The 11th edition of the SHINE Festival at The Stage at ION Orchard on Saturday was one to remember! Tabitha Nauser debuted two new singles. ShiGGA Shay rocked the stage with his locally-inspired mix of songs. Gentle Bones melted young hearts with his #1 hit Sixty Five. And of course, Korean hip-hop star Jay Park ignited the loudest screams with his sexy dance moves and vocals.

What’s one great way to kick-start a series of youth performances?

You bring in the big drums, of course! Local percussion group Urban Drum Crew hyped up the crowd as the show opener with their unique, explosive drum beats that shook the stage and was sure to have left anyone within the Orchard belt in awe. You could feel the passion of the drummers down to the very last beat.

Next up was Singapore Idol 2009 runner-up Tabitha Nauser, who swayed the crowd with a first-hand preview of her two new singles, Body Language and Bulletproof which were recorded on a trip to Sweden. She was a natural when it comes to interacting with the crowd but it would have been better if she had added a little local flavour to her performance.

Born and bred Singaporean ShiGGA Shay’s performance on the other hand was like a tribute to every local in the house. His hit numbers such as Limpeh and Lion City Kia with their references that every local could relate to, showcased the uniqueness of our Singaporean identity. After watching his performance live, it is no surprise why he is commonly referred to as someone who proudly brings out the true Singaporean flavour in his music.

Right after the fast-paced, foot-tapping beat of ShiGGa Shay’s performance, Gentle Bones’ performance was a warm welcome. To me, his performance was the perfect blend of head-bobbing tracks and gentle crooning that reminded me of a local Ed Sheeran. In fact, his boyish looks coupled with his melodic voice was the one thing that made him stand out from the rest of the acts.

The long wait after Gentle Bones’ act got the fans expressing their frustration as they eagerly awaited the arrival of the main highlight – Korean star Jay Park. Needless to say, his act was the biggest and brought out the loudest screams from the fans. Like every Korean star, his dance moves were a sexy touch to the entire performance and sent the fans wild.

The best part? A collaboration with ShiGGa Shay! The duo performed Jay Park’s You Know and left us breathless with their impressive rapping skills. One thing is for sure, it made the wait worthwhile and would remain etched in everyone’s memory!

All in all, SHINE Festival 2016’s line up was a fantastic presentation and will set the standards for the next. I do think that considering the turn out, a bigger venue would be better next time round.

The Fifth Parlour would like to thank SHINE Festival for the invitation.