Golden Boy

Brimming with boundless creative energy, Benjamin Kheng is equally at home commanding the stage or goofing off on social media.

- ROHAIZATUL AZHAR

Benjamin Kheng is lying on the floor next to the couch. It's midway through our shoot, and we're in the middle of our lunch break. Earlier that day, during my one-on-one chat with him, the artist-actor-content creator-songwriter-producer revealed that one of his 'hidden talents' is being able to sleep anywhere, anytime. "I might take a 10-minute nap on a rug somewhere [in the studio], and I will do it shamelessly," the 33-year-old admitted with a cheeky laugh.

The post-lunch mini siesta is much needed, given his demanding schedule. For the last couple of months, his weekends had been packed with National Day Parade (NDP) rehearsals, where he performed this year's National Day theme song "Not Alone", which was co-written and co-produced with his long-time collaborator, Evan Low. He also sang at Cartier's 100th anniversary party in July, where he rubbed shoulders with Blackpink's Jisoo, GOT7's Jackson Wang and Thai actor-singer Jeff Satur.

Ben also channels his creative energy into his social media platforms where he shares behind-the-scenes glimpses into the music-making process and humorous content. His knack for connecting with people, both through his music and his genuine personality, made him a natural choice for this year's NDP theme song.

The song, he says, is his "love letter to Singapore". It pays homage to past NDP songs by incorporating familiar lyrics from the previous songs, evoking a sense of nostalgia. "We wanted to create something timeless yet contemporary," Ben explains. "The idea was to bring together different generations through music, to remind everyone that despite our differences, we're all part of the same community."