The Sam Willows: Difference between revisions

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[[File:The Sam Willows profile.jpg|thumb|''The Sam Willows band members. From left to right: Jonathan Chua, Sandra Riley Tang, Narelle Kheng, Benjamin Kheng. Photo from Bandwagon.'']]
[[File:Sam Willows NDP 2015.jpg|thumb|''The Sam Willows performing at the National Day Parade in 2015. Photo from Youth.sg.'']]
The Sam Willows is a local band consisting of Sandra Riley Tang, Jonathan Chua and siblings [[Benjamin Kheng]] and Narelle Kheng. They started posting covers of songs in 2012, with their first mashup cover of Hey Soul Sister and We Are Young going viral.<ref>Wong, PP. ''“Featured Writers: The Sam Willows”''. ''Banana Writers.'' Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.bananawriters.com/thesamwillows</ref> Subsequently, The Sam Willows signed on to record label Sony Music and has since gone on to perform both on the international and local stage, including having sold out concerts in Malaysia and Singapore.
The Sam Willows is a local band consisting of Sandra Riley Tang, Jonathan Chua and siblings [[Benjamin Kheng]] and Narelle Kheng. They started posting covers of songs in 2012, with their first mashup cover of Hey Soul Sister and We Are Young going viral.<ref>Wong, PP. ''“Featured Writers: The Sam Willows”''. ''Banana Writers.'' Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.bananawriters.com/thesamwillows</ref> Subsequently, The Sam Willows signed on to record label Sony Music and has since gone on to perform both on the international and local stage, including having sold out concerts in Malaysia and Singapore.
==Formation==
==Background==
Started in late 2011, the quartet had first grouped together to perform at their school’s alumni concert.<ref>Sumayao, Marco. ''“The Sam Willows learn to grow up without ditching fun”''. MTV Asia. July 13, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.mtvasia.com/news/8aemoz/the-sam-willows-learn-to-grow-up-without-ditching-fun </ref> In May 2012, The Sam Willows uploaded their first mashup and cover of hit songs Hey Soul Sister by Train and We Are Young by Fun. The video went viral, this incident marked was their rise to fame as a household name. As of January 2019, the video has garnered 209,000 views on Youtube ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT-d4dHOQ4g Youtube video]). Subsequently, they were invited to Mediacorp Channel 5’s countdown event “Celebrate 2013” and many more stages in the following years.<ref>''“The Sam Willows”''. MTV Asia. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.mtvasia.com/artists/f70k2a/the-sam-willows </ref>
Started in late 2011, the quartet had first grouped together to perform at their school’s alumni concert.<ref>Sumayao, Marco. ''“The Sam Willows learn to grow up without ditching fun”''. MTV Asia. July 13, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.mtvasia.com/news/8aemoz/the-sam-willows-learn-to-grow-up-without-ditching-fun </ref> In May 2012, The Sam Willows uploaded their first mashup and cover of hit songs Hey Soul Sister by Train and We Are Young by Fun. The video went viral, this incident marked was their rise to fame as a household name. As of January 2019, the video has garnered 209,000 views on YouTube ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT-d4dHOQ4g YouTube video]). Subsequently, they were invited to Mediacorp Channel 5’s countdown event “Celebrate 2013” and many more stages in the following years.<ref>''“The Sam Willows”''. MTV Asia. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.mtvasia.com/artists/f70k2a/the-sam-willows </ref>




