HOMAGE TO PAST NDP SONGS
This year’s theme song, Not Alone, pays homage to past NDP songs by incorporating familiar lyrics which evoke nostalgia and rekindle Singaporeans’ connection to “patriotic sentiments”, said the exco.
It added: “The song’s progression into an uplifting second half aims to foster a sense of belonging among Singaporeans, transcending barriers and instilling a familial bond.”
The song is composed and performed by singer-songwriter Benjamin Kheng, who is in the Singapore band The Sam Willows.
Kheng said on Thursday that the prospect of writing the National Day song is “very exciting and slightly terrifying” for every musician and writer.
“We put all our hopes, our dreams, our feelings about our country into one song that has to work for everyone … from your primary school boy to your ‘kopitiam’ aunty. Everyone has to know it and sing it.”
He added that the references to past NDP songs were deliberate. “I really wanted to connect Singaporeans back to the meaning and the feeling of these beautiful lyrics that we hear every single year,” Kheng added.
The music video featuring Kheng and SAF’s Music and Drama Company ensemble is jointly directed by Koo Chia Meng, Brian Gothong Tan, and Davier Yoon.
The music video combines two visual styles, with the first being minimalistic and introspective highlighting Singaporeans’ journey through the past 59 years, the exco said on Thursday. The second style features vignettes of both past and present Singapore.
“Reflecting the title of the song, Not Alone, the music video celebrates our strong bonds, depicting Singaporeans working, playing, learning, and living together,” the exco added.
