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10 Most Famous Singers from Singapore

Singapore has a rich, distinguished history of music, including a wide range of genres, styles, and languages. There are musicians that like to create music in the underground and there are artists who appreciate being in the public eye.

It would be difficult to argue that one artist represents the Singapore sound given the wide variety of performers there. But when asked about local music, there are undoubtedly some musicians that spring to mind more quickly.

Here is a list of the most famous singers from Singapore.

1. JJ Lin

JJ Lin by Benck from

JJ Lin is one of the few male Mandopop stars in Singapore. The young musician, who entered the Mandopop market 15 years ago, is well-liked both at home and abroad for his own songs, which range from upbeat rockers and electronic bops to sweet-voiced ballads, as well as for his songwriting for other singers like A-Mei, A-Do, and others.

Most recently, Lin was notable for being picked to participate in a Mandarin remix of Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s international smash “Despacito,” in addition to releasing his album Message in a Bottle in November 2017.

2. Stefanie Sun

Stefanie Sun by Thejymw from

Stefanie Sun, unquestionably one of Singapore’s current Mandopop titans, rose to fame around the turn of 2000 with her self-titled debut Yan Zi, which was particularly successful in Taiwan, a nation that has supported her from the start.

Sun has experimented with a variety of musical genres throughout her career, from the pop that served as the basis for her career to folk, rock, and more. Sun continues to challenge herself and take creative risks, as evidenced by the release of her album, A Dancing Van Gogh.

3. Kit Chan

In addition to being a well-known Mandopop performer and the voice behind the National Day song “Home,” Kit Chan has also made a name for herself in Singapore’s arts and culture with notable theatre roles in The Forbidden City – Portrait of an Empress and Snow Wolf Lake as well as roles in regional television and film.

She made her debut in Singapore and Malaysia 25 years ago this year with the song Do Not Destroy the Harmony, which was later revamped and released as her 1994 smash hit song Heartache. 

4. Dick Lee

Wonder Boy by Flickr from

Dick Lee has more than earned a special place in Singaporeans’ hearts as one of the country’s leading supporters of Asian pop music and a vital figure in the country’s cultural scene. Lee is known universally which was unusual for many English-language performers.

Lee’s life narrative has long inspired Singaporeans and undoubtedly will continue to do so, from his carefree school days (honoured in the 2017 film Wonder Boy) to the explosive success of The Mad Chinaman, the authoring of the popular National Day anthem “Home,” and beyond.

5. Tanya Chua

Tanya Chua by Tanya Chua Fan from

Tanya Chua deserves to be on our list since she has made a name for herself in the Mandopop business since the 1990s. Chua has had her share of professional highs and lows, including battles with record labels and multiple victories at the Golden Melody Awards (the Grammys of Mandopop) throughout the years.

Singaporeans everywhere will likely recognize the melodies of the National Day song she wrote and sang in 2001, “Where I Belong,” whether they have heard her English or Chinese compositions.

6. Taufik Batisah

Taufik Batisah by Sry85 from

Taufik Batisah, the first-ever Singapore Idol winner, has remained in the hearts of Singaporeans for more than ten years. With the publication of his first English album, the number-one Blessings, a year after his victory in 2004, and continuing until the release of his most current album, Fique in 2014, Batisah has seen his musical career flourish. Let’s hope he soon releases more brand-new music.

7. The Sam Willows

The Sam Willows’ inclusion on this list comes as no surprise as they are one of Singapore’s most well-known contemporary musical acts. The Sam Willows, a name that often surfaced among the youths have combined a variety of genres into their pop sound throughout the years, ranging from folk and rock to R&B and techno. 

8. Liang Wern Fook

Although he is no longer as active as he once was, the Cantonese Singaporean writer and musician collaborated with a variety of local musicians, both young and old, on his 2016 album I Hear the Sound of Dawn, which was his first album in more than 20 years. He was a pioneer of the Singaporean Chinese folk song movement known as xinyao.

9. Lee Wei Song

Jacky Cheung by Guy K.T.Heah from

A powerful local Mandopop songwriting duo, Lee Wei Song and Lee Si Song have written songs for artists including Sandy Lam, Jacky Cheung, and Jam Hsiao. The brothers have been in the business for many years; they got their start by writing theme songs for regional drama serials in the early 1980s.

In the 1990s, after the brothers’ musical partnership broke up, Wei Song founded the Lee Wei Song School of Music, which has since extended to Malaysia, Taiwan, and China and given birth to some of Singapore’s top Mandopop performers, including Stefanie Sun.

10. Gentle Bones

Gentle Bones has experimented with a variety of musical genres, including solo singer-songwriter music, indie rock, R&B, and synth-pop, so it’s not surprising that the artist Joel Tan emerged as one of the most memorable names for Singaporeans.

These are our all-time favourite Mandopop singers, do you know any others that we haven’t included on this list?