From a sleepy fishing village to a thriving metropolis, Singapore’s transformation is the stuff of textbooks. But what about the songs, styles, and slang that tell the nation’s unofficial story? That’s the focus of SingaPop! 60 Years of Singapore Pop Culture, a new multimedia exhibition at the ArtScience Museum that opens on 2 August as the flagship of its SG60 Season.

Created by Cultural Medallion recipient and iconic singer-songwriter Dick Lee, SingaPop! is a vibrant, emotional tribute to the idiosyncrasies that make Singapore Singapore. It’s a celebration of who we are, how we got here, and how long it took us to truly believe in our cultural voice. “This exhibition is saying: we do have a Singapore identity,” Lee said at the press preview. “And that’s enough. From here, it will grow.”

Lee’s personal story weaves through the entire experience. In 1974, he released his debut album Life Story, hoping to write a Singaporean song with Fried Rice Paradise. Alas, Iit was banned. The reason? “Improper use of English.” “That told me something,” Lee recalled. “Expressing myself as a Singaporean wasn’t a good thing. So I left it alone.”

Disillusioned, Lee left for London, where a mentor flipped the narrative: “He told me the most interesting thing about me wasn’t my songwriting—it was the fact that I was Asian. That stuck with me.” Upon returning, Lee made a conscious decision to channel Singapore into his work—minus the Singlish. But even then, it fell flat. “Nobody cared about local identity yet. We were too focused on development.”

The tide shifted in 1984, when Stand Up for Singapore sparked a new era of national expression. Lee felt vindicated and emboldened. He re-embraced Singlish in music, released The Mad Chinaman, and was banned again.

But this time, the public and the media stood by him. “People wrote in support. They said: this is how we talk. Why are we ashamed of it?” The ban was lifted. The album went platinum. “That was the moment I felt we were finally finding our voice,” Lee said.

SingaPop! builds on that idea: that identity isn’t found in policies, but in the things we love, laugh at, and remember. Co-produced with mm2 Entertainment and supported by IMDA, the exhibition brings together a community of creatives including Kit Chan, Kumar, Rahimah Rahim, and other cultural icons who shaped Singapore’s sound, screen, and style. It’s an exhibition that goes far beyond the story of Dick Lee; it’s also about the many voices that make up the Singapore pop landscape.

The exhibition unfolds across five immersive chapters:

1. SingaWho?

A multilingual welcome and crashing waves lead to a video by Lee, recounting his personal journey and creative awakening. An animated map follows, tracing Singapore’s early diasporic influences from India, China, Europe, and the Malay Archipelago.

2. Rojak Lane

This colourful corridor pays tribute to Singapore’s multicultural mash-up. Retro cut-outs, traditional motifs, and Singlish slang like lah, aiyoh, and blur like sotong evoke a familiar, cheeky warmth.

3. RojakLand

Six sub-sections explore the elements that shaped 60 years of pop culture:

• IconSG: Featuring beloved figures like Phua Chu Kang, Kumar, and Singa the Kindness Lion.
• SingaStyle: A room that showcases national identity through fashion—pageant gowns, digital scrapbooks, and pink walls Lee almost rejected (“I said, really? A pink room? But now it’s my favourite.”).
• NDPop: A behind-the-scenes look at the evolution of National Day Parades, including rare insights from Lee’s years as a creative director.
• SingaSong: An interactive jukebox spanning six decades—from The Quests to JJ Lin. Visitors can listen, sing, and discover memorabilia like Rahimah Rahim’s iconic glasses.
• Screening Room: Celebrating Singapore’s rise in cinema and TV, with spotlights on Mee Pok Man, Money No Enough, Under One Roof, and more.
• SingaMakan: A tribute to hawker culture, showing how food unites generations.

4. SingaStories

A 6-minute immersive video captures each decade’s defining cultural moments, from the swinging 60s to TikTok-age talent. It’s a kaleidoscope of memory and movement.

5. SingaVoices

The exhibition closes with a stirring tribute to 2020’s Singapore Virtual Choir—900 voices, including local pop stars Shigga Shay and Yung Raja, coming together to sing Home. It’s a reminder of music’s power to unite across borders and crises. “To me, Home has become a folk song,” said Lee. “Because a folk song is just something the people sing together. That’s what we have now.”

Kicking off the ArtScience Museum’s SG60 Season at ArtScience Museum, which will also feature a forward-looking design exhibition during Singapore Design Week, SingaPop! is a statement and a celebration. Said Honor Harger, Executive Director of the ArtScience Museum: “It’s an exuberant celebration of pop culture, the people who make it and the audiences who live it. It’s where we’ve been, and a glimpse of what’s next.”

Also accompanying SingaPop! is La La Land, a film series showcasing Wonder Boy, Ilo Ilo, Pop Aye, and more. When asked to summarise SingaPop! in three words, Dick Lee didn’t hesitate: “Colourful. Emotional. Proud.” And that’s exactly what this exhibition is. Whether you’re a nostalgic Singaporean or a curious visitor, SingaPop! invites you to not only witness, but to participate in the national story. “We finally have something to evolve from,” said Lee. “And that’s the most important thing.”

Images courtesy of ArtScience Museum

SingaPop! 60 Years of Singapore Pop Culture runs from 2nd August to 28th December 2025. Tickets and more information available here