In an early interview, Sandra stated that their band’s name ‘The Sam Willows’ is representative of their collective identity as a band, emphasizing on the “organic feel” that ‘Sam Willows’ implies.<ref>Wong, PP. ''“Featured Writers: The Sam Willows”''. Banana Writers. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.bananawriters.com/thesamwillows</ref>
In an early interview, Sandra stated that their band’s name ‘The Sam Willows’ is representative of their collective identity as a band, emphasizing on the “organic feel” that ‘Sam Willows’ implies.<ref>Wong, PP. ''“Featured Writers: The Sam Willows”''. Banana Writers. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.bananawriters.com/thesamwillows</ref>
===YouTube===
The Sam Willows has an official channel on YouTube ([https://www.youtube.com/user/thesamwillows The Sam Willows channel]). Their videos include covers, some games and challenges, as well as a web series titled ‘Wandering Willows' where the quartet engage in challenges suggested by their viewers including 'The Try Not To Laugh Challenge' and 'Fear Pong'. Some of their most viewed videos include their cover of Meghan Trainor’s ‘All About That Bass’ and their cover on Taylor Swift’s ‘Blank Space’ which raked in 925,900 views and 740,200 views respectively as of February 2019.<ref>''“The Sam Willows”''. Socialblade. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://socialblade.com/youtube/user/thesamwillows/videos/mostviewed </ref>
The Sam Willows also starred in a series produced by famous Malaysian YouTubers TheMingThing called ‘Reasons Why You’re Still Single’ ([https://youtu.be/esu4hEJNkNc YouTube video]) in 2017 as they tackle the topic of love with humour.
== Career highlights ==
As a local band, The Sam Willows has made waves internationally as well. In 2015, The Sam Willows had placed 23rd on Spotify's 'Top 25 Under 25' list, which featured international artists such as Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande and Sam Smith.<ref>''“Local artistes among top under-25 musicians in the world”''. AsiaOne. August 19, 2015. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.asiaone.com/showbiz/local-artistes-among-top-under-25-musicians-world</ref> In 2019, The Sam Willows was listed as one of 'Forbes' 30 Under 30' for the 'Entertainment & Sports in Asia' category.<ref>"The Sam Willows". ''Forbes.'' Accessed on 13 May 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/profile/the-sam-willows/#7152983e3651</ref>
=== Charts and awards ===
{| class="wikitable"
!
!Music chart / Award
!Description
!Year
|-
| -
|GOLD Status
|The Sam Willows achieved Gold status for four of their songs - ‘Keep Me Jealous’, ‘Papa Money’, ‘Save Myself’ and ‘Robot’. They managed to attain more than 10 million streams in total for the four songs.<ref>Eddino Abdul Hadi. ''“Home-grown pop quartet The Sam Willows' second album a result of 'confusing' times”''. The Straits Times. July 6, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/entertainment/home-grown-pop-quartet-the-sam-willows-second-album-a-result-of-confusing</ref>
|2018
|-
|MTV
|‘Best Southeast Asian Act’
|The Sam Willows had been nominated for the MTV Europe awards for three years.<ref>Tan, Derrick. ''“Will The Sam Willows score a prize at MTV Europe Music Awards ’18?”''. Esquire SG. October 8, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://esquiresg.com/mtv-ema-bilbao-2018-southeast-asia-singapore-nomination-vote-the-sam-willows/</ref>
|2018
2017
2015
|-
|iTunes
|Local iTunes Singles Chart
|The Sam Willows’ single ‘Take Heart’ had managed to top the local iTunes chart for 3 days straight when it was released.<ref>Noor Ashikin Abdul Rahman. ''“The Sam Willows conquer local iTunes chart with new single Take Heart”''. May 27, 2015. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.tnp.sg/m/music/music-news/sam-willows-conquer-local-itunes-chart-new-single-take-heart </ref>
|2015
|-
|Spotify
|Regional Spotify Charts
Global Viral Chart
Spotify’s Spotlight Campaign
|Their song ‘Take Heart’ garnered 4 million streams on Spotify and managed to appear on the regional Spotify charts.
Their song ‘For Love’ managed to reach #48 on Spotify’s Global Viral Chart.
The Sam Willows is the first Southeast Asian Artist featured in Spotify’s Spotlight Campaign across Asia.
| -
|}
===Young & Fabulous (2016)===
The Sam Willows was part of the cast for the local film ‘Young & Fabulous’. The movie is the first in Singapore to be cosplay-themed.<ref>Seah, May. “Young & Fabulous is S’pore’s first cosplay-themed film”. TODAYonline. April 1, 2015. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.todayonline.com/entertainment/movies/young-fabulous-spores-first-cosplay-themed-film </ref> The comedic plot revolves around growing up and follows the main characters as they navigate through harsh parenting while trying to reach for their dreams.<ref>Jong, Jed. “Young & Fabulous (最佳伙扮) – Review”. F Movie Magazine. May 25, 2016. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.fmoviemag.com/young-fabulous-%E6%9C%80%E4%BD%B3%E4%BC%99%E6%89%AE-review/ </ref> The Sam Willows played Jay Lee (Benjamin Kheng), Orange Tan (Narelle Kheng), Nadia Ang (Sandra Riley Tang), and Bamboo Ng (Jonathan Chua).


==Discography<ref>''“The Sam Willows”''. Spotify. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/0mXXLFHmd5bUHxkzaC9ujw</ref>==
==Discography<ref>''“The Sam Willows”''. Spotify. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/0mXXLFHmd5bUHxkzaC9ujw</ref>==
[[File:I Know But Where album.jpg|thumb|''The album art for 'I Know, But Where' (2018). Photo from GENIUS.'']]
[[File:The Sam Willows album.jpg|thumb|''The album art for The Sam Willows' debut album in 2012. Photo from Discogs.'']]
[[File:The Sam Willows Take Heart Tour Poster.jpg|thumb|''The poster for the 'Take Heart' tour in 2016. Photo from Teenage.'']]
[[File:Hyperplay 2018 Poster.png|thumb|''The 2018 Hyperplay poster featuring The Sam Willows (bottom left). Photo from Hallyu SG.'']]
===2019===
In 2019, The Sam Willows collaborated with Singaporean Jazz musician Joanna Dong to release their first Mandarin song.<ref>Arteche, Michelle. "The Sam Willows release Mandarin version of '《无言》Say So' with Joanna Dong". ''Hear65''. April 26, 2019. Accessed on 13 May 2019. Retrieved from: https://hear65.bandwagon.asia/articles/the-sam-willows-release-mandarin-version-of-say-so-with-joanna-dong</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|Single
|《无言》 'Say So' (Ft. Joanna Dong)
|3:57
|}
===2018===
In 2018, The Sam Willows released their sophomore album ‘I Know, But Where’ which debuted number 1 on Singapore iTunes charts on the day of its release. The song ‘Robot’ and ‘Papa Money’ had been released earlier in February 2018. Their sophomore album centres around the song ‘Robot’ which addresses themes of depression.<ref>''“Learn the facts behind The Sam Willows' heartfelt 'Robot'”''. MTV Asia. July 06, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.mtvasia.com/news/q0712a/learn-the-facts-behind-the-sam-willows-heartfelt-robot </ref>


