Mediacorp’s highly anticipated adaptation of the hit South Korean mystery singer game show I Can See Your Voice is set to premiere on 13 January. Hosted by Joakim Gomez and Munah Bagharib, this 10-episode variety programme features 60 mystery singers who must either prove their singing prowess or cleverly conceal their lack of vocal talent in order to avoid elimination by celebrity contestants.
Using reasoning and intuition, celebrity contestants must deduce the mystery singers’ musical capabilities and weed out the bad singers across multiple rounds, working towards the goal of retaining a good singer as the last person standing. As if that concept wasn’t intriguing enough, the show is spiced up by a star-studded panel of resident celebrity detectives who will provide commentary that either aids or misleads celebrity contestants in their decisions.
One of those celebrity detectives is none other than Singaporean popstar Benjamin Kheng, an artist abundantly qualified for this task given his experience as an acclaimed musician and actor. We got the chance to speak to witty The Sam Willows frontman about his exciting role in I Can See Your Voice, his latest single ‘REALLY IN LOVE’, his massive 2024, and his plans for 2025.
Prior to this, were you already a fan of I Can See Your Voice?
I have to admit I hadn’t really fallen into that part of the Internet. But the moment I got the gig I pretty much drowned myself in all versions of that content. It was that much better than Love Island.
How did you get involved with this project?
A show producer who I’ve worked with for over 10 years reached out and asked if I could judge people but on air. It was a refreshing change from my daily life.
@mediacorp say hi to @Benjamin Kheng —your resident celebrity detective on #ICanSeeYourVoiceSingapore! 🎉 can benjamin identify the good singers from their ✨vibratos✨? 🤣 #ICanSeeYourVoice #mediacorpICanSeeYourVoice #ICSYVSG #mediacorp #mewatch #whattowatch ♬ original sound - Mediacorp
Which of the show’s game mechanics excites you the most?
That few seconds before someone reveals their true voice has got to be the weirdest feeling. I involuntarily end up in weird positions, but I think mostly hiding behind humans and objects.
Could you tell us a bit about your role as a resident celebrity detective?
They got me on the show to be sort of “an advisor” to the celebrity contestants. As a resident celebrity detective, I focus on the visual cues that I think only a good singer will exhibit. I’m perfect for this because I myself have been fooling the Singaporean public for almost 15 years.
On the flip side, how would you approach the game if you were a mystery singer?
Based on this version of the game, and who I am, it’s likely I’d be very unserious and come up with a persona. I’m happy to be a long lost Hartono brother.
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Are there particular adaptations to the show’s format that makes this version I Can See Your Voice unique?
I’d say the team has really spared no expense in shooting and editing “extra” content of the mystery singers to be revealed at a certain juncture of the show. The practice of embedding further clues in these moments, deserves its flowers.
Switching gears, let’s talk about your latest single. What was the creative process behind ‘REALLY IN LOVE’?
I think I wanted to return to as much live instrumentation as I could, and push myself to not create or write for anyone else but me. I love speaking in cliches. But in all honesty, that’s the goal for this next chapter.
The song also comes with a cool music video! Could you tell what went on during the making of the MV?
I don’t know how much longer I or anyone can afford to put out music videos, but I think my team and I gave ourselves some rules to adhere to - utilising our own space, featuring our team of musicians, and shooting it all on an iPhone.
2024 was obviously a huge year for you professionally. Looking back, what accomplishment or moment meant the most to you?
I think it was, weirdly enough, getting over my fear of seeking counsel from some of the brightest minds that I admire. I’ve unabashedly asked some of these luminaries out for coffee and for a chance to learn from them in a greater capacity. It’s crazy how much I don’t know, and how willing your heroes are to impart knowledge, if you don’t try to come across like a tart. It helps that I know very little too.
Looking forward, what can we expect from you in 2025? Any upcoming projects that you can tell us about?
I’m going to TRY to juggle more creative pursuits, mostly writing and directing film projects, while cutting new music releases. I’ve always put off one for the other, afraid that they’d worsen the other due to time and attention, but I think I just want to go in the direction of what inspires me. More cliches!
