YUNG RAJA
Yes, it’s 2020, but mention rap and it still comes with the baggage of certain negative stereotypes. Yung Raja, the on-fire persona of Rajid Ahamed, comes at the topic from an optimistic space though. “The beauty of hip-hop and rap is the fact that you get to make it your own… It’s a beautiful genre in which you get to paint your story and reality with words,” he enthuses. And people are lapping up whatever he’s putting out. Case in point: the cheeky video for his latest single Mad Blessings, an infectious tune in which the 25-year-old acknowledges his golden streak in the business, was cruising on 1.2 million YouTube views at press time – less than two months after its release. The song’s title is an apt way to describe his rise as one of the few – and more prominent – young rappers melding English and colloquial Tamil (his parents are from South India though he was born and bred here). M.I.A. (yes, the critically acclaimed female rapper) even reached out through social media to express her appreciation of his bilingual work after he released Poori Gang, a remix of smash hit Gucci Gang. “Mixing English and Tamil is something I haven’t heard widely around the world,” says Yung of his unique brand of music. “Tamil’s an ancient language and I just wanted to make it a little stylish. I’m just glad that people like the end result.” Now who else is looking forward to his next single, due out later this year?
On neck (from left): B.zero1 Rock 18K pink gold pendant with ceramic, B.zero1 Rock 18K pink gold ring with ceramic (worn as pendant), B.zero1 Rock 18K yellow gold pendant with diamonds, all worn on 18K pink gold necklace. On right hand: B.zero1 Rock 18K pink gold ring with ceramic and B.zero1 18K pink gold bangle. On left hand: B.zero1 18K yellow gold ring and bangle. Jil Sander top, Club21 Men. All jewellery, Bvlgari
This story is from the March 2020 edition of Female Singapore.
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This story is from the March 2020 edition of Female Singapore.
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GOOD VIBES
EVERY YEAR, CHANEL PICKS A PLACE ON THE WORLD MAP NOT ONLY TO INSPIRE, BUT ALSO TO SHOWCASE ITS ANNUAL CRUISE COLLECTION (IT’S A TRADITION THAT’S ROOTED IN THE MAISON’S EARLY YEARS WHEN COCO CHANEL PRESENTED A LINE OUTSIDE OF THE USUAL FASHION CALENDAR TO INCITE WANDERLUST FOR TOASTIER, MORE PICTURE-PERFECT CLIMES DURING THE WINTER MONTHS). THE LATEST DESTINATION: VIBRANT MARSEILLE – THE FRENCH CITY THAT RECEIVES THE MOST SUNSHINE; HOME TO AN ECLECTIC REPERTOIRE OF CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AND LANDMARKS; AND A MAGNET FOR EMERGING CREATIVES WITH ITS MIX OF GRIT AND GLAMOUR, LAND AND SEA, AND YOUTHFUL BOHEMIAN ENERGY. THE RESULTS? A COLLECTION THAT MAKES US WANT TO LET LOOSE AND DANCE. NOELLE LOH REPORTS FROM THE PHOCAEAN CITY.
THE PARTY EDIT
Club-appropriate hits from the Resort 2025 collections
THE VIPS
SOME OF THE 17 PEOPLE SPOTLIGHTED ACROSS THE NEXT 26 PAGES HAVE BEEN IN THE NIGHTLIFE BUSINESS WAY BEFORE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC DECADES EVEN. OTHERS LESS, BUT HAVE BEEN FOR MUCH OF THEIR LIVES DEEP INTO MUSIC, VIBING IT OUT ON DANCE FLOORS AND MAKING SURE EVERYONE AROUND HAS A HELLUVA GOOD TIME. THEIR ENDEAVOURS RANGE FROM A MODEST NEIGHBOURHOOD BAR TO CONGLOMERATE-BACKED, MULTI-CONCEPT SPACES AND A MULTIFARIOUS NETWORK OF POP-UP PARTIES, ALL OF WHICH HAVE BEEN MAKING AN EXTRA-LOUD SPLASH IN THE PAST YEAR. WHAT ELSE THEY ALL HAVE IN COMMON: THEY'RE RETHINKING AND RESHAPING PARTY CULTURE FOR THE FUTURE - OR, TO PARAPHRASE CHARLI XCX, THEY'RE BUMPIN' IT. KENG YANG SHUEN AND NOELLE LOH PUT THE CAMERA FLASH ON.