===2012===
In addition to this, they also released their first Christmas EP.
Shortly after their formation, The Sam Willows had gone on to produce their debut EP under Warner Music Singapore titled ‘The Sam Willows’.<ref>Singh, Surej. ''“The Sam Willows talk their new album I Know, But Where and its "world of openness and love" “''. Hear65. July 12, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://hear65.bandwagon.asia/articles/the-sam-willows-i-know-but-where-interview </ref>
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|Album
|'''Album'''
|The Sam Willows (EP)
|'''I Know, But Where'''
|Duration
|'''Duration'''
|-
|-
|1
|1
|Crown
|Baby Don’t Shy
|1:55
|3:33
|-
|-
|2
|2
|Crimson
|Keep Me Jealous
|3:45
|3:07
|-
|-
|3
|3
|Coming Train
|Lie Like A Lover
|3:44
|3:11
|-
|-
|4
|4
|Glasshouse
|Thirsty
|4:16
|3:21
|-
|-
|5
|5
|Nightlight
|Say So
|5:20
|3:58
|-
|-
|6
|6
|Epilogue
|Papa Money
|2:03
|3:27
|-
|7
|Need Your Number
|3:21
|-
|8
|Save Myself
|3:22
|-
|9
|Robot
|3:20
|-
|10
|Time We Try
|3:58
|-
|11
|Drive
|2:28
|-
|'''Album'''
|'''Christmas EP'''
|'''Duration'''
|-
|1
|I’m Gonna Be Loved - This Christmas
|3:31
|-
|2
|Silent Night
|4:03
|-
|3
|Let It Snow
|2:16
|-
|4
|Little Drummer Boy
|4:18
|}
 
===2017===
In 2017, The Sam Willows released a single titled ‘Keep Me Jealous’. They had worked with producer Fredrik Häggstam again for this single. They had managed to write the song within a day.<ref>Peters, Daniels. ''“The Sam Willows: "We wrote 'Keep Me Jealous' in one day"”.'' Bandwagon. May 12, 2017. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved on: https://www.bandwagon.asia/articles/the-sam-willows</ref>
 
On top of this, they released another single titled ‘Save Myself’, with 2 other versions - stripped and another in collaboration with Indonesian vocal group Gamaliél Audrey Cantika (GAC).
{| class="wikitable"
|Single
|Keep Me Jealous
|3:07
|-
| rowspan="3" |Single
|Save Myself
|3:24
|-
|Save Myself (Stripped)
|4:20
|-
|Save Myself ft. GAC
|3:21
|}
 
===2016===
In 2016, The Sam Willows released a single titled ‘All Time High’.
{| class="wikitable"
|Single
|All Time High
|4:10
|}
|}
===2015===
===2015===
As part of Singapore’s 50th anniversary, The Sam Willows collaborated with Jimmy Ye (葉良俊), a Singaporean mandopop singer, to release the song ‘Come Back To You’ in the ‘Sing, Love’ Album produced by Red Roof Records.<ref>''“Sing, Love”.'' SG50. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.sg/en/SG50/WhatsOn/2015/Sing%20Love.aspx?Past=Yes </ref>
As part of Singapore’s 50th anniversary, The Sam Willows collaborated with Jimmy Ye (葉良俊), a Singaporean mandopop singer, to release the song ‘Come Back To You’ in the ‘Sing, Love’ Album produced by Red Roof Records.<ref>''“Sing, Love”.'' SG50. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.sg/en/SG50/WhatsOn/2015/Sing%20Love.aspx?Past=Yes </ref>
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Now signed to Sony Music Entertainment Asia Pacific, The Sam Willows released an album titled ‘Take Heart’. The album was recorded in Stockholm, Sweden where they had worked with renowned producers Harry Sommerdahl and Fredrik Häggstam. The former has produced tracks for popular UK boyband The Wanted.<ref>Eddino Abdul Hadi. “The Sam Willows' debut album is polished, but too happy-poppy”. ''The Straits Times.'' November 4, 2015. Accessed on 16 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/entertainment/the-sam-willows-debut-album-is-polished-but-too-happy-poppy </ref> The title song ‘Take Heart’ has reached over 1.6 million views on Youtube. The album was created around the theme of love.<ref>Timwee. “The Sam Willows on their debut album Take Heart: "It's just the sound that we want to put out."”. ''Bandwagon.'' September 7, 2016. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.bandwagon.asia/articles/the-sam-willows-on-their-debut-album-take-heart-it-s-just-the-sound-that-we-want-to-put-out </ref>
Now signed to Sony Music Entertainment Asia Pacific, The Sam Willows released an album titled ‘Take Heart’. The album was recorded in Stockholm, Sweden where they had worked with renowned producers Harry Sommerdahl and Fredrik Häggstam. The former has produced tracks for popular UK boyband The Wanted.<ref>Eddino Abdul Hadi. “The Sam Willows' debut album is polished, but too happy-poppy”. ''The Straits Times.'' November 4, 2015. Accessed on 16 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/entertainment/the-sam-willows-debut-album-is-polished-but-too-happy-poppy </ref> The title song ‘Take Heart’ has reached over 1.6 million views on YouTube as of February 2019. The album was created around the theme of love.<ref>Timwee. “The Sam Willows on their debut album Take Heart: "It's just the sound that we want to put out."”. ''Bandwagon.'' September 7, 2016. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.bandwagon.asia/articles/the-sam-willows-on-their-debut-album-take-heart-it-s-just-the-sound-that-we-want-to-put-out </ref>
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Album'''
|'''Album'''
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|}
|}


===2016===
===2012===
In 2016, The Sam Willows released a single titled ‘All Time High’.
Shortly after their formation, The Sam Willows went on to produce their debut EP under Warner Music Singapore titled ‘The Sam Willows’.<ref>Singh, Surej. ''“The Sam Willows talk their new album I Know, But Where and its "world of openness and love" “''. Hear65. July 12, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://hear65.bandwagon.asia/articles/the-sam-willows-i-know-but-where-interview </ref>
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|Single
|'''Album'''
|All Time High
|'''The Sam Willows (EP)'''
|4:10
|'''Duration'''
|}
 
===2017===
In 2017, The Sam Willows released a single titled ‘Keep Me Jealous’. They had worked with producer Fredrik Häggstam again for this single. They had managed to write the song within a day.<ref>Peters, Daniels. ''“The Sam Willows: "We wrote 'Keep Me Jealous' in one day"”.'' Bandwagon. May 12, 2017. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved on: https://www.bandwagon.asia/articles/the-sam-willows</ref>
 
