The inaugural Yuewen Music Festival made a spectacular debut on December 28 and 29, 2024, at Sentosa’s Siloso Beach. The two-day festival featured a diverse lineup of top artists across multiple genres from Mandopop sensations, K-pop idols, and rising stars, all captivating audiences with electrifying performances. Whether you are a fan of Chinese music, K-pop or even Thai pop there was a genre for everyone at Yuewen Music Festival and you might leave a fan of the other acts at the end of the day!
K-pop Is Here To Stay: Three Different Generations, Three Power-Packed Performances
From new and rising groups belonging to the latest generation such as KISS OF LIFE, to groups that have become synonymous with K-pop, ITZY and Red Velvet – IRENE & SEULGI, it was a treat for K-pop fans on the first night. Talk about girl power!
Despite their set being reduced down to three songs due to the unexpected event suspension, KISS OF LIFE was determined to make the time for fans worthwhile with the time they had on stage from “Sticky” to their debut track “Shhh”.
ITZY shone on stage with newer hits like “GOLD”, “UNTOUCHABLE” before taking fans back in time with “Wannabe” – which no one will be able to resist grooving to to the iconic shoulder dance!
Rounding up the K-pop stages on the first day was Red Velvet – IRENE & SEULGI who prepared solo stages of their individual releases, showing their years of experience as they effortlessly exuded fierceness, charisma and control on stage, ending off their set with “Monster” from their debut subunit album.
The groups might be from different generations, but with the amount of talent that we have witnessed in just one night across the different stages, we are sure that the K-Pop wave is here to stay!
Kpop Kings: Daesung, Taeyang
Day 2 saw Big Bang’s Daesung and Taeyang commanding the stage separately but leaving an equally strong impact. Daesung’s infectious energy shone as he performed “Baby Don’t Cry”, “Falling Slowly”, and the trot anthem “Look at Me, Gwisun”. Playful as ever, he joked, “I have always wondered why Singapore starts with ‘sing,’ and now I realize why – you guys sing so well!” He also thanked fans for staying despite the heavy rain, making his emotional performance of “Umbrella”, an unreleased Japanese single, all the more fitting.
Taeyang followed with his smooth moves and effortless charisma, captivating the crowd with “Superstar”, “Shoong!”, and “Eyes, Nose, Lips”. He worked every corner of the stage, engaging fans at every turn. When VIPs chanted “Big Bang,” he playfully responded, “Big Bang what? Concert?” before teasing, “Okay, I promise—but I need to think about it.” His stage presence and connection with the audience proved that even as soloists, Big Bang’s impact remains as powerful as ever as he closed off the night with “Ringa Linga”.
The Best of T-pop: All Rounded Talents
Mega talented individuals who can not only act but sing too? We got Billkin & PP Krit on the first night, and Nanon & Win Metawin on the second.
The rain stopped just in time for the ever beloved duo BKPP – A nickname that combines both their stage acronyms Billkin (BK) and PP Krit (PP)); thanks to their breakthrough roles in the 2020 popular Thai BL (Boys’ Love) series “I Told Sunset About You”.
PP Krit took the stage first, kicking off with all-time fan favourite “FIRE BOY” to fervent cheers from the fans, albeit the view of the raised platform he was performing from being blocked due to the wet weather tentage implementations upon stage. Well, thankfully he came down to the main stage after, slowing things down with sweet songs like “Hesitate” and “friend to friend” before ending with his upbeat track “Ooh!”.
Billkin ended the first night, treating fans to an exclusive setlist–performing for the first time his recent singles “Fiercer, Lover” and “Golden Hour”, and the OST “Ever-Forever” featured in his 2024 global hit Thai movie “How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies” were some of the many .
“I would like to sing this song (OST) as a special gift for the Singapore fans,” he shares, as a thank you to fans for all the love shown towards the movie. No surprise if happy tears were shed during the song then.
With their set timings being one after another, their segment could have been perfect if they shared the stage to perform their duet “Surrender”. Surely it could not have been just us wishing for that to happen!
What could have been another day of more T-Pop with duo Win Metawin & Nanon on the second night left fans disappointed once more when Nanon was the only one that took the stage to perform–a single song before yet another unfortunate lightning warning was issued, just like the day before. The weather definitely was not in the music festival’s favour as the rain lasted through the afternoon, and it was eventually announced by the duo themselves on social media that their set had been cancelled entirely.
Guess fans will have to wait for the release of the Thai adaptation of popular drama “Scarlet Heart” to get to see more of the duo together again…
C-pop Powerhouses: An Unforgettable Vocal and Hip-Hop Treat
We have experienced K-pop and T-pop–the Mandopop artistes are not forgotten! The performances were unforgettable in their own way.
Veteran singer Maggie Chiang 江美琪 who has returned to the music scene after being away for several years expressed her joy to be meeting Singapore fans after so long and prepared a setlist featuring classic hits and songs from her new album.
Another powerhouse to highlight was Lala Hsu 徐佳瑩, who performed through her set in the rain that did not seem to subside while holding on to an umbrella for shelter. For a singer to be juggling that many things on stage–staying dry while being careful not to slip on stage, interacting with fans and to still effortlessly belt and hit all the high notes to the songs–call us extremely impressed.
Fans could be seen scrambling to stay dry, getting their ponchos on mid-performance, but that did not stop them from having a good time singing along in the rain to the songs. Even the singer herself called it as “one of her most unforgettable performances”, and that it was “pretty romantic” to have the rain falling during one of her emotional ballads.
Chinese rapper Ma Siwei 马思唯 electrified the audience on Day 2 with a dynamic set that showcased his versatility and stage presence. Performing several hits, including “R&B All Night”, he seamlessly blended sharp lyricism with engaging rhythms, hyping up the crowd as the festival resumed after the heavy rain.
As the curtains closed on Yuewen Music Festival 2024, the two-day event proved to be a celebration of musical diversity, bringing together the best of K-pop, T-pop, and C-pop on one stage. Despite logistical challenges, every performance made an impact. Whether through nostalgia, fresh talent, or genre-blending artistry, the festival showcased the vibrant, global reach of the Asian music scene.
Big thank you to Yuewen Music Festival for having us.
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