18 year-old Jarrell Ng, a second-year student from Singapore Polytechnic, was crowned the inaugural SPOP SING! Champion.
SPOP SING! is an initiative by Mediacorp to showcase and curate local music compositions, heighten the awareness of Singapore music and discover the next voice to put Singapore on the Mandopop map.
Many of the songs showcased were written, composed, arranged and popularised by Singapore talents.
Jarrell clinched the title after edging out 3 other finalist hopefuls in front of a 8,000-strong audience.
With the winner determined by audience voting, he walked away with a $30,000 cash prize and a debut song, Wings of Pride composed by Lee Wei Song specifically for the occasion.
“I am still in shock,” said an ecstatic Jarrell after the three-hour competition. “I have never expected to come so far; and to be able to perform and win the SPOP SING! competition is like a dream come true.”
At a media conference held after the SPOP SING! Grand Final, Mediacorp and WISE Music announced plans to groom and co-manage Jarrell to reach his fullest potential locally and also beyond the shores of Singapore. The collaboration between Mediacorp and WISE Music will also involve future Chinese music talent shows.
Doreen Neo, Chief Content Officer, Mediacorp, said: “We are very glad to have found a deserving winner in the inaugural SPOP SING! competition. Jarrell is a talented singer and his performance tonight has shown that he has the potential to make it big in the Singapore music scene. With the additional backing from our WISE Music partners Lee Wei Song and Lee Si Song, I am optimistic that Jarrell can go further and make a name for himself in the regional music scene. Through SPOP, we will continue to rebuild a culture to celebrate Singapore music and discover and nurture the next generation of talents through Mediacorp's multiple platforms.”
Peter Lee Si Song, Founder of WISE Music said: “My brother Wei Song and I made our debut through a collaboration with Mediacorp, and we have been in the industry for more than 30 years. As a judge of the SPOP SING! competition, I have witnessed the development and birth of a new Singapore star over the past three months. I am excited and hopeful for the future of our local music scene, and am truly very touched today.”
All songs performed by the 20 contestants have been compiled into a special SPOP Sing! Original Soundtrack (OST) & are available for streaming or downloading on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, KKBox, Deezer and Singapore telcos' digital music stores.