On top of this, they released another single titled ‘Save Myself’, with 2 other versions - stripped and another in collaboration with Indonesian vocal group Gamaliél Audrey Cantika (GAC).
{| class="wikitable"
|Single
|Keep Me Jealous
|3:07
|-
| rowspan="3" |Single
|Save Myself
|3:24
|-
|Save Myself (Stripped)
|4:20
|-
|Save Myself ft. GAC
|3:21
|}
 
===2018===
In 2018, The Sam Willows released their sophomore album ‘I Know, But Where’ which debuted number 1 on Singapore iTunes charts on the day of its release. The song ‘Robot’ and ‘Papa Money’ had been released earlier in February 2018. Their sophomore album centres around the song ‘Robot’ which addresses themes of depression.<ref>''“Learn the facts behind The Sam Willows' heartfelt 'Robot'”''. MTV Asia. July 06, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.mtvasia.com/news/q0712a/learn-the-facts-behind-the-sam-willows-heartfelt-robot </ref>
 
In addition to this, they also released their first Christmas EP.
{| class="wikitable"
|Album
|I Know, But Where
|Duration
|-
|-
|1
|1
|Baby Don’t Shy
|Crown
|3:33
|1:55
|-
|-
|2
|2
|Keep Me Jealous
|Crimson
|3:07
|3:45
|-
|-
|3
|3
|Lie Like A Lover
|Coming Train
|3:11
|3:44
|-
|-
|4
|4
|Thirsty
|Glasshouse
|3:21
|4:16
|-
|-
|5
|5
|Say So
|Nightlight
|3:58
|5:20
|-
|-
|6
|6
|Papa Money
|Epilogue
|3:27
|2:03
|-
|7
|Need Your Number
|3:21
|-
|8
|Save Myself
|3:22
|-
|9
|Robot
|3:20
|-
|10
|Time We Try
|3:58
|-
|11
|Drive
|2:28
|-
|Album
|Christmas EP
|Duration
|-
|1
|I’m Gonna Be Loved - This Christmas
|3:31
|-
|2
|Silent Night
|4:03
|-
|3
|Let It Snow
|2:16
|-
|4
|Little Drummer Boy
|4:18
|}
 
===2019===
In 2019, The Sam Willows collaborated with local Jazz musician Joanna Dong to release their first Mandarin song.<ref>Arteche, Michelle. "The Sam Willows release Mandarin version of '《无言》Say So' with Joanna Dong". ''Hear65''. April 26, 2019. Accessed on 13 May 2019. Retrieved from: https://hear65.bandwagon.asia/articles/the-sam-willows-release-mandarin-version-of-say-so-with-joanna-dong</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|Single
|《无言》 'Say So' (Ft. Joanna Dong)
|3:57
|}
|}
==Past performances==
==Past performances==
===Music festivals===
===Music festivals===
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|Date of Performance
|'''Date'''
|Festival
|'''Festival'''
|Organizer
|'''Organizer'''
|Location
|'''Location'''
|-
|4 August 2018<ref>''“Hyperplay 2018 Day One: What Went Down – CL, The Sam Willows and esports collide”.'' MTV Asia. August 04, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.mtvasia.com/news/hnnll4/hyperplay-2018-what-went-down </ref>
|''Hyperplay Festival''
 
Hyperplay is the first ASEAN esports and music festival featuring cosplay, esports competitions and music performances.<ref>''“Hyperplay 2018”''. Asia Game Festival. Accessed on 11 January 2019.. Retrieved from: https://asiagamefest.com/esports/hyperplay-2018/ </ref>
|Singapore’s Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), and the National Youth Council
|Singapore Indoor Stadium, Singapore
|-
|-
|March, 2013<ref>''“SX Schedule”.'' SXSW. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://schedule.sxsw.com/2013/events </ref>
|21 July 2018
|''South by SouthWest (SXSW) Music Festival''  
|''We The Fest (WTF)''


The festival is held annually in March with artists from more than 60 countries performing.<ref>''SXSW”''. SXSW. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.sxsw.com/festivals/music/ </ref>
WTF is Indonesia’s largest international music festival featuring artists from the region as well as world renown artists over the span of 3 days.<ref>''“People are freaking out over Lorde, James Bay, alt-J, The Neighbourhood and Odesza at We The Fest 2018”''. MTV Asia. February 09, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.mtvasia.com/news/vhhrs6/people-are-freaking-out-over-lorde-james-bay-alt-j-the-neighbourhood-and-odesza-at-we-the-fest-2018 </ref>
|SXSW, LLC
|Ismaya Live
|Austin, Texas, USA
|Jakarta, Indonesia
|-
|-
|March 2013
|20 August 2017<ref>Lee, Jia Wen. ''“The Sam Willows and Wicked Aura will take the stage at Summer Sonic 2017”''. Bandwagon. June 28, 2017. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from:  https://www.bandwagon.asia/articles/the-sam-willows-wicked-aura-summer-sonic-2017 </ref>
|''Canadian Music Week (CMW)''
|''Summer Sonic Festival''


CMW is a celebration of music across Toronto with comedy performances, film showcases and various performances.<ref>Morton, Brian. ''“30 must-see shows at Canadian Music Week 2013”''. blogTO. March 15, 2013. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.blogto.com/music/2013/03/30_must-see_shows_at_canadian_music_week_2013/ </ref>
Summer Sonic is a three-day long rock festival that is held annually in Japan. Both international and local artist perform at this event.<ref>''“Summer Sonic (Tokyo)”''. JNTO. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/342/ </ref>
|<nowiki>-</nowiki>
|Creativeman Productions<ref>''“Summer Sonic Festival”''. Facebook. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://m.facebook.com/summersonicfestival/about</ref>
|Toronto, Ontario, Canada
|Tokyo, Japan
|-
|-
|24th May 2013<ref>''“Music Matters 2013”''. TimeOut Singapore. April 30, 2013. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.timeout.com/singapore/music/music-matters-2013</ref>
|11 September 2016
|''Digital & Music Matters''  
|''Ultra Music Festival Singapore''


