The Straits Times Podcasts S1E3: Singaporean singer-songwriter Nathan Hartono on his identity crisis after finding fame in China
Find out why his new single is about "past trauma, and not cured meats".
Synopsis: Each month, The Straits Times invites music acts to its podcast studio.
In this third episode of Music Lab, ST's music correspondent Eddino Abdul Hadi hosts Singaporean singer-songwriter Nathan Hartono.
Nathan first made his name as a jazz singer while in his teens and since then, his music career has taken off in multiple ways. In 2016, he took part in Chinese television reality show Sing! China. Mentored by Mandopop star Jay Chou, he ended up in second place, which made him a regional star.
In 2020, he sang Everything I Am, a National Day theme song that reflected the sombre but hopeful mood of a nation in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The singer has released several albums and EPs, and has also dabbled in acting, taking on roles in film, television and theatre.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:45 How pursuing a music career in China led to him questioning his musical identity
8:20 On how he is “sick of Nathan Hartono”; taking back control after feeling he has lost a clear artistic direction, career path
12:26 On Jay Chou, his mentor on Sing! China and how the competition changed his music career
20:27 On how a karaoke session as a teenager led to a career in music
23:27 Singing the National Day theme song was the closest he ever got to a hit song
Listen to Nathan Hartono's live performance here: https://str.sg/ioof
Watch the full performance on YouTube here: https://str.sg/ioTK
Discover Singaporean artiste Nathan Hartono at:
YouTube: https://str.sg/iooY
Spotify: https://str.sg/ioog
Instagram: https://str.sg/iooB
Produced by: Eddino Abdul Hadi (dinohadi@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Teo Tong Kai and Eden Soh
Edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Follow Music Lab Podcast episodes here every month:
Channel: https://str.sg/w9TX
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Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Read Eddino Hadi's stories: https://str.sg/wFVa
Music Lab theme: Eden Soh (composer/arranger-guitar), Ernest Luis (guitar)
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Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
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Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (new): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
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