YAØ Is Now: We Flip Through The Chronicle Of A Broke Pop Kid In Singapore

Is this the face of Singapore pop? (Credit: Hans Goh)

What does it mean to be a pop kid in Singapore anyway? When you consider the infamous circumstances of riding the full-time music trajectory in a tiny and relatively rigid ecosystem of Singapore, the very notion of being a pop sensation seems daunting, if not, undesirable. How far can you possibly go, and are the masses truly ready to embrace a homeboy instead of the usual Billboard chart-toppers? While the answer is still up in the air, local daredevils like YAØ are still willing to give it a shot and chase their dreams. And who can fault such earnestness?

In fact, the audacious push of YAØ has been a tale of admiration. Since surfacing in 2018 with his luscious chill pills that teased retrolicious city pop edges, the self-producing singer-songwriter has garnered a swelling fanbase that’s remained hot on his tail. His debut EP, Love & City Lights, won praises from the press, and he’d go on to grace big stages like IGNITE! and Shine. The feather in his cap would come from prime label, Universal Music Group, which eventually offered him a coveted position on its roster in 2021. If you sought evidence of YAØ’s meteoric rise as one of the country’s pop ambassadors, it was beginning to become more and more abundant.

The backing of Universal would propel YAØ into the big league, and it culminated several months ago with the release of Broke Pop Kids, his long-awaited debut album. Cruising in at just under 20 minutes, the eight-track collection is a succinct but persuasive crash course of YAØ’s unquestionable aptitude. The tunes fluidly give way to his pristine, crystal-clear vocals that deliver a versatile range of personas, from modest geek-next-door to main-stage powerhouse. You have “WUW”, a synthy sojourn of cosmofunk that slingshots across constellations. “I Can’t Sleep” portrays the coruscating, lens-flaring leisure of a seaside villa vacay. And on the title track, you’re yanked into a gooey groove that slips forward like gliding butter. YAØ is your reassuring captain in all of these scenic excursions, and it’s a journey that hardly feels pretentious or lost. That’s just not his style.

So what does this ‘broke pop kid’ have to say about his ongoing ascent? YAØ might not end up dominating the world or swimming in a Scrooge McDuck money vault, but you can bet that he’s doing his darndest to do our little dot proud.

YAØ is fully aware of his struggles as a pop musician in Singapore (Credit: Lilith Valerie Cain)

You’ve been cutting your teeth in the local scene for a while now. For starters, how do you feel you’ve grown as a musician on a personal and professional level? Do you like where you’re at now?

It has been a journey and I definitely feel like, on a personal level, I’ve grown to become more cynical about myself as a musician. It’s not necessarily a good or bad thing, but I feel like it does affect and change the way how I write my songs. I tend to be really critical with myself and find it difficult to see the small wins at times, but I’ve definitely learnt to be more content. On a professional level, I think I’ve definitely matured and I find myself being able to see things in a different light and execute what I seek out to accomplish.

You’ve described your new album as a source of positive radiance; to inspire others to be stronger and better individuals despite the setbacks that plague their journey. When and how did you decide that your music would possess such ‘cheerleading’ potential?

I feel that I’ve always had it in me to want to inspire others through my music, because music was ultimately the only thing I believed I was good at. Back then, being someone from the outside looking into the local music scene, I always admired it and wanted to be part of it. Now that I’m part of that ecosystem, it only feels right to put out music that people can relate to. I think in general, I’m a pretty adaptable person and I think it has helped me a lot in my music.

You talk about the necessity of kindness to trump the toxicity in the industry that you work in. Can you share some of these toxic encounters to let our readers know that being a musician isn’t all rainbows and butterflies?

Being in music, people will naturally have expectations about everything – lyrics, a catchy melody and also, looks. It's easy to say that you just need talent to write music and be well known for it, but sadly it's not like that. On social media, it's easy for people to hide behind an anonymous name and persona and with just those two things, they are free to say what they want. Every time I put something out, there will always be comments about my lyrics and the way I look. And they can come across as hate comments and not constructive criticism. I try not to let it affect me too much because I've worked so hard and so long to get to where I am now, and I can't simply let it go to waste. There will always be some people who won't like what you're doing and that's fine. Believe in your craft and the people who support you. That's the key to moving forward.

“I try not to put myself up there on a pedestal because I know there are kids like me out there who are insecure and not confident with themselves.” (Credit: Hans Goh)

How have you personally dealt with the fame of being one of Singapore’s top pop musicians?

Actually I don’t think I’ve gotten to a level of fame where I can go out without being recognised or approached, so I still kind of enjoy the amount of freedom I have. In general, I try not to put myself up there on a pedestal because I know there are kids like me out there who are insecure and not confident with themselves, so I really want to be true to myself and show that you can be Singapore’s top pop musician even if you are just a normal average kid.

One of the key singles from the album is the title track, “Broke Pop Kids”. Does it stem from your personal experience of trying to make it in this business?

The title track came from a place of me trying to write an anthem-like track for kids who feel like they don’t belong or are broken deep down. For the longest time, I wanted to write a song which really represented where I am as an artist right now, and also how I feel in the midst of trying to make it in my own country. Being a pop musician definitely comes with a lot of stress as you are constantly trying to think of the next big thing. Finance-wise, it is also really challenging because I’m at the stage of my life where I feel like I need stability. But on the contrary, making money solely through music is really tough. I think that’s where the inspiration for “Broke Pop Kids” came about as well: me embracing the fact that I am broken like everyone else, but I still want to do pop music in Singapore.

Landing your deal with Universal must’ve obviously opened many doors for you. What have you learnt from being on this major label ride?

It definitely has, but I learned that when it comes to the labels or music business, there’s really more than meets the eye. I think the common perception of major labels is generally given the shade, but in the context of labels in Singapore, I’ve personally learned that it really boils down to what you as an artist want to achieve. For me, I knew I had to grab the opportunity when it arose as I wanted to take my career to the next level. As much as individual drive plays a big part, it still does takes a village to achieve something special and I’m thankful for the great support the label has given me thus far. The fact that someone like me got signed, means that kids like me who don’t have the gifted charisma or confidence to believe in themselves can finally see that no dream is too big.

“To be representing Singapore as an Asian kid, doing music that is recognised worldwide would be my greatest dream.” (Credit: Hans Goh)

It’s no secret that you produce your own tracks. How has the label signing affected the way your approach your production? Has it changed drastically or not at all?

Yes a hundred per cent! Granted, I had a lot of help and guidance along the way, especially from producer friends such as Jason Gelchen, RIIDEM, PravOnTheLoose and many more. I think being signed has definitely made me more critical with my production and songwriting. To be honest, all those changes have helped me. Being signed to the label helped me further polish the quality of my music production. They allowed me to be as creative as I can, not holding back when it comes to concept-creating and visual planning. If anything, they've been a big help to achieving what would've been hard to achieve alone.

And now that the album is out, do you intend on touring around the region? How important is it for you to build a fanbase outside our tiny country?

I do intend to tour the region but so far there aren’t any solid plans as of yet. As a musician, I would like everyone to enjoy my music no matter where they’re from because music is like an international language that everyone understands. That’s how important it is to get a following from outside of Singapore. I’m really thankful for the support I’ve gotten so far both locally and internationally. To be representing Singapore as an Asian kid, doing music that is recognised worldwide would be my greatest dream.

You can now listen to Broke Pop Kids on Spotify. Follow YAØ on Instagram to stay updated with his activities.