NDP song and logo reflect hopeful look towards future for Singapore following Covid-19
SINGAPORE – Uptempo and easy to get into – the National Day Parade 2023 theme song was made to reflect the emergence of Singapore from the Covid-19 pandemic, said one of its writers.
Titled Shine Your Light, the song featuring singers from several genres is composed by Don Richmond, 47, who also wrote the music and lyrics for NDP 2022’s theme song Stronger Together.
Speaking to the media on Thursday, Richmond, 47, said he felt 2022 was the close of a chapter for Singaporeans and the intention behind the new song was to start off the new chapter with something more vibrant.
He said: “It’s important to have a song that is feel-good, catchy, infectious and puts a smile all on all Singaporeans. So the way we do this this year is by having a big group of musicians and the best singers that we can find shine their personal light.”
Shine Your Light is co-written by Richmond and rapper Shigga Shay, 31, who is also lending his vocals to an NDP theme song for the first time.
The track also features experienced NDP acts The Island Voices, 53A and Olivia Ong, 38, along with three young artistes making their NDP song debuts – lewloh, 27, Lineath, 30, and Iman Fandi, 23, who is the daughter of former national footballer Fandi Ahmad.
When asked if Shine Your Light caters to the younger generation, Richmond said: “I always realise with NDP songs that I write, the grandparents and the parents... sort of respond to the song through their kids. So I feel that if we get the kids to clap along, they will usually be the ones who will inspire the older generation to also come along for the ride.”
The music video for the song, which was also released on Thursday, was directed by Shigga Shay and shot in various locations across the island including Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, a basketball court at Tampines and the National Gallery Singapore.
Also portraying Singapore’s recovery from the pandemic is this year’s NDP logo, which tilts upwards to represent the aspirations of Singaporeans to take the country to greater heights, amid potential challenges.
It also features a lion’s head embedded with the number 58, indicating the age of Singapore’s independence. The five stars beside the lion’s head represent Singapore’s ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality.
Chairman of the NDP 2023 executive committee, Colonel Terence Ho, said the logo portrays Singapore’s determination to come together to build a shared future.
“We have come out of three years of pandemic. We wanted to encourage Singaporeans to look forward confidently, look forward to building a shared future together, move onwards together... So that is quite an important factor in the design of our NDP theme, logo as well as concept.”
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