The 2013 edition of the festival had included the Youtube FanFest powered by HP. It is an event which aims to provide networking opportunities and includes the Music Matters Live Festival which has three nights of performances.
Ultra Music Festivals are held to showcase electronic dance music (EDM) artists worldwide.
|Branded Ltd
|Ultra Enterprises Inc.
|Singapore
|Ultra Park, Singapore
|-
|-
|22 September 2013<ref>''“Line Up for the 2013 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix”.'' Joven.at.heart. March 06, 2013. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://jovenatheart.com/2013/03/06/line-up-for-the-2013-formula-1-singtel-singapore-grand-prix/ </ref>, 21 September 2014<ref>Lee, Crystal. ''“Your Last-minute Guide to F1 Singapore Grand Prix”.'' Honeycombers. September 17, 2014. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://thehoneycombers.com/singapore/last-minute-guide-f1-singapore-grand-prix/ </ref>, 18 September 2015<ref>''“The Sam Willows”.'' Eventfinda. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.eventfinda.sg/2015/the-sam-willows/singapore/marina-bay </ref>
|November 2013
|''Formula 1 (F1) Grand Prix''  
|''West Australian Music (WAM) Festival''


The F1 Grand Prix is a leg of the FIA Formula 1 Championship that features various performances each year.
WAMFest is held mainly for the purpose of showcasing local music including artists, producers and bands.<ref>''“WAM FESTIVAL 2013 Dig The New Breed”''. X-Press Magazine. October 2, 2013. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://xpressmag.com.au/wam-festival-2013-dig-the-new-breed/</ref>
|Singapore GP Pte Ltd.
|WAM
|Singapore
|Perth, Australia
|-
|-
|October 2013<ref>''“The Sam Willows - SEOUL SEARCHING (Korea 2013)”.'' Facebook. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.218645721592963.1073741829.130837363707133&type=3</ref>
|October 2013<ref>''“The Sam Willows - SEOUL SEARCHING (Korea 2013)”.'' Facebook. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.218645721592963.1073741829.130837363707133&type=3</ref>
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|Hongdae, Seoul, Korea
|Hongdae, Seoul, Korea
|-
|-
|November 2013
|22 September 2013<ref>''“Line Up for the 2013 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix”.'' Joven.at.heart. March 06, 2013. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://jovenatheart.com/2013/03/06/line-up-for-the-2013-formula-1-singtel-singapore-grand-prix/ </ref>21 September 2014<ref>Lee, Crystal. ''“Your Last-minute Guide to F1 Singapore Grand Prix”.'' Honeycombers. September 17, 2014. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://thehoneycombers.com/singapore/last-minute-guide-f1-singapore-grand-prix/ </ref>  18 September 2015<ref>''“The Sam Willows”.'' Eventfinda. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.eventfinda.sg/2015/the-sam-willows/singapore/marina-bay </ref>
|''West Australian Music (WAM) Festival''
|''Formula 1 (F1) Grand Prix''  


WAMFest is held mainly for the purpose of showcasing local music including artists, producers and bands.<ref>''“WAM FESTIVAL 2013 Dig The New Breed”''. X-Press Magazine. October 2, 2013. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://xpressmag.com.au/wam-festival-2013-dig-the-new-breed/</ref>
The F1 Grand Prix is a leg of the FIA Formula 1 Championship that features various performances each year.
|WAM
|Singapore GP Pte Ltd.
|Perth, Australia
|Singapore
|-
|-
|11 September 2016
|24 May 2013<ref>''“Music Matters 2013”''. TimeOut Singapore. April 30, 2013. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.timeout.com/singapore/music/music-matters-2013</ref>
|''Ultra Music Festival Singapore''
|''Digital & Music Matters''  


Ultra Music Festivals are held to showcase electronic dance music (EDM) artists worldwide.
The 2013 edition of the festival had included the YouTube FanFest powered by HP. It is an event which aims to provide networking opportunities and includes the Music Matters Live Festival which has three nights of performances.
|Ultra Enterprises Inc.
|Branded Ltd
|Ultra Park, Singapore
|Singapore
|-
|-
|20 August 2017<ref>Lee, Jia Wen. ''“The Sam Willows and Wicked Aura will take the stage at Summer Sonic 2017”''. Bandwagon. June 28, 2017. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from:  https://www.bandwagon.asia/articles/the-sam-willows-wicked-aura-summer-sonic-2017 </ref>
|March 2013<ref>''“SX Schedule”.'' SXSW. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://schedule.sxsw.com/2013/events </ref>
|''Summer Sonic Festival''
|''South by SouthWest (SXSW) Music Festival''  


Summer Sonic is a three-day long rock festival that is held annually in Japan. Both international and local artist perform at this event.<ref>''“Summer Sonic (Tokyo)”''. JNTO. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/342/ </ref>
The festival is held annually in March with artists from more than 60 countries performing.<ref>''SXSW”''. SXSW. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.sxsw.com/festivals/music/ </ref>
|Creativeman Productions<ref>''“Summer Sonic Festival”''. Facebook. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://m.facebook.com/summersonicfestival/about</ref>
|SXSW, LLC
|Tokyo, Japan
|Austin, Texas, USA
|-
|-
|21 July 2018
|March 2013
|''We The Fest (WTF)''
|''Canadian Music Week (CMW)''


