While some might assume that major A-list stars bypassed this tiny Southeast Asian nation, the truth is quite the opposite. Singapore has actually played host to plenty of big names, including the upcoming domination of six sold-out concerts each for Coldplay and Taylor Swift at the Singapore National Stadium.
From the iconic Beyonce to the legendary Louis Armstrong, numerous renowned artists have graced Singapore’s stages, leaving behind unforgettable performances.
Whether it was during the peak of their careers or before they achieved global fame, these artists made their mark on Singapore’s vibrant music scene.
Here’s a list of artists that have left an indelible imprint on the city-state’s music history.
The year 2009 was monumental for Singapore as it was the first venue for the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix to host an entertainment lineup to accompany its races.
So of course, the inaugural F1 Rocks concert (what it was previously called and hosted by American actress Lindsay Lohan) had to bring the hot wheels to Padang and oh boy they did.
Beyonce
The Queen B herself showed up at the peak of her iconic Sasha Fierce and Single Ladies era to perform a slew of hits like Crazy In Love, Irreplaceable and Halo.
(Bonus: Bey also spent quality time with Pussycat Dolls’ Nicole Scherzinger, the former beau of racing driver Lewis Hamilton)
N.E.R.D. (aka Pharrell Williams and co.)
American hip-hop collective N.E.R.D. was also part of the F1 lineup performing hits like She Wants To Move and Brain.
Williams then came back alone to perform for F1 in 2015 after the release of his acclaimed solo album Girl.
No Doubt (aka Gwen Stefani and co.)
Another veteran group that performed that year was the American rock band No Doubt. Gwen Stefani and her six-pack poured her heart out to belt Don’t Speak, Hella Good, It’s My Life and Underneath It All.
Ye (aka Kanye West)
In 2010, the Kanye West brought his Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy to Singfest at Fort Canning Park.
Not much was found online from that night but he did a freestyle over his Power instrumental which ended up as Pinocchio Story, the last track in his 808s & Heartbreak album.
Also, he sang American Boy, Diamonds, Stronger, Gold Digger and Good Life where a fan accused him of rapping off a piece of paper on the ground.
Rihanna
In 2008, popstar (or rather businesswoman now) Rihanna included Singapore in the Asian leg of her Good Girl Gone Bad Tour. It started off rough when her mic wasn’t working eek but she killed it nonetheless.
Then in 2013, the Only Girl In the World (at the time) returned to the city-state for a bit to perform for the F1 during her Diamonds World Tour. She raced through a medley of her hits like We Found Out, Birthday Cake, Talk that Talk, Phresh Off The Runway then peaced out.
Weirdly, there were accusations that she had lip-synched and was high during the performance but in this fan cam at least, her mic was clearly on.
Sean Kingston
One hit wonder Sean Kingston, most known for his reggae-inspired track Beautiful Girls, was part of the F1 lineup for the race in 2010. This was when he dropped other songs such as Fire Burning and Eenie Meenie before disappearing from the music scene.
Sadly, not much of his set was put up online but here’s him performing his hit that once dominated the charts and radio stations at the time.
Rick Astley
No Rickroll here. English singer Rick Astley really came to Singapore during the F1 race in 2011 to perform at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre for two days. A full crowd bore witness to him singing Never Gonna Give You Up, Lights Out and Hold Me in Your Arms live in the sweltering heat.
Oasis
The Gallagher brothers aka Oasis came to the city-state separately to perform for F1.
Big bro Noel Gallagher came in 2012 with his band Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds while Liam Gallagher followed suit and performed at Padang in 2018.
Both tried to play their own solo songs after their split but couldn’t stray away from their Oasis roots that included hits such as Don’t Look Back in Anger, Supersonic and Champagne Supernova.
Anyway, here’s Wonderwall.
Anderson Paak
The American rapper and one part of Silk Sonic with Bruno Mars blessed the St Jerome’s Laneway Festival in 2018 with his stage presence.
Though his set started off rocky with technical difficulties, he powered through and banged out a drum solo while performing hits like Come Down, Am I Wrong and Glowed Up.
He also came back last year as DJ Pee Wee to bang out some more tunes at the Esplanade Annexe Studio.
Hans Zimmer
The German film score composer behind the soundtrack of many critically acclaimed films like Interstellar, Dune and The Dark Knight trilogy performed for the F1 in 2019. His work has been frequently recreated by orchestras such as the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.
For some reason, most of the videos online seemed like they were filmed with a potato but here’s one that’s decent from that night where he is showing off his multi-instrumentalist skills.
Louis Armstrong
The late acclaimed American trumpeter and vocalist once performed at the Singapore National Theatre. Only one glorious photo from 1964 of Armstrong performing with his band can be found online.
The Bee Gees
The legendary British–Australian pop group that pioneered disco music in the 1960s and 1970s was listed as another act that also performed at the Singapore National Theatre in the 1960s and early 1970s, though no photos or videos were found online.
Check out the list of other big names coming to Singapore soon:
