SPOP SING! Winner Jarrell Ng: “I Told Marcus Tay That I Think He’ll Win”

When we meet Jarrell Ng for our interview with him this morning, he’s hastily scarfing down a vending machine sandwich for breakfast. The baby-faced 18-year-old hadn’t gotten much food or sleep since being crowned the champion of local singing competition SPOP SING! just last night. There are six interviews lined up for him today. Seven, if you count ours. He looks visibly tired, but still buzzing from the excitement of winning.

Just a few months ago, the music and audio technology student at Singapore Polytechnic had been one of the hopeful 6,000 participants who auditioned for the Channel 8 singing contest. He made it to the top 20, then the finals, and is now reeling from his win. For someone who has consistently belted power ballads all the way to the finals last night, Jarrell is very soft-spoken but articulate in person. He mumbles, and seems shy. The very opposite of his fellow finalist Marcus Tay, 21, whose flamboyant outfits and flashy showmanship could give G-Dragon a run for his money.

While the competition was judged by local music veterans Billy Koh, Peter Lee, Liang Wen Fu and Eric Moo, the winner was ultimately decided via audience voting. The total number of votes each contestant got is not made public, but a spokesman tells us Jarrell “won by a clear margin".