The ninth edition of the mandopop songwriting competition SG:SW I Write The Songs came to a spectacular close as the bill of incredibly promising talents blew the crowd away with their meaningful lyrics and passionate delivery. Featuring the youngest-ever list of finalists, this installment of the competition is truly one for the books.
Fans were also treated to performances by special guests such as SG:SW I Write The Songs 2025 Ambassador Elton Lee and mandopop duo The Freshman.
The ninth edition saw entries from 131 participants who were mostly blooming Gen Z songwriters — highlighting the importance of spotlighting young talents. Earlier this year, 24 contestants performed for 23,220 audience members for a chance to qualify for the prestigious finale round. They also had the chance to attend exclusive masterclasses led by renowned Taiwanese musicians — lyricist Louise Lou and composer Meilinbear.
The finale concert shaped up to be a celebration of musical diversity as the compositions by the 10 finalists spanned genres from jazz and ballads to electronic and rock. They were judged by Singapore Cultural Medallion Award recipient Dr Liang Wern Fook, renowned music producer Zennon Goh, acclaimed Taiwanese lyricist Louise Lou, award-winning Taiwanese composer Meilinbear, and Mediacorp personality Zhong Kunhua to get a chance to win in any of the six award categories.
The first and second categories were the Best Song Award and the Popularity Award. Both awards were swept up by ‘Let Me Be Lazy’ by 16-year-old Crystal, who was one of the youngest contestants to participate in the competition.
Her nuanced songwriting won the hearts of audiences during the public voting, which led to her winning the Popularity Award. ‘Let Me Be Lazy’ is a laid-back jazz track that comments on the fast pace of life in the 21st century, infused with the perspective of a youth navigating high societal pressure daily. Judge Meilinbear commented, "This song breaks away from the typical structure of pop music and was presented like a musical. The performance was natural, and this is a very successful piece of composition."
The third category, the Melody (Merit) Award, was won by a trio of former SG:SW participants who created 'Uni-Direction', a ballad with inspiring lyrics that spurred listeners on with the message that “life is a one-way journey.” The win was extremely meaningful to member Alina Mak, who finally clinched a trophy after nine years of participating in SG:SW and submitting 27 entries — embodying extreme resilience.
The fourth award, the Lyrics (Merit) Award, was presented to Teo Ying Ying for her song 'The Quiet Goodbye', which told a story drawn from her experiences caring for her father who suffers from dementia. The heart-wrenching tune touched audiences as it put forth the conflicting emotions and desperation to hold on to fading memories.
Right after that was the fifth award for Best Vocal Performance, which was won by the touching R&B track ‘To: My Dearest Girls’. Composed by Daniel Lim and performed by Andy Ong, the song is a dedication to the most important women in life — such as a wife or daughter. The lyrics resonated with audiences with heartfelt glimpses of simple joys — conveying the quiet promise to always cherish them. Andy's heartfelt delivery moved the judges, earning the Best Vocal Performance Award.
The last award of the evening was presented to the Best Performing Band for their song ‘Waiting For You to Realise’. Written and composed by band member Loh Jun Ming, the moving ballad captures the pain of unspoken love, with its emotional delivery and memorable chorus earning the Best Performing Band Award.
Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre Chief Executive Officer Alvin Tan expressed their belief in paving the way for youth to spread their wings and showcase their talent as he shared, "Through SG:SW, SCCC seeks to cultivate local budding songwriters, recognise their songwriting efforts, and provide a platform to showcase their songs to a wider audience.
He also adds "Together with SCCC’s other initiatives such as TGIF Music Station and Sing.Lang, SCCC hopes to grow the local Mandarin songwriting scene and add to the vibrancy of the mandopop scene in Singapore."
Managing Director of Ocean Butterflies Music, Colin Goh, and Chief Executive Officer and Director of COMPASS, Dr Edmund Lam, also emphasised SG:SW’s role as Singapore’s leading platform for original Mandarin music, celebrating nine years of discovering and nurturing local songwriting talent. Both emphasised the competition’s impact in building a vibrant, sustainable ecosystem for emerging songwriters and its continued mission to amplify Singapore’s creative voices on the global stage.
With this amazing bill of winners, the ninth edition of SG:SW I Write The Songs concluded with a vibrant celebration of emerging mandopop talent, showcasing heartfelt performances, diverse genres, and the inspiring creativity of Singapore’s next generation of songwriters.
