A Nathan Hartono-Lookalike And “Singapore’s Beyoncé” Are Among The Top 20 Contestants Of SPOP Sing!

CELEB LOOKALIKE: NATHAN HARTONO
“Yes, people have told me that I look like Nathan Hartono. I guess it isn’t a bad thing ’cos he’s well-liked by the public and quite handsome! But I don’t really think I look like Nathan. Maybe there’s some resemblance ’cos we’re both tanned and slim. But some of my friends have said that I look like Fido Dido. You know, the cartoon character from the 7 UP commercial? (Laughs)”

CELEB LOOKALIKE: WILLIAM SO
“I don’t think I look like William So! It’s my first time hearing people say that. Maybe it’s ’cos of my spectacles. But I see it as a compliment ’cos he’s very talented!”

CELEB LOOKALIKE: SUPER JUNIOR’S EUNHYUK
“I don’t know who Eunhyuk is. But I’ve been told that I look like JJ Lin. I got quite a common face, maybe ’cos of my single eyelids.”

THE DEDICATED CROONER
“I sing for at least 15 hours a day. I believe that every single minute counts. So even in between classes in school, I’ll sneak to the toilet to sing, even if it’s just for two to three minutes. I sing extremely loudly when I’m in the toilet, to the extent that the whole school knows it’s me. I’ve been scolded by fellow students, teachers and even the VP for singing so loudly. Sometimes, the teachers have to come to the toilet to stop me from singing. So now, I’ve changed my singing location to another place — the piano area in one of the lecture theatres.”

THE FEARLESS ADVENTURER
“I’m very fun, spontaneous and adventurous. I once climbed the Himalayas ’cos I saw it as an once-in-a-lifetime challenge. My mum was very worried ’cos she thought I was going to die up there. (Laughs) I had a near-death experience where I almost fell off the mountain ’cos of a landslide. But my guide saved me! The hike was eight days long — I couldn’t bathe and had to poop in a hole on the ground, and eat sand for the entire period. (Laughs)”

THE CHILLI PADI
“I have a fetish for red hair. So when I was in secondary school, I dyed my hair chilli-red. And that got me into trouble with my teacher. I’m kind of like a rebel. But now that I’ve grown up, I’ve toned down a lot. I was more rebellious when I was younger. Like, if my teacher was scolding me, I’d just walk out of the classroom. (Laughs) But now that I’m about to start working, I cannot do such things anymore!”

MISS MULTI-NATIONAL (She’s of Portuguese, Dutch, Indian and Chinese descent)
“My dad’s Eurasian, and my mum’s Chinese. I’ve been taking Mandarin lessons since I was in kindergarten. I like surprising people by speaking in Mandarin. Mostly, you know, when people are talking bad about me. (Laughs)”

“SINGAPORE’S BEYONCÉ”
“In school, my teachers and friends call me ‘Singapore’s Beyoncé’ ’cos of my wide vocal range, and the fact that I can dance and sing at the same time! I feel grateful to be given that name as Beyoncé is my inspiration and role model!”

THE BOLD FASHIONISTA-Y
“Is my fashion inspired by K-pop stars? I’d say partly ’cos I really like fashion. I like to DIY a lot. So if I get bored of my bags or shoes, I’d give them a makeover by painting them or whatever. Today, I decided to paint the fingernails on one hand pink, and the other red, ’cos I just got bored of it being all red. Usually, when I’m out, aunties and uncles will give me very weird stares!”

THE EYEBALL-SHAKER
“After I spend many hours studying, I get really tired. And I’d start losing focus. When that happens, my eyeballs shake. I found out about it one day when I filmed myself. I saw an online article that said only two per cent of people in the world can shake their eyeballs. I always say to people, ‘Do you know I can shake my eyeballs?’ And they’re like, ‘What?!’ (Laughs) It’s not bad to use as a party trick!’

THE TAEKWONDO MASTER
“I started training in Taekwondo from the age of five till now, though I took a break in between. I’m currently a Black Belt 3rd dan. Taekwondo teaches me discipline and respect towards people, and built up my confidence and determination. I used to hate the sport. But I started to get interested in it when I was able to spar with other people, not ’cos I like to fight but ’cos I like the adrenaline rush that comes with it.”

THE ONE WHO HAS HAD THE MOST GIRLFRIENDS?
“I’m the oldest contestant in the competition. And at the start, I felt like I didn’t belong in this competition due to my age. But the good thing is that I have more relationship experiences in life. So I guess when I’m singing, I can bring out the emotions of the song more as I can relate them to my life experiences.”

THE BIG LITTLE SISTER
“My friends all call me ‘Rong Mama’ or ‘Rong Da Jie’ (‘Big Sister’ in Mandarin). I’m very mature. So I always take care of them. You know, like how your mum takes care of you? Every time I see them not eating properly, then I’d nag at them. (Laughs)”

THE BABY BEATER... NOT
“Some of my friends call me by my Instagram username ‘Baby to beat’. I used to be a huge K-pop fan. And my favourite bands were B.A.P and BTOB (which stands for ‘Born to Beat’). ‘Baby’ is BAP’s fan club name and ‘to beat’ was derived from ‘Born to Beat’. But everyone who sees my IG username just thinks that I’m some violent person who likes to beat up babies! (Laughs)”

THE SELF-CRITICAL CROONER
“I am the president of my school’s singing club. But actually, I don’t really like to hear myself sing. (Laughs) ’Cos I tend to get very critical of myself when it comes to stuff like pitching. I’d find problems with every little detail.”

LITTLE MISS CARELESS
“I’m very accident-prone. I once tore my ACL, another ligament plus my meniscus by tripping over my own feet while playing touch rugby! In fact, I’m always tripping over stairs or random things. And I walk into glass doors very often. These ‘incidents’ have become so frequent that it’s become pretty normal and there are too many to keep count. (Laughs) And yeah, my friends and family make fun of me all the time!”

THE FORMER GETAI STAR
“During my primary and secondary school days, I used to sing getai. I got into getai as I like to practice with live bands, and one day, I was asked if I could perform with one of the bands for a getai show. I was young and got nervous every time I got on stage ’cos I didn’t know what to say. Once, just before I went on stage, one of my heels got caught in a drain grate and the sole came off the shoe. But since I was up next, I couldn’t change my shoes and just went up on stage. In the end, I just stood at the same spot to sing the whole time! (Laughs)”

THE MICHELLE CHONG WANNABE
“I like to imitate accents, especially those characters Michelle Chong creates for her skits. I’m her fan ’cos I think she’s talented and able to turn everyday life into something humorous. My friends love it when I pretend to be one of her characters, and sometimes, we do those accents together! In fact, my nickname is ‘copycat’ ’cos I can imitate people well! (Laughs)”

THE WALKING BILLBOARD
“After I was chosen as one of the Top 20 for SPOP Sing!, I received a Huawei phone [Ed: Huawei is one of the sponsors of the competition]. My friends in school joked about it and started calling me ‘Mr. Huawei’. Now, I’m like a Huawei ambassador. (Laughs)”

THE MAKNAE OF THE GROUP
“I feel like being the youngest contestant makes me different and special. And if I can prove my vocal abilities, it’s a good thing. My parents approve of me joining this competition as it’s a great way to improve my stage presence.”

SPOP Sing! Prelude airs Aug 9, 8.25pm (after National Day Parade), on Ch 8.

PHOTOS: CHEE YAN