Superheroes don't just exist in movies and comic books. In fact, many are disguised as the old man we know all too well who's never uttered the words 'I love you', but exemplifies it on the daily in unmistakable ways.
Whether it's ferrying us to school when we were younger, watching our favourite TV shows with us on the couch (although they're rarely awake by the end), or keeping us entertained with their "I tell you ah, back in my day..." stories, one thing is for sure — dads are often the real-life heroes we have looked up to all our lives.
This Father's Day, Hear65 caught up with Singaporean musicians and invited them to share some of the precious lessons they have learnt over the years from their dads. To express their gratitude to the man who has shaped much of their careers and lives, these musicians have also dedicated songs by Singaporean artists to their beloved fathers and shared some of their treasured personal pictures in celebration.
Read on to find out what they had to share.
Charlene Su
A memorable lesson I'm grateful that my Dad taught me:
My father is the most generous man I know. Not just in the big, performative, monetary ways but also in little ways - he’s showed me little acts of kindness can mean a lot, and that empathy is important. I’m grateful he’s taught me that generosity has little to do with what’s in your pocket, and a lot more to do with what’s in your heart.
A song by a Singaporean artist I want to dedicate to my Dad:
Bonds by Bennett Bay. It’s a beautiful instrumental piece composed by Bennett, a dear friend of mine whom I grew up with. The song has this special ability to evoke so many deep emotions and nostalgic feelings from my childhood. I wouldn’t be anything without my parents.
Listen to Charlene Su's latest single 'iwas4u' here.
MAXIMILIAN
A memorable lesson I'm grateful that my Dad taught me:
A message to my dad:
We are all unique individuals who have our own goals and dreams. You inspired me to study Law and I think deep down you want that too. But ironically you taught me my first four chords. Thank you for igniting the fire in me and teaching me those four chords because now, music is what I wanna pursue all my life.
Will make you proud. Happy Father’s Day.
A song by a Singaporean artist I want to dedicate to my Dad:
‘if only we were awake’ by MAXIMILIAN. This song is a testament to the love and support my family has given me for my music passion. Justin (my producer partner-in-crime) and I wrote this song to manifest our dreams into tangible, real life outcomes that no longer have to occur only when one is dreaming. If you have a burning passion but are afraid to take that leap of faith, this one’s for you.
Listen to MAXIMILIAN's latest album 'for felicia' here.
Bunnychap 林佳蕴
A memorable lesson I'm grateful that my Dad taught me:
My father, Mr Lim Tiong Lu, taught me a lot regarding time management. When I was young, he was always asking me “What are you doing at 1pm?”, “What are you doing at 2pm?” and so on. By teaching me to do a timetable for the day and planning my time ahead, I learnt to treasure my time and make full use of it. This time management skill has helped me to be an efficient student in school and also helped me to be an effective co-worker in the workplace. Thank you dad for this precious life lesson!
A song by a Singaporean artist I want to dedicate to my Dad:
【街上碰见】- 林佳蕴. Dear dad, 时间再紧迫，也要记得听一首好歌！
(Dear dad, no matter how limited our time may be, there is always time for a good song! Here is my latest single 【街上碰见】dedicated to you, wishing you a Happy Father's Day!)
Listen to Bunnychap's latest single '街上碰见' here.
Nic Soze
A memorable lesson I'm grateful that my Dad taught me:
A valuable lesson I've learnt from my father is patience. Ever since I was a child, he has been patient with me every step of the way and for that, I am forever grateful. Because of that, it has influenced me to be more patient in my creative process and to trust that the work I put in will eventually culminate into something special.
A song by a Singaporean artist I want to dedicate to my Dad:
I would like to dedicate the classic local song 堅持到底 by A-Do to my dad, as it's one of his all-time favorites.
Listen to Nic Soze's latest single 'COLD HEART' here.
Soph T. 霏霏
A memorable lesson I'm grateful that my Dad taught me:
I was kind of an outcast back in Primary One because I had just moved house and transferred over from another school. So...I only had a couple of close friends. Yes, your girl felt pretty bad about it, as I wanted to have many friends like the popular kids.
My dad then gave me a piece of advice that stuck with me till today - you do not need a village of friends to be happy. You just need a couple of true friends who know and love you for who you are. Those are the friends that truly matter and will stick with you through good and bad times.
A song by a Singaporean artist I want to dedicate to my Dad:
I would love to dedicate my song 百分知己 to my papa. First of all, he loves this song hahaha! Secondly, he is indeed my 知己 (confidant), and I give him a perfect score for it.
PSSSSTTTT... IF YOU'RE READING THIS, I love you, papa!
Listen to Soph T.'s latest single '零米距離' here.
Krysta Joy
A memorable lesson I'm grateful that my Dad taught me:
My dad taught me never to give up on trying to fix something that’s broken. Growing up, I was always assured that if there’s something broken in the house, he will find all sorts of innovative ways to fix it. They may not have worked all the time, but it never stopped him from trying to fix the next thing. This translated to other aspects of his life such as family and work, and it’s a trait that I constantly try to embody.
A song by a Singaporean artist I want to dedicate to my Dad:
I would like to dedicate ‘Beauty for Ashes’ by Bitty. It reminds me of my dad because he is one who chooses to see the beauty even in the broken things, believing that it is much more than what it may seem. He is constantly affirming me when I feel like I’m not enough and goes the extra mile to sit me down and listen to the mess I make.
Listen to Krysta Joy's latest single 'Revert' here.
We have compiled the song dedications made by the artists into a Spotify playlist below. Take a listen to these tracks and feel free to share them with your Dads this Sunday. Happy Father's Day!