WTF is Indonesia’s largest international music festival featuring artists from the region as well as world renown artists over the span of 3 days.<ref>''“People are freaking out over Lorde, James Bay, alt-J, The Neighbourhood and Odesza at We The Fest 2018”''. MTV Asia. February 09, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.mtvasia.com/news/vhhrs6/people-are-freaking-out-over-lorde-james-bay-alt-j-the-neighbourhood-and-odesza-at-we-the-fest-2018 </ref>
CMW is a celebration of music across Toronto with comedy performances, film showcases and various performances.<ref>Morton, Brian. ''“30 must-see shows at Canadian Music Week 2013”''. blogTO. March 15, 2013. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.blogto.com/music/2013/03/30_must-see_shows_at_canadian_music_week_2013/ </ref>
|Ismaya Live
|<nowiki>-</nowiki>
|Jakarta, Indonesia
|Toronto, Ontario, Canada
|-
|4 August 2018<ref>''“Hyperplay 2018 Day One: What Went Down – CL, The Sam Willows and esports collide”.'' MTV Asia. August 04, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.mtvasia.com/news/hnnll4/hyperplay-2018-what-went-down </ref>
|''Hyperplay Festival''
 
Hyperplay is the first ASEAN esports and music festival featuring cosplay, esports competitions and music performances.<ref>''“Hyperplay 2018”''. Asia Game Festival. Accessed on 11 January 2019.. Retrieved from: https://asiagamefest.com/esports/hyperplay-2018/ </ref>
|Singapore’s Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), and the National Youth Council
|Singapore Indoor Stadium, Singapore
|}
|}


===Performances===
===Performances===
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|Date of Performance
|'''Date'''
|Event
|'''Event'''
|Organizer
|'''Organizer'''
|Location
|'''Location'''
|-
|20 May (Manila) and 23 May (Singapore) 2016<ref>“''Little Mix ‘The Get Weird Tour’ Live in Singapore 2016''”. MIDAS Promotions. May 3, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://midaspromotions.com/events/little-mix-the-get-weird-tour-live-in-singapore-2016/ </ref>
|Little Mix “The Get Weird Tour 2016”
 
The Sam Willows was the opening act for British pop girl group, Little Mix, for two concerts of their tour.
|<nowiki>-</nowiki>
|The Star Performing Arts Theatre, Singapore, and KIA Theatre Manilla, Philippines<ref>Gia Allana Soriano. ''“Little Mix oozes with #GirlPower during their Get Weird Tour in Manila”''. May 21, 2016. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.wheninmanila.com/little-mix-oozes-with-girlpower-during-their-get-weird-tour-in-manila/ </ref>
|-
|-
|9 August 2015
|9 August 2015
Line 333: Line 400:
|Singapore Southeast Asian Games Organising Committee
|Singapore Southeast Asian Games Organising Committee
|The National Stadium, Singapore
|The National Stadium, Singapore
|-
|20 May (Manila) and 23 May (Singapore) 2016<ref>“''Little Mix ‘The Get Weird Tour’ Live in Singapore 2016''”. MIDAS Promotions. May 3, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://midaspromotions.com/events/little-mix-the-get-weird-tour-live-in-singapore-2016/ </ref>
|Little Mix “The Get Weird Tour 2016”
The Sam Willows was the opening act for British pop girl group, Little Mix, for two concerts of their tour.
|<nowiki>-</nowiki>
|The Star Performing Arts Theatre, Singapore, and KIA Theatre Manilla, Philippines<ref>Gia Allana Soriano. ''“Little Mix oozes with #GirlPower during their Get Weird Tour in Manila”''. May 21, 2016. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.wheninmanila.com/little-mix-oozes-with-girlpower-during-their-get-weird-tour-in-manila/ </ref>
|}
|}


===Concerts===
===Concerts===
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|Date of Performance
|'''Date'''
|Event
|'''Event'''
|Organizer
|'''Organizer'''
|Location
|'''Location'''
|-
|22 July 2016<ref>Vidhya, Sai. ''“Take Heart Tour 2016”''. Radio Heartwave. July 22, 2016. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://radioheatwave.com/take-heart-tour-2016/ </ref>
|Take Heart Tour 2016
 
