Amidst the jam-packed calendar of events in Singapore this September, the exquisite Capitol Theatre brimmed with the exuberance of fans eagerly anticipating their beloved artists to grace the stage. The 1,500 strong crowd were treated to an unparalleled experience, showcasing the enormity of sounds which the eclectic lineup had to offer. Ranging from YUNGBLUD’s enthralling brand of rock to Violette’s signature ethereal pop. The five artists from around the globe and Southeast Asia raised the roof to an even higher decibel.
Headliner YUNGBLUD exclaims, “I thought the F1 race was this weekend but the screaming fans were louder than any engine that will be on the racetrack. Who would have predicted that an iconic concert hall in Singapore would be able to witness a mosh pit and this is one for the history books. Singaporeans are crazy and full of energy!”
YUNGBLUD and his band powered through his 45-min set with a crescendo of energy which never seemed to dissipate. While fans rocked out to timeless crowd favourites such as “parents” and “fleabag”, new hits from his latest self-titled album “YUNGBLUD” saw “Tissues” and “The Funeral” stood out and hit high notes amongst the audience. His fans, more affectionately known as the Black Hearts Club, echoed an accented chorus of overflowing catchy pop enthusiasm while carrying the energy of rock on YUNGBLUD’s shimmying shoulders.
“A lot of my inspiration comes from artists who have affected me and impacted change within culture, from David Bowie to The Clash, the Sex Pistols to Madonna and Joy Division,” he adds. “I remember seeing Bowie for the first time and being like ‘what is going on with that!’ Whether it’s Lady Gaga talking about freedom or Kurt Cobain, it’s what’s inside these songs and how they get inside me, that’s what’s the most beautiful thing ever, and I love the effect these people have on me, that they had a vision to put something out in the world, and changed it.”
On the other end of the spectrum, Music Is Universal’s opener Hayd eased the crowd in with a much softer, heartfelt affair. Hayd’s confessional lyricism was on full display for “Head In The Clouds”, as the viral hit opened the floodgates of emotions from the audience. Hayd could not contain his incredulity and zeal as he revealed that aside to Singapore, he will also be making pit-stops in Vietnam, Philippines & Thailand. We were taken down memory lane as he reminisced the days where he produced music in his bedroom, to now engaging with fans continents away.
Hayd says, “I grew up listening to Coldplay and went through a breakup in high school, and kept putting out vulnerable music. All my mates would flame me and make fun of me because of all this sensitive, ‘soft’ music, but I saw how much it can impact people, when they started messaging me and telling me that my music made them feel less alone, and I was inspired to keep writing it.”
“Sometimes, sad sounds can be the perfect fire starter to evoke intense emotions within you at a festival setting. Personally, I have always found it assuaging that my music threaded through social media to offer fans an emotional blanket. However, after seeing the crowd humming along sadly but harmoniously to the songs in a live setting, it turned my eyes red and puffy instead.”
As the wave of melancholy tided over, lullaboy’s natural charm saturated the air with love and serenity to get the crowd ascending into an emotional bliss with his latest single, “Shortcut to Heaven”. lullaboy’s everflowing charisma captivated the audience throughout, with his lush and expansive discography, where hits such as “someone like u” and “personal” made him cupid by sending everyone into a safe haven to experience the aural beauty of love.
“I grew up being a a pop punk, emo kid on weekdays, and a worship leader on weekends. Being in Singapore, it’s been very special because not only did I grow up listening to music from the West, but every single country, like my dad being Indonesian would introduce me to all these Indonesian bands that shaped me,” says lullaboy. “I’ve been out of school for 2 years now, from Berklee College of Music, and while you can learn everything from YouTube nowadays, my biggest takeaway was just being around people who loved music so much, and me being the guy doing pop and trying something new, there was something to learn from everyone around me.”
On his time at Music is Universal, lullaboy adds: “It’s amazing to see couples waltzing from one song to another, and it felt like I was watching multiple fairy tales from stage. Sometimes all you need is someone to be around you to be able to experience romance’s fleeting wonders in the air.”
Smoke and glitters took over next and manifested into a surround sound spectacle when dream pop extraordinaire Violette Wautier beguiled the audience with her sublime and airy vocals with “I’d Do It Again” and “Brassac”. Violette truly let the audience in with her music and imbued the theatre with her charm as she revealed her hidden talent of imitating bird noises.
“I first started writing music after watching and listening to Taylor Swift, and I went hey, I have my own stories too, and my own heartbreak. Songs have to come from the heart, and what I want to put out there are the feelings I feel, in all these honest heartbreaking love stories,” says Violette Wautier. “The Capitol Theatre is a huge venue but it felt extremely intimate at the same time. I could feel everyone’s warm gaze as the show went on and the night could have gone on forever.”
All eyes were also on fellow Spotify Global Radar artist Zack Tabudlo. Throngs of Zackified fans lined up in unwavering anticipation, spotted with hand-made signs trying to swat the attention of the chart-topping sensation. Zack Tabudlo became an instant phenomenon as he crooned out ”Binibini” and viral ballad “Give Me Your Forever”, with both day-one and new fans alike reciprocating the iconic lyrics back with unadulterated emotion. Zack also welcomed on stage Malaysian rapper Yonnyboii mid-set for a surprise performance of their unreleased collaborative single “First and Last”.
“I grew up with a lot of artists, especially those who played alt rock, with my dad listening to Vertical Horizon and My Chemical Romance, while my mum listened to Alicia Keys and Whitney Houston. I got inspired to fuse these two genres of music, and grew up singing songs like that before venturing into pop, with artists like Bieber and The 1975,” says Zac, on his inspiration. “Everyone I listen to has inspired me to become the artist I am today, and I will keep evolving my music, and never want to be stuck in any one genre.”
“It felt surreal to see fans in Singapore singing along to the songs that are so close to my heart. I learned this term recently that Singapore is quite rojak, and they love to mix all things beautiful for their food. I guess the same can be said about the music tonight too – as we saw how five artists from five different countries sang in many different languages but the energy from the crowd to everyone was immense and beautiful. Singapore feels like home now and I can’t wait to return again.”
Music Is Universal took place at the Capitol Theatre on 27th September 2022. Follow the official event playlist on Spotify here
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