, Spotify’s system of pay-per-play will come off as a much smaller percentage, often less than a cent. But multiply that by the hundreds or thousands of plays and in the long run, artists may stand to gain more in this business model.

Understandably, this system has its own share of issues and of course, it will always be harder financially for less known artists and bands either way.

With the digital world on the constant move, streaming might be the way to go or something new might be just around the corner. While finding my iPod Classic was definitely nostalgic, I certainly don’t miss the way I used to listen to music.

I enjoy indivudually curated playlists and radios for me. I am a lazy millennial, after all.

CONFIRMED: Bruno Mars Is Coming To Singapore

Players, it’s time to put yo pinky rings up to the moon because Bruno Mars is bringing his 24K Magic World Tour to Singapore!

Live Nation Lushington made the announcement on Facebook earlier today, with the concert being held on 6 May 2018.

Tickets will range from S$168 to S$348 and will include seated and standing entries. They will go on sale to the public from October 19 at 10am via Sports Hub’s

Eminem’s New Album Rumoured To Drop in November

Eminem’s upcoming album is reported to be due next month, with news outlets reporting a possible November 17 release date.

While unconfirmed by Eminem’s camp, 

Throwback Tuesdays: Boy Bands We Grew Up Listening To

Back in the 90s and early 2000s, boy bands were dominating the music industry with their dashing looks, hypnotizing music and synchronized dance performance. It was guaranteed that almost all of us from this era owned a copy of a boy band CD.

The Beatles may have been long gone but their legacy lived on through the ages, and up till today people are still playing boy band music on repeat.

Lets take a trip down memory lane with some of the most influential boy bands to ever come by.

1) Boyz II Men 

[caption id="attachment_8330" align="alignnone" width="960"] Image: BBC[/caption]

Boyz II Men was one of the most successful R&B boy bands with their hit song “One Sweet Day” feat. Mariah Carey released in 1995, hitting the top of the chart for 16 weeks straight.

Boyz II Men debuted in 1988 and shot to fame in the early 1990s and produced many hit songs including “End of the Road” & “I’ll Make Love to You”.

They broke many records and were awarded the Hollywood star back in 2012.

2) Backstreet Boys

[caption id="attachment_8334" align="alignnone" width="796"] Image: The Young Folks[/caption]

The Backstreet Boys were the first group to have seven albums place top 10 in the billboards.

The group formed back in 1993 and rose to fame with their first album release in 1996 titled “Backstreet Boys”.

The following year they released another successful album “Backstreet’s Back” and the Backstreet Boys fame exploded throughout the world.

They produced many songs that still linger on till today such as “As Long As You Love Me” and “Shape Of My Heart”.

3) ‘N SYNC 

[caption id="attachment_8336" align="alignnone" width="745"] Image: LA Weekly[/caption]

‘N SYNC will always be remembered as the stepping stone for Justin Timberlake who gained extreme popularity and fame when he split up with the group and went solo.

Despite his road to success ending the journey for ‘N SYNC, we still can’t deny the fact that the group produced many great hits including “It’s Gonna Be Me” which topped the charts for 2 weeks straight.

Their album titled “No Strings Attached” sold more than 10 million copies and topped the charts for eight weeks.

So the next time you hear Justin Timberlake always remember that it was ‘N SYNC that made him what he is today.

4) Westlife

[caption id="attachment_8337" align="alignnone" width="615"] Image: Daily Mirror[/caption]

Westlife was formed in Ireland Dublin in 1998 and was initially signed by Simon Cowell. They went on to be extremely successful and sold over 50 million copies world wide.

This may come as a surprise but Westlife never managed to top the charts in US despite achieving top ten in the UK for 26 times.

They rose to fame quick but became almost obsolete when the industry started changing and with new and younger competitors besting them, Westlife threw in the towel back in 2012.

They will always be remembered for giving us memorable music while we grew up.

5) Savage Garden

[caption id="attachment_8339" align="alignnone" width="960"] Image: Music Feeds[/caption]

Savage Garden was an Australian boy band that only consisted of two members.

They formed up in 1993 and went on to achieve international success in the late 1990s and early 2000s with hit songs like  “I Knew I Loved You” & “Truly Madly Deeply”.

They had two albums to reach number one in Australia and ranked top 10 in both UK and US.

Music from these bands never fails to send nostalgic feelings. Before the Jonas Brothers or One Direction, there were these guys who will always be remembered for giving us great music.