NDP 2024: Benjamin Kheng to perform theme song, Total Defence takes centre stage
SINGAPORE - Local artiste Benjamin Kheng will perform 2024’s National Day Parade theme song, titled Not Alone, which aims to validate the hardship Singaporeans have faced throughout their history and promote unity and support to face the future.
Kheng, who gained prominence as part of local band The Sam Willows, also stars in the NDP music video of the song, released on May 23. Computer-generated fabrics are seen soaring through scenes throughout the video, as a metaphor for the social fabric of Singapore.
The song was written with producer Evan Low, who also worked on NDP 2021’s theme song The Road Ahead, and pays homage to past hits like Where I Belong.
“You’ll notice nods to songs of the past,” Kheng told the media on May 23 at a briefing on NDP 2024.
“This is very deliberate, because we wanted to pay homage to these classic songs that are part of our legacy, and we wanted to connect Singaporeans to the meaning of these beautiful lyrics that we hear every year.”
The theme song is among the highlights of 2024’s NDP, which celebrates 59 years of Singapore’s independence.
Themed “Together, As One United People”, NDP 2024 aims to underscore the collective strength of Singaporeans and rally citizens to shape its future, said the chairman of the parade’s executive committee, Brigadier-General Wilson Low.
BG Low, who is the Chief Guards Officer under the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), told the media: “Our theme this year calls upon Singaporeans from all walks of life to express their love for Singapore and to celebrate the nation’s progress.”
This year’s main NDP celebration takes place at the Padang and will extend to The Promontory @ Marina Bay for the first time.
The NDP Heartland Celebrations, involving a series of carnival events at various neighbourhoods, will continue on Aug 10 at five heartland venues.
These are the key highlights of NDP 2024:
The NDP logo
NDP 2024’s logo is a stylistic play on SG (short for Singapore) and 59, featuring five shooting stars that symbolise the nation’s aspirations for democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality. The stars are trailed by six ascending strokes that represent Total Defence, Singapore’s long-running national defence campaign, which entered its 40th year in 2024.
Remote video URL
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Main show at Padang, Marina Bay
The festivities on Aug 9 will take place at the Padang, where some 27,000 spectators are expected.
In 2024, the event space has been expanded to the Promontory area – an open space near the Marina Bay Financial Centre – where more spectators can gather to get a closer look at the fireworks, and maritime and aerial displays over the bay.
The main show is split into six chapters, said BG Low, who chairs the parade for the first time. The segments will include crowd favourites such as the State Flag Flypast, Salute to the Nation and the Red Lions – SAF’s parachute team.
The Padang audience will also be at the centre of a 360-degree firework experience. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO FILE
For the first time, the marching contingents will also march onto the spectator stand at the Padang, to bring the parade closer to the audience.
Dynamic LED wristbands, made popular at concerts by Taylor Swift and Coldplay, will be handed out to audience members to create a vibrant light display from the stands during the parade.
The Padang audience will also be at the centre of a 360-degree fireworks experience. They will be surrounded by fireworks launching from the Marina Bay area and the Padang, as well as newly positioned ones from the neighbouring Adelphi building, to form a loop around the stands.
Additional NE Show
The NDP organisers will arrange an additional National Education (NE) Show – bringing it to four shows for students – before the main event to make it up to secondary school students who missed the parade in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The NE shows are typically open to Primary 5 pupils from Ministry of Education institutions.
Invitations were sent out to parents of the secondary school students in March through the Parents Gateway portal.
Primary 5 students attending the 2023 National Day Parade National Education (NE) Show as part of the NE learning experience. PHOTO: MINDEF
Total Defence 40
Total Defence will take centre stage in the show’s second act to commemorate the campaign’s 40th year.
The national defence concept comprises six pillars – military, civil, economic, social, digital and psychological defence.
Spectators will witness the Total Defence 40 Dynamic Defence Display, a segment that showcases Singapore’s response to threats in the air, on land and sea, as well as civil emergencies and disruptions, in a coordinated demonstration across both the Padang and Marina Bay.
BG Low said: “This is the first time we will see a coordinated display between the Padang and Marina Bay.
“We will get to see different elements, from the police force, SAF, to the SCDF (Singapore Civil Defence Force), working with the community in response to incidents.”
Not Alone: NDP theme song
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NDP 2024 Theme Song – "Not Alone"
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This year’s theme song Not Alone adopts a first-person perspective and incorporates lyrics with a tinge of sadness to validate how Singaporeans might feel through hardships throughout Singapore’s history, said Kheng, who composed and performed the song.
Supported by an ensemble from the Music and Drama Company, the song builds into an uplifting second half that aims to foster a sense of belonging among Singaporeans.
Writing the song felt like a big undertaking, said Kheng.
“We put our hopes and dreams and feelings about a country into one song, and it has to work for everyone. It’s impossible to please everyone, but I felt the best place to start is to be honest about my experiences,” he said.
“I think generally doing life in this day and age is not easy. I spoke from my lived experience and wanted to write something that felt true to me,” said Kheng, adding that the song addresses feelings of isolation and loneliness.
“What brings me comfort is how people really make this country feel like home to me, and that’s why I wrote it.”
Remote video URL
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The NDP music video that accompanies the song was jointly directed by local directors Koo Chia Meng, Brian Gothong Tan and animator Davier Yoon.
The video begins with a minimalist style to reflect the mood of the song, and gradually features vignettes of Singapore’s past and present to illustrate the nation’s evolving social memories.
Linking the two phases of the video are animated strips of multicoloured fabrics, which symbolise the tapestry formed by Singaporeans’ shared experiences and heritage.
In the final scene, the cloths drape over a housing estate, symbolising how individuals, like threads, come together to form a resilient and united nation, said the NDP organisers.
Celebrations in the heartland
As with previous NDPs, the festivities will be brought into the neighbourhood through Heartland Celebrations, where residents can gather for carnival and family activities, and watch fireworks and stage performances.
Details of the five Heartland Celebrations locations will be released soon.
Last year’s Heartland Celebrations focused on sports and physical activities to encourage residents to get active and play physical games like table tennis and take part in athletics, instead of just soaking in the festivities.