The abrupt downpour and gloomy weather on 9 August 2024, Singapore’s 59th birthday, did little to dampen the excitement and optimism that enveloped The Promontory. Armed with disposable rain ponchos and rendang curry puffs provided by Polar Puffs & Cakes, we strode into the The Promontory alongside many others to partake in the festivities of the NTUC X NDP Bay Celebration – a fiesta themed around the contributions of our youths to Singapore’s prosperity and social development.
Preceding a live telecast of the National Day Parade at the Padang were live performances by local musical artists, including SAFRA Ultimate Talent 2022 champions Placeholder (Yes, that’s their band name), and winner of the Total Defence 40 songwriting competition, Aeona, both of whom we had the chance to speak with to better understand the role music plays in forging national pride and unity.
The Placeholder that stayed
![[Placeholder] band](https://nsman.safra.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/NDPConcert-Placeholder.jpg)
However, as they began their medley of beloved National Day hits, their star power was undeniable. The audience halted their conversations almost instantly, and were intrigued. An auntie behind me let out an audible “wah”, followed by “who are they?”
Started out as an everyday group of friends, namely Joel, Corine, Nada, Winarta and Najiy, who don’t take life too seriously, Placeholder is a brilliantly serendipitous allusion to their spontaneity. SAFRA Ultimate Talent 2022 was just another opportunity for the gang to hang out and do what they love most – sing.
“We didn’t even have a band name prepared. In the sign up sheet, we indicated Placeholder thinking that we will come up with a better name later! Weirdly enough, the name just kind of stuck with us the longer we performed under the pseudonym,” said Joel, with the others nodding their heads in agreement. If I had told tell them two years ago that they would be performing at The Promontory on National Day, they’d have probably assumed I was just being kind. “We didn’t even expect to win. As they were announcing the winners, we were already backstage sipping our bubble teas and making plans,” Joel shared, “somehow, we won.”
Despite the arbitrary nature of their name, it strangely became more and more fitting as I got to know the group. They don’t want to be encumbered by a specific genre or held back by conventional expectations. When asked about their hopes for the future that awaits Singapore after its 59th birthday, Najiy commented, “As we all know, the world right now has been shaken by disarray. We hope that we as Singaporeans remember that there is only strength in unity.”
From singing to plants to Total Defence
Aeona (@just_aeona), otherwise known to her friends as Aeona Yong, comes across as the quintessentially demure young woman. Beneath her modest facade, however, hides a spirited fire that lights up in the face of new life experiences and opportunities. While best known for her song, Carry Forth the Fire – a commemorative ode to Singapore’s 40 years of Total Defence, she has travelled on quite a journey (metaphorically) before this breakthrough.
Once a student majoring in landscape design and horticulture, Aeona had always enjoyed singing, but more often than not, she was told that it just wasn’t a realistic venture to pursue. As much as she enjoyed her academic undertakings, it just did not feel right.
Eventually, she found herself working in an urban agriculture farm, singing parodic tunes to the plants under her charge. Her co-workers would call her Plant Girl, a moniker she would later embrace as a musical artist. Later on, she would experiment with various ventures, such as podcasting and acting, and even starting a floral business in the hopes of creating something she could call her own.
Fortuitously, life does come back full circle. “I decided to take up another diploma, this time in Songwriting and Music Performance at The Songwriter Music College (TSMC). And I never looked back.”
When the opportunity came in the form of a songwriting competition, she grabbed the chance. Today, her song has over 335,000 views on YouTube and she recently performed for President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Patron of SAFRA, and Senior Minister of State Zaqy bin Mohamad, SAFRA’s president, at SAFRA Choa Chu Kang during a TD40 celebratory event.
When asked about the symbolic significance behind her winning song, she introspects, “In this day and age, everyone is kind of in their own little bubble. However, there are those rare moments when I witness little acts of kindness, and I wanted to tell through this song that these interactions, however big or small, can have a huge positive impact when they are built upon compassion and love.”
This sentiment was very much alive during her performance of her TD40 song at The Promontory, and perhaps is best described by her lyrics – “With raging hearts of lions, you know there’s nothing we can’t fight.”
Aeona has a slew of exciting updates in store, including her latest single Precious Work of Art, so make sure to follow her on Spotify!
Want more articles like this, and other lifestyle content right in your inbox? Download the new SAFRA mobile app and opt in for the eNSman Newsletter – you don’t need to be a SAFRA member to subscribe – and never miss another story!
