Local singer Gentle Bones shuns public appearances, speaks against celeb culture, and loathes being loved for anything other than his music. Reluctant celebrity, much?
Who is he? Singer-songwriter Joel Tan, who goes by the stage name Gentle Bones, 22. His musical style has been compared to Ed Sheeran, and he’s the only local artiste to make it on the inaugural Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list, alongside G-Dragon, Choi Siwon and Angelababy. “I’m most stoked to be placed with G-Dragon [on the Forbes list] ’cos I’ve been a BigBang fan since I was in primary school and I really look up to them,” he says. His original music, including the tracks off his 2014 eponymous debut EP, has topped iTunes charts, infiltrated local airwaves, and earned him a cult following. Last May, he became the first homegrown act to be signed by Universal Music Singapore and is set to stage his maiden solo gig at the Esplanade in June.
8 DAYS: Gentle Bones is an oxymoron. Are you saying you’re a walking contradiction?
Joel Tan: Yeah, I contradict myself all the time. (Laughs) I wouldn’t say that I’m a hypocrite but my beliefs change all the time. The reason why I chose Gentle Bones was also ’cos I wanted [a moniker] that people couldn’t [glean] any meaning from. I’ve always used that nickname to represent my music, rather than me. I see myself, Joel, as more of a third party in that whole picture.
Has anyone ever told you that you look like Jay Chou?
Yeah, since I was in Secondary 1. Maybe I should start singing Mandarin songs.
Last year, you roped in your rumoured girlfriend, The Sam Willows’ Narelle Kheng, to star in your ‘Settle Down’ MV. Is that song about her?
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