Bryan Ong - HarbourFront MRT station - 13 Apr 2025
Featuring a busker who participated in reality singing competitions in Singapore and China, and also appeared in some drama serials.
Meet Bryan Ong (黄盅艺) (@bryanongzy), a relatively new busker who you might remember having appeared in some drama serials. The Nan Chiau High School alumnus is also an up-and-coming musician who participated in a couple of reality singing competitions - from the local singing and songwriting competition, the Annual Xinyao Singing and Songwriting Competition (《新空下》新谣歌唱及创作比赛), to the televised Chinese singing programmes like The Rising Voice (天籁新声) and Let's Sing Kids (中国新声代). He is currently pursuing his passion of music in Singapore Polytechnic, while also performing covers of English and Mandarin pop songs on the streets.
Fun fact: Bryan was also the first busker to perform at HarbourFront MRT station when the location opened up to busking performances at the start of the year.
The two songs I've picked from this busking session are both signature songs:
- 爱爱爱 [originally performed by Khalil Fong (方大同)]
- Probably the late singer-songwriter's most notable song, this song is the title of Fong's second Mandopop album. The album explored the many different forms and experiences of love.
- 修炼爱情 [originally performed by JJ Lin (林俊杰)]
- This song was released in 2013. It is based on the SilkAir Flight 185 plane crash in 1997, as JJ's close friend was killed on the flight. Lin wrote this song to process the pain and regret of losing a close friend, and to share an "untold story" from his life for his album, Stories Untold (因你而在). The lyrics reflect on the pain and lessons of love, suggesting that love is a form of self-cultivation and is meant to make the next one better, and that some memories can never return once gone.
爱爱爱 [originally performed by Khalil Fong (方大同)]
修炼爱情 [originally performed by JJ Lin (林俊杰)]
HarbourFront MRT station (NE1/CC29) is a busking location open daily, 10a.m. - 2p.m.
