Music Acts to Look Out for At Skechers Sundown Festival
Psyched for the Skechers Sundown Festival that is happening between April 19 and 21 (Friday to Sunday) at Siloso Beach, Sentosa?
Returning for its 10th edition, Skechers Sundown Festival promises to be bigger and better. Bringing together more than 50 artistes from 11 countries around the region for a three-day event, the festival is sure to have something for everyone.
Korean hip-hop trio MFBTY makes a rare appearance for the local fans who have been waiting to experience their live performances, while EDM fans can expect live DJ sets from Korean-American DJ and Grammy nominee TOKiMONSTA and DJ Laidback Luke.
Also fronting the event is Korean boy band iKON — their second time on our sunny shores this year — who will be closing the festival on the last day. Event-goers can look forward to performances from Taiwanese singer-songwriter Karencici, Japan’s heavy metal band Crossfaith and local talents including Ferlyn G and Charlie Lim.
Get to know some of the musical acts now, and be prepared to sing and dance along with them on the day of the event!
iKON
K-Pop fans were introduced to the members of Korean boy band iKON on reality TV programmes WIN: Who is Next and Mix & Match, long before the group actually debuted, resulting in peaked anticipation when iKON stormed into the K-Pop scene in 2015.
Their commercially-successful 2015 debut studio album Welcome Back topped the Gaon Album Chart in Korea, and included number-one singles ‘My Type’, ‘Apology’ and ‘Dumber & Dumber’. Aptly-titled heart-thumping ‘Rhythm Ta’, ‘Airplane’ and ‘Anthem’ also proved to be a hit with fans. That year, the monster rookies also swept up several Best New Artist awards at various awards ceremonies.
Last year, iKON released their second studio album Return. In title track ‘Love Scenario’, the boys deviate from the norm and sing of break-up in an upbeat dance track. Moving away from their previous loud and aggressive sound, Return offered more pop pieces with hip-hop and soft rock influences. Worthy of a mention is the acoustic ‘Don’t Forget’, which puts iKON's vocalists in the spotlight. Tracks ‘Sinosijak’ and ‘Long Time No See’ are also bound to bring back memories for iKON’s long-time fans.
iKON is one of the headliners at this year’s Skechers Sundown Festival, and we can’t wait to join them at what we can be sure is an exciting and memorable performance!
Karencici
Born and raised in the United States, Taiwan-based singer-songwriter Karencici left her hometown when she was 16 years old to pursue her dreams. As a songwriter, Karencici has earned her stripes writing for Mandarin singers including Jolin Tsai and Hebe from S.H.E.
Last December, the 20-year-old took on the Mandopop scene with her latest album SHA YAN, showcasing a myriad of musical styles. Title track ‘傻眼了(SHA YAN)’ is a dance track with hip-hop and dancehall influences, and highlights Karencici’s unique vocal tone; ‘陪你玩到底Give Em Hell’ creatively makes use of traditional Chinese music elements, bringing about a whole new audio experience. ‘Go On’, from her debut EP Blow-Up, is an R&B hip-hop track featuring Korean-American rapper Junoflo, who appeared on the fifth season of Korean hip-hop television show Show Me The Money.
Despite having a number of fast-tempo tracks on this album, music lovers at this year’s Skechers Sundown Festival may want to look out for Karencici serenading on the track ‘Facetime’, a guitar-led acoustic tune that will have you swaying along to the music in no time.
MFBTY
Did you know … MFBTY is an acronym of ‘My Fans (are) Better Than Yours’?
Made up of Korean hip-hop visionaries Tiger JK, Yoon Mi-Rae and Bizzy, MFBTY started out as a project group, debuting with the single ‘Sweet Dream’. Shortly after its release, the single ranked number one on three Korean music charts, a testament to the group’s popularity.
In 2015, MFBTY followed up with a full-length album WondaLand. The trio first teased the masses what is coming through the release of ‘Bucku Bucku/Shy Shy’, a hip-hop track which features RM from BTS, EE, and Dino-J. MFBTY also worked with singer-songwriter Yoo Hee Yeol on ‘Hello Happy’, one of their three lead singles from the album. Despite having their musical roots in hip-hop, there is little doubt that Yoon Mi-Rae is one of Korea’s best female vocalists; her smooth and rich vocals adding a tinge of softness to the raps from Tiger JK and Bizzy.
Ferlyn G
Local singer Ferlyn Wong (better known by her stage name as Ferlyn G) debuted in Korea through the now-defunct K-Pop girl group SKarf in 2012. After two years, she departed the group for her solo debut and released the EP First in 2015. The album includes the energetic dance pop number ‘心放開(Open Up Your Heart)’ The song is also performed in Korean, and features Mint from K-Pop group Tiny-G. But it is in the heart-wrenching ballad ‘不見不散(I'll See You There)’, composed by local veteran singer-songwriter Jim Lim (林倛玉), that Ferlyn’s vocals truly take centerstage.
Earlier this year, Ferlyn acted alongside local singer Nathan Hartono in her first feature film When Ghost Meets Zombie and sung the official movie theme song ‘等’, a stripped-down track that showcases not only their vocal abilities but also their ability to emote.
Charlie Lim
Local musician Charlie Lim made his foray into the music scene with his eponymous debut EP in 2011 and has since played in major festivals including the Mosaic Music Festival in Singapore, Clockenflap in Hong Kong and Urbanscapes in Malaysia. He had also supported artistes including New Zealand singer-actress Kimbra and Icelandic avant-rock band Sigur Rós.
In 2015, Charlie released TIME/SPACE, a double EP that explores the “different polarities” of his musical interests — a trait that is evident from the varying musical styles in the album. ‘Blah Blah Blues’ is big-band influenced, while the singer croons about a love lost in the folk rock tune ‘Bitter’. More recently, Charlie had local audiences sit up when he re-interpreted an updated version of the 1987’s National Day classic ‘We are Singapore’.
Sufi Rashid
Based across the Causeway, local singer Sufi Rashid’s popularity skyrocketed when he took home the crown at Akademi Fantasia 2015, a Malaysian reality television show.
The 28-year-old is no stranger to taking part in competitions. He joined the third season of Singapore Idol in 2009 and The Final 1 in 2013 and bagged the Best Song (Singapore) accolade for his composition ‘Tiada Pengganti’ at the annual regional Malay music awards show Anugerah Planet Muzik in 2014. Last year, Sufi was awarded the Most Popular Song (Singapore) award for ‘Aku Sendiri’ and Most Popular Artiste (Singapore) award at the same ceremony.
A familiar face amongst the Malay communities, Sufi looks set to croon to his newly-released single ‘Implikasi’, and self-composed single ‘Kisah Dua Muka’, which charted top three on Malaysian charts upon release, at Skechers Sundown Festival.
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