The concert was The Sam Willows’ first official concert that attracted 2,500 fans which featured Singaporean rapper ShiGGa Shay as well.<ref>Lim, Yu Jia. “Five things you missed at The Sam Willows Take Heart Tour”. Youth.sg. July 25, 2016. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.youth.sg/Spotted/Reviews/2016/7/Five-things-you-missed-at-The-Sam-Willows-Take-Heart-Tour </ref> The concert’s opening act include Singapore singer Sam Rui and Indonesian band The Overtunes.
|<nowiki>-</nowiki>
|The Coliseum, Hard Rock Hotel Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore
|-
|-
|5 March 2016
|5 March 2016
Line 355: Line 422:
|The Livescape group<ref>''“THE SAM WILLOWS LIVE IN KL”''. Galactix Ticketing Malaysia. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.galactix.asia/thesamwillows </ref>
|The Livescape group<ref>''“THE SAM WILLOWS LIVE IN KL”''. Galactix Ticketing Malaysia. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.galactix.asia/thesamwillows </ref>
|Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
|Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
|-
|22 July 2016<ref>Vidhya, Sai. ''“Take Heart Tour 2016”''. Radio Heartwave. July 22, 2016. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://radioheatwave.com/take-heart-tour-2016/ </ref>
|Take Heart Tour 2016
The concert was The Sam Willows’ first official concert that attracted 2,500 fans which featured Singaporean rapper ShiGGa Shay as well.<ref>Lim, Yu Jia. “Five things you missed at The Sam Willows Take Heart Tour”. Youth.sg. July 25, 2016. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.youth.sg/Spotted/Reviews/2016/7/Five-things-you-missed-at-The-Sam-Willows-Take-Heart-Tour </ref> The concert’s opening act include Singapore singer Sam Rui and Indonesian band The Overtunes.
|<nowiki>-</nowiki>
|The Coliseum, Hard Rock Hotel Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore
|}
|}
<br />
==Achievements==
===Charts===
====Regional Spotify Charts====
Their song ‘Take Heart’ garnered 4 million streams on Spotify and managed to appear on the regional Spotify charts.
====Spotify’s Global Viral Chart====
Their song ‘For Love’ managed to reach number 48 on Spotify’s Global Viral Chart.
====Local iTunes Singles Chart====
The Sam Willows’ single ‘Take Heart’ had managed to top the local iTunes chart for 3 days straight when it was released.<ref>Noor Ashikin Abdul Rahman. ''“The Sam Willows conquer local iTunes chart with new single Take Heart”''. May 27, 2015. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.tnp.sg/m/music/music-news/sam-willows-conquer-local-itunes-chart-new-single-take-heart </ref>
===Achievements===
==== Forbes' 30 under 30 (2019) ====
The Sam Willows were listed as one of Forbes' 30 under 30 for the category Entertainment & Sports in Asia.<ref>"The Sam Willows". ''Forbes.'' Accessed on 13 May 2019. Retrieved from: <nowiki>https://www.forbes.com/profile/the-sam-willows/#7152983e3651</nowiki></ref>
====Spotify’s Spotlight Campaign====
The Sam Willows is the first Southeast Asian Artist featured in Spotify’s Spotlight Campaign across Asia.
====Spotify’s ‘Top 25 Under 25’ (2015)====
The Sam Willows was listed 23rd on the list, which features international artists including Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande and Sam Smith.<ref>''“Local artistes among top under-25 musicians in the world”''. AsiaOne. August 19, 2015. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.asiaone.com/showbiz/local-artistes-among-top-under-25-musicians-world </ref>
===Awards===
====Gold Status (2018)====
The Sam Willows had achieved Gold status for four of their songs - ‘Keep Me Jealous’, ‘Papa Money’, ‘Save Myself’ and ‘Robot’. They have managed to attain more than 10 million streams in total for the four songs and were presented awards at 1880 (a private member’s club).<ref>Eddino Abdul Hadi. ''“Home-grown pop quartet The Sam Willows' second album a result of 'confusing' times”''. The Straits Times. July 6, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/entertainment/home-grown-pop-quartet-the-sam-willows-second-album-a-result-of-confusing</ref>
====Nominee for ‘Best Southeast Asian Act’ - MTV Europe Music Awards (2015, 2017 & 2018)<ref>Tan, Derrick. ''“Will The Sam Willows score a prize at MTV Europe Music Awards ’18?”''. Esquire SG. October 8, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://esquiresg.com/mtv-ema-bilbao-2018-southeast-asia-singapore-nomination-vote-the-sam-willows/</ref>====
The Sam Willows was nominated for the MTV awards for three years.
==Youtube==
The Sam Willows regularly upload videos to their Youtube channel ([https://www.youtube.com/user/thesamwillows The Sam Willows channel]). Their videos include covers, some games and challenges, as well as a recent series they have been working on called ‘Wandering Willows’. The series involves the quartet playing several challenges suggested by their viewers including The Try Not To Laugh Challenge and Fear Pong. Some of their most viewed videos include their cover of Meghan Trainor’s ‘All About That Bass’ and their cover on Taylor Swift’s ‘Blank Space’ which raked in 925,900 views and 740,200 views respectively.<ref>''“The Sam Willows”''. Socialblade. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://socialblade.com/youtube/user/thesamwillows/videos/mostviewed </ref>
In addition to this, The Sam Willows also starred in a series produced by famous Malaysian Youtubers TheMingThing called ‘Reasons Why You’re Still Single’ ([https://youtu.be/esu4hEJNkNc Youtube video]) in 2017 as they tackle the topic of love with humour.
==Movie==
===Young & Fabulous (2016)===
The Sam Willows was part of the cast for the local film ‘Young & Fabulous’. The movie is the first in Singapore to be cosplay-themed.<ref>Seah, May. “Young & Fabulous is S’pore’s first cosplay-themed film”. TODAYonline. April 1, 2015. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.todayonline.com/entertainment/movies/young-fabulous-spores-first-cosplay-themed-film </ref> The comedic plot revolves around growing up and follows the main characters as they navigate through harsh parenting while trying to reach for their dreams.<ref>Jong, Jed. “Young & Fabulous (最佳伙扮) – Review”. F Movie Magazine. May 25, 2016. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.fmoviemag.com/young-fabulous-%E6%9C%80%E4%BD%B3%E4%BC%99%E6%89%AE-review/ </ref> The Sam Willows played Jay Lee (Benjamin Kheng), Orange Tan (Narelle Kheng), Nadia Ang (Sandra Riley Tang), and Bamboo Ng (Jonathan Chua).
==References / Citations==
==References / Citations==
<references />
<references />
[[Category:People of Interest]]
[[Category:People of Interest]]

Revision as of 15:17, 21 May 2019

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The Sam Willows band members. From left to right: Jonathan Chua, Sandra Riley Tang, Narelle Kheng, Benjamin Kheng. Photo from Bandwagon.
The Sam Willows performing at the National Day Parade in 2015. Photo from Youth.sg.