THE NIGHTS
ROUGHLY TWO YEARS ON SINCE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, FOLKS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE ARE STILL TAKING IT UPON THEMSELVES TO THROW THEIR OWN INDEPENDENT PARTIES WITH MORE EXPERIMENTAL SOUNDS, AND MORE INTENTIONAL AND INCLUSIVE EXPERIENCES THAT INJECT A ROUSING UNDERGROUND ENERGY TO SINGAPORE NIGHTLIFE. KENG YANG SHUEN TURNS THE SPOTLIGHT ON FOUR OF THE NEWEST ORGANISERS ON THE SCENE AND TELLS YOU WHY YOU SHOULD HIT THEIR PARTIES.
THE SOUNDS
THEY'RE ALL UNDER 30, MOSTLY SELF-TAUGHT AND EMERGED PROFESSIONALLY ONLY AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. MOST DON'T EVEN HAVE A REGULAR GIG (YOU'D HAVE TO CHECK THEIR INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS TO FIND OUT WHEN NEXT THEY'LL BE PERFORMING), BUT DON'T YOU DARE CALL THEM BEDROOM DJS. KENG YANG SHUEN SPOTLIGHTS SEVEN EMERGING SINGAPORE-BASED MUSIC SELECTORS AND MIX MASTERS WHO'VE BEEN TEARING UP DANCE FLOORS IN THE PAST YEAR AND SHOULD BE TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY.
SHE CALLS THE SHOTS
SINCE THE 2000S, RIHANNA HAS BEEN MAKING DANCE FLOORS WORK, WORK, WORK WITH HER INFECTIOUS ELECTRONIC AND R&B-INFLECTED POP HITS. FOR ANOTHER SIDE TO HER \"QUEEN OF THE NIGHT\" PERSONA, THERE'S HER ROLE AS THE LATEST FACE OF DIOR'S J'ADORE PERFUME AND ITS ACCOMPANYING CAMPAIGN FILM. SHOT BY HER LONG-TIME FRIEND STEVEN KLEIN, IT FEATURES THE BARBADIAN BADDIE STRIDING THROUGH THE GILDED HALLS OF THE PALACE OF VERSAILLES DRIPPING IN GOLD. HERE, SHE SHARES MORE ABOUT HOW THE FAMOUSLY FEMININE FRAGRANCE EMBODIES CELEBRATION.
A Not So Common Scent
For the first time, the singular house of Hermes has launched a chypre perfume fragrance type known for its complexity and dualistic nature a that comes in a first-of-its-kind bottle, no less. Keng Yang Shuen finds out more about Barenia, Hermes's latest scent that hit stores recently, from the brand's in-house perfumer Christine Nagel.
Strange Love
The six names in this story create wildly different works that tend to blur the boundaries among disparate disciplines. All have little in common except one thing: a certain wondrousness and sense of curiosity that inspire audiences to look at familiar things anew. Keng Yang Shuen reports.
The artist
Johnny Depp is certainly far from the conventional leading man: the iconically quirky on-screen roles, the rock musician persona (he was a guitarist before becoming an actor), the unexpected neoexpressionist portraits in 2022 (these paintings of cultural heroes ranging from AI Pacino to Elizabeth Taylor sold out in a day), and of course the title of being Dior's long-standing poster boy for its wilderness-inspired flagship men's perfume Sauvage for nine years and counting.
spirited away
Collaborations with the art world have become a trusted way of injecting novelty into fashion.
