When it comes to music, music videos are important supplements to what we can hear as they stimulate our visual senses in a way that sound cannot.
From creative homemade projects to cinematic works that beg to be seen on a big screen, all forms of music videos are released by Singapore's talented musicians seeking to extend the stories told in their songs every month. In this monthly series, we will be rounding up the latest releases from our sunny island that might fly under the radar.
Check out Hear65's guide to local music videos for May and contact us at hello@hear65.com to submit your music videos!
Rangga Jones and ROYAL ESTATE - Midnight Till Dawn
Released: 23 May 2023
Take a slow ride with Rangga JONES and ROYAL ESTATE in the visualizer for 'Midnight Till Dawn'. Get behind the wheel and sing your heart out or take a long bus ride around town imagining you are the main character. Whether plugged into the aux cord or your trusty earpiece, the track is sure to accompany you on the road.
Corey Koh - 对的时候 (The Right Moment)
Released: 20 May 2023
A stunning representation of the conflict within Corey Koh as he experiences what it is like to fall deeply in love, the music video for ‘对的时候 (The Right Moment)’ is a masterclass in visual storytelling. Featuring shots tinted in blue and orange, and even a couple of black and white ones, it captures Koh’s shifting emotions as he sings of his feelings for the woman he wants to be with and questions when would be the right moment to tell her how he feels.
FIG - Seeking For Connection
Released: 19 May 2023
Like on a phone call with nobody on the other end, FIG runs around town in the music video for 'Seeking For Connection' as she looks for another to answer her call. But sometimes, you question whether you have it in you to sober up, slap yourself awake, and cut the cord even if it kills your hopes of finding somebody else who could relate to you. After all, there has to be someone else at the other end of the tin can telephone, right? Right?
lullaboy - cool
Released: 19 May 2023
In this honest look into the life of a celebrity, lullaboy comes face to face with the pain that fame begets. Contrary to what it looks like on the outside, sometimes it's not all roses and sunshine living such a life, especially when you are always "making fake friends" and wanting to be "validated by someone else". At the end of the day, we are all humans too.
Dru Chen, Charlie Lim - Utopia Reimagined: If You Knew
Released: 19 May 2023
Dru Chen and Charlie Lim take us behind the scenes of the creation of the final song in the series of Utopia Reimagined. This video for 'If You Knew' is a candid look at the production work between the duo and students from the Diploma in Sonic Arts from Republic Polytechnic. They take inspiration from one another and from the sights of Singapore as they seek to define the term "Utopia".
J.M3 - X (feat. KIRE)
Released: 19 May 2023
The chemistry between bilingual homegrown rapper J.M3 and Taiwanese singer-songwriter KIRE takes centre stage in the music video for their collaborative track, ‘X’. Set in a Fast and Furious-esque garage, it follows the two — dressed in stylish all-black outfits — as they get close to each other while dancing and delivering their sultry number’s lines.
Zalelo - Tunggu
Released: 15 May 2023
In ‘Tunggu (Wait)’, Zalelo tells the story before the love story. Beyond the familiar trepidations of a first (chicken shop) date — which include awkward strolling through the street of Bugis and fumbling to come up with conversation topics — comes the elephant in the room, commitment. Forget about 'will they or won't they', the only thing that matters is whether you want to. They say patience is a virtue and the experience of watching ’Tunggu’ espouses just that.
JARVIS and Ruth Kueo - 忘了睡不著的夜晚
Released: 14 May 2023
If you feel like you have been carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders for the longest time and have been unable to rest as a result, this one is for you. In the music video for ‘忘了睡不著的夜晚’, we follow several troubled individuals as they battle with their inner demons. As the video progresses, the comforting disembodied voices of JARVIS and Ruth Kueo spur them on by reminding them to breathe and telling them that they are not alone. Moving and inspiring, this music video is a reminder to not give up even when our situations seem bleak.
STIFFEN - Ocean
Released: 13 May 2023
In this hauntingly beautiful video, Stiffen croons about his lover and likens them to the ocean. Accompanied by instrumentals that are serene and tranquil just like waves that gently lap at your knees sunk in the sand, 'Ocean' tells a tale of introspection and longing, a story carried over by those very same waves. "Arungi gemintang seribu pesona (sailing through thousands of glimmering stars)", the Singapore-based artist channels his Indonesian roots as he sings in Bahasa Indonesia.
Masanies and Masia One - Come Make You Move
Released: 12 May 2023
In a real blend of cultures and genres, 'Come Make You Move' is a fire collaboration between Indoreggae artist Masanies and "Far East Empress" and homegrown rapper Masia One. Based in Indonesia, Masanies sings in Javanese about not straying from your humanity as you strive for a better fortune and future. Across the straits and in front of the Petronas Towers and on the Saloma Link Bridge, Masia One raps about letting the "rhythm makes us move, revolution scares the feds". Witness some Nusantara love here.
yeule - sulky baby
Released: 10 May 2023
yuele's 'sulky baby' sees them transcend time to meet their younger self, trying to right the self-inflicted wrongs of their childhood. They are willing to jump in the pool and hack open a locked door in the midst of a gas leak just to look out for their younger self. In the midst of it, yeule's younger self slaps a cigarette out of their hands reminding us that sometimes it's the people that you try to save, that end up saving you too.
Dominic Chin - Haste
Released: 7 May 2023
Dominic Chan's animated video for 'Haste' makes you want to be a humanoid finding true blue alien love with another alien and just busting dance moves all day with them. This infinitely cute video will have you hoping that your next swipe right is filled with nothing but green flags.
Nathan Hartono - Tell It To My Face
Released: 6 May 2023
How do you separate the art from the artist? As you touch your cheek in the mirror, where does the real version of "you" end and the idealized version of "you" that you show the world begins? In 'Tell It To My Face', Nathan Hartono knows he is singing about "first-world problems" and yet it doesn't change the fact that these are still problems. In expressing dissatisfaction with a world that doesn't want you, just the entertainment you provide, Hartono cheekily reflects, "Guess the world knows me better than I do".
P_NEDA - CINNAMON
Released: 5 May 2023
When you're high on love, it can feel like all kinds of drunk. P_NEDA portrays that aptly in his video for 'CINNAMON' as he sways between states of reality, unsure of where he is headed, with no solid grip on life, and stumbling constantly. "I keep your picture with me, especially on my worst days". Same P_NEDA, because sometimes it feels like the only thing that will get you through this.
Haneri - Curious
Released: 5 May 2023
Between partying, socializing, and playing "Spin the Bottle", Haneri sings about being curious about a crush she met through a party, unsure about making a move. 'Curious' takes you through that hazy memory and initial stages of having feelings towards someone, nagged by the question of whether they feel the same.
jaye - kid
Released: 4 May 2023
"I just wanna feel like a kid on my floatie and kick up my feet oh take me back to when I didn't care". In a video fuelled by individual frames of AI-generated images interspersed with real-life footage, jaye uses images from a neural network to show the child's perspective of life. Your childhood memories are sacred — whether they be skating through the city, kicking up the waves, or wishing you were flying through outer space. On top of that, jaye shows how AI can be a powerful tool in visual effects rather than a complete replacement for human work.
