Meet Gen Neo, The Singaporean Singer, Songwriter And Producer Who Has Worked With The Likes Of GOT7 And ENHYPEN

As the year draws to a close, and we’re anticipating the reveal of our individual Spotify Wrapped playlists, there’s always room to discover new music. Though small geographically, Singapore has a knack for producing young talents who find success abroad—entrepreneurs bringing local cuisine overseas; actors taking on the world stage, and now, Singaporean singer, songwriter and producer, Gen Neo.

The 35-year-old attended Catholic High School and Victoria Junior College, before enrolling in the Berklee College Of Music. Currently based in South Korea, he is back to perform on home turf at the Esplanade Annexe Studio on 30 November 2024. We sat down with him ahead of his concert to ask him about his music journey, from his first music memory to working with the likes of GOT7 and ENHYPEN.

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What is your earliest music-related memory?

My dad always used to buy Michael Jackson’s tapes and cassettes, so I would sit in front of the TV and watch his performances and listen to his music. That was one of my earliest memories when I was a kid. Other than Michael Jackson, some other musical inspirations growing up were ... I’m very inspired by ’90s and 2000s R&B. So you got people like TLC, of course, and going back further, you have Luther Vandross, and that’s kind of why I keep honing my skills in terms of singing as well. I think it’s important.

Was there a turning point that made you decide to pursue R&B music, as opposed to say pop or rock?

Well, I actually tried a bunch. I tried rock when I was a kid, and I I grew up learning classical music and sang opera as well. But the turning point was when I was exposed to all this Western music, and I decided that I just naturally gravitated towards R&B. 

You met Super Junior-M’s Henry Lau during your time in Berklee. How did you start collaborating with each other?

We just kind of hit it off. At first, it seemed to me like he just was a fun person. But when we got deeper into it, he was really into and good at production at that time, which was something I was trying to hone my skills in. So I did that, and I had stuff that I could share with him as well. We started talking about music and doing music together. That brought me to Korea after Berklee, and was my first dip into the South Korean music industry.

You’ve since worked with K-pop groups like GOT7 and ENHYPEN. What has that journey been like?

When I started writing for Henry, more opportunities came gradually. And I went with the flow, right? Even then, you have to make the effort to go pitch yourself and your songs as well. I was fortunate enough to receive these opportunities and these songs got placed and yeah, I’m grateful for how it all panned out.

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Congratulations on hitting over 4 millions streams on Spotify for your single “Called It Love”. What was the inspiration behind the song, and was it derived from your personal experiences?

I think a lot of my songs are all personal experience-based. “Called It Love” describes a pretty toxic relationship. It’s when, you know [the relationship] is going to end, but you’re still in it. It’s like you make the mistake of calling it love, right? I think a lot of my songs are reflective of the experiences I’ve been through.

How do you translate these experiences into your songwriting?

With songwriting, it’s best if a song represents a certain emotion, and not like a couple of emotions. It has to be brief, direct and I’m still learning at this point. But I think I have successfully done it with “Called It Love”. You know, [as artists], we always try to give a part of ourselves and write that into a song and hope for the best.

Are there any potential genres or collaborators that you look forward to working with?

I want to work with a lot of people that are like-minded and who do the same genre, which is R&B and contemporary R&B. To name a few, you’ve got LMA from the UK, SZA from the US and of course, Brent Faiyaz is really cool.

What are your feelings about being back to perform in Singapore?

It’s kind of scary, because I haven’t done too much promotion here in recent years, and especially with my new direction into doing all these English releases. So I’m a little scared, but I’m hopeful, and I’m excited to bring what I’ve got to the Singaporean audience.

Do you have any advice for aspiring Singaporean artists who want to succeed abroad?

I wouldn’t call myself successful as of yet. [To succeed as] an artist or producer, it’s two very different things. If you want to succeed as a producer, then go out there, write a lot and make many connections. And, take more chances on yourself. But if you want to succeed as an artist, then there’s a lot more that there is to it, which I’m still figuring out myself. I think just be prepared for everything that’s going to come. And having a wide variety of skill sets doesn’t hurt too.

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What keeps you going in life and your career?

I’m neck-deep in this, and I think I have no choice but to keep going forward. But I do enjoy [the process] and many, many aspects of this career. So yeah, be open-minded as well of what’s to come. 

Lastly, any words for your fans here in Singapore?

If you like ’90s and 2000s R&B, or emotional-heartbreak-roller-coaster kind of songs, you can give my Spotify a shot, the songs will be always there for you. Now that I’m performing back home more often, you know where to find me.