BGourd (real name: Sean Lim) is a computer science graduate who raps playfully about Singapore culture while dressed in a modified lime-hued Zentai suit. His affinity for greens goes beyond his moniker – a nod to bitter gourd and how his music can be an acquired taste.

Think strangely melodic, genre-jumping tracks that reflect his influences, which span alternative hip-hop icons such as MF Doom to local bedroom pop act Sobs and the popular producer Fauxe. His series of four EPs released across the past two years is titled Veggie Wraps (geddit?) and collaborators have included the equally mysterious Beansprouts and e-plant (short for eggplant).

If this all seems farcical, the 24-year-old’s accolades so far hint that he’s onto something: a non-exclusive management deal with Sony Music Entertainment in 2020; nominations for Best New Artist and EP Of The Year at the 14th Freshmusic Awards that celebrates indie sounds in the region; and raucous live performances including one at Baybeats last November.

“I hope that I bring to the scene a desire to experiment and that I broaden the musical soundscape of Singaporean hip-hop,” he says. May we suggest he name his next project Block Rockin’ Beets?

BGourd wears sequinned nylon and silk satin jacket, Re-Nylon bermudas, and leather loafers, Prada. Bodysuit his own

With her sensible, unassuming off-screen demeanour, the 20-year-old Khallyshah Fahmi – who goes by Khally – is every bit the “girl next door” she describes herself to be. That is until she sings, revealing brassy, soulful vocals that belie her pint-sized frame and the cool confidence to match as seen in her videos and debut EP Let’s Talk About Love released two months ago.

As it turns out, her father is in the entertainment line, helping to foster a curiosity and love for performing (she was a child actress; took part in talent shows as a teen; and scored a lead role in a Malay television show last year). Adding to her charm is an eclectic and deeply personal brand of songwriting inspired by her musical heroes who include Lauryn Hill, Jorja Smith and the psych-rock, multi-instrumentalist Tash Sultana.

Khally wears sequinned silk dress, Fendi

Launching its self-titled debut EP in November 2021, Blush might just be the closest thing we have to an indie supergroup for the Instagram generation. Its members – (from left) Daniel Lim, Nick Wong, Soffi Peters, Daniel Pei and Zhang Bo – are between the ages of 24 and 29, and hail from seven other well-loved Singapore indie bands including Sobs and Cosmic Child jointly.

For all their youthful energy, their anti-glamorous style and fuzzy shoegaze sounds are reminiscent of the pre-social media golden age of music when guitars, goths and geeks ruled (check out the single Suck with its lush and melancholic reverb).

How they came together was equally twee: Already friends or acquaintances, they started talking about forming a band over rounds of Dota 2 during lockdown last year, progressing quickly to sharing demos then jamming together once regulations permitted. As Peters puts it: “We’re friends trying to play music that we like.”

Daniel Lim (extreme left) wears wool pants, Bottega Veneta. Soffi Peters (middle) wears Lurex dress, Prada. All other clothes and accessories, musicians’ own

The music of Houg draws one in like the warm embrace of a friend on the dance floor of a beach bar at dusk. It’s soothing and feel-good with inflections of disco – or as the 28-year-old describes, “a cross between chillwave and trip hop”.

The self-taught artist-producer (real name: Sameh Wahba) went into music full-time in 2017, but it’s only after returning from Australia – where he had lived on and off to explore his musical side – two years ago that he started to radiate creatively and critically.

In March, he will follow up his well-received 2020 EP The Oscillation Scene with his first full-length album The Biting Tempo. On it, he croons about the “turbulent things” in life with the same tenderness and sparkling eloquence that he exudes in person. His visuals and videos are similarly steeped in stylish nostalgia – he’s a photographer by day and has a thing for old-school, analogue devices like medium-format cameras.

For a taste, watch out for his next single ‘7 Ain’t Home’, which is a collaboration with Videotapemusic – a Japanese producer who works with materials on found and sourced VHS tapes.

Houg wears The North Face X Gucci polyester-blend track jacket, Gucci. All other clothes, his own

Photography Phyllicia Wang Styling Damian Huang Hair & Makeup Sarah Tan, assisted by Rebekah Mah

A version of this article first appeared in the Jan/Feb 2022 Art & Music: The Analogue Edition of FEMALE