The Sam Willows is a local band consisting of Sandra Riley Tang, Jonathan Chua and siblings Benjamin Kheng and Narelle Kheng. They started posting covers of songs in 2012, with their first mashup cover of Hey Soul Sister and We Are Young going viral.[1] Subsequently, The Sam Willows signed on to record label Sony Music and has since gone on to perform both on the international and local stage, including having sold out concerts in Malaysia and Singapore.

Background

Started in late 2011, the quartet had first grouped together to perform at their school’s alumni concert.[2] In May 2012, The Sam Willows uploaded their first mashup and cover of hit songs Hey Soul Sister by Train and We Are Young by Fun. The video went viral, this incident marked was their rise to fame as a household name. As of January 2019, the video has garnered 209,000 views on YouTube (YouTube video). Subsequently, they were invited to Mediacorp Channel 5’s countdown event “Celebrate 2013” and many more stages in the following years.[3]


In an early interview, Sandra stated that their band’s name ‘The Sam Willows’ is representative of their collective identity as a band, emphasizing on the “organic feel” that ‘Sam Willows’ implies.[4]

YouTube

The Sam Willows has an official channel on YouTube (The Sam Willows channel). Their videos include covers, some games and challenges, as well as a web series titled ‘Wandering Willows' where the quartet engage in challenges suggested by their viewers including 'The Try Not To Laugh Challenge' and 'Fear Pong'. Some of their most viewed videos include their cover of Meghan Trainor’s ‘All About That Bass’ and their cover on Taylor Swift’s ‘Blank Space’ which raked in 925,900 views and 740,200 views respectively as of February 2019.[5]


The Sam Willows also starred in a series produced by famous Malaysian YouTubers TheMingThing called ‘Reasons Why You’re Still Single’ (YouTube video) in 2017 as they tackle the topic of love with humour.

Career highlights

As a local band, The Sam Willows has made waves internationally as well. In 2015, The Sam Willows had placed 23rd on Spotify's 'Top 25 Under 25' list, which featured international artists such as Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande and Sam Smith.[6] In 2019, The Sam Willows was listed as one of 'Forbes' 30 Under 30' for the 'Entertainment & Sports in Asia' category.[7]

Charts and awards

Music chart / Award Description Year
- GOLD Status The Sam Willows achieved Gold status for four of their songs - ‘Keep Me Jealous’, ‘Papa Money’, ‘Save Myself’ and ‘Robot’. They managed to attain more than 10 million streams in total for the four songs.[8] 2018
MTV ‘Best Southeast Asian Act’ The Sam Willows had been nominated for the MTV Europe awards for three years.[9] 2018

2017

2015

iTunes Local iTunes Singles Chart The Sam Willows’ single ‘Take Heart’ had managed to top the local iTunes chart for 3 days straight when it was released.[10] 2015
Spotify Regional Spotify Charts


Global Viral Chart


Spotify’s Spotlight Campaign

Their song ‘Take Heart’ garnered 4 million streams on Spotify and managed to appear on the regional Spotify charts.


Their song ‘For Love’ managed to reach #48 on Spotify’s Global Viral Chart.


The Sam Willows is the first Southeast Asian Artist featured in Spotify’s Spotlight Campaign across Asia.

-

Young & Fabulous (2016)

The Sam Willows was part of the cast for the local film ‘Young & Fabulous’. The movie is the first in Singapore to be cosplay-themed.[11] The comedic plot revolves around growing up and follows the main characters as they navigate through harsh parenting while trying to reach for their dreams.[12] The Sam Willows played Jay Lee (Benjamin Kheng), Orange Tan (Narelle Kheng), Nadia Ang (Sandra Riley Tang), and Bamboo Ng (Jonathan Chua).

Discography[13]

The album art for 'I Know, But Where' (2018). Photo from GENIUS.
The album art for The Sam Willows' debut album in 2012. Photo from Discogs.
The poster for the 'Take Heart' tour in 2016. Photo from Teenage.
The 2018 Hyperplay poster featuring The Sam Willows (bottom left). Photo from Hallyu SG.

2019

In 2019, The Sam Willows collaborated with Singaporean Jazz musician Joanna Dong to release their first Mandarin song.[14]

Single 《无言》 'Say So' (Ft. Joanna Dong) 3:57

2018

In 2018, The Sam Willows released their sophomore album ‘I Know, But Where’ which debuted number 1 on Singapore iTunes charts on the day of its release. The song ‘Robot’ and ‘Papa Money’ had been released earlier in February 2018. Their sophomore album centres around the song ‘Robot’ which addresses themes of depression.[15]

In addition to this, they also released their first Christmas EP.

Album I Know, But Where Duration
1 Baby Don’t Shy 3:33
2 Keep Me Jealous 3:07
3 Lie Like A Lover 3:11
4 Thirsty 3:21
5 Say So 3:58
6 Papa Money 3:27
7 Need Your Number 3:21
8 Save Myself 3:22
9 Robot 3:20
10 Time We Try 3:58
11 Drive 2:28
Album Christmas EP Duration
1 I’m Gonna Be Loved - This Christmas 3:31
2 Silent Night 4:03
3 Let It Snow 2:16
4 Little Drummer Boy 4:18

2017

In 2017, The Sam Willows released a single titled ‘Keep Me Jealous’. They had worked with producer Fredrik Häggstam again for this single. They had managed to write the song within a day.[16]

On top of this, they released another single titled ‘Save Myself’, with 2 other versions - stripped and another in collaboration with Indonesian vocal group Gamaliél Audrey Cantika (GAC).

Single Keep Me Jealous 3:07
Single Save Myself 3:24
Save Myself (Stripped) 4:20
Save Myself ft. GAC 3:21

2016

In 2016, The Sam Willows released a single titled ‘All Time High’.

Single All Time High 4:10

2015

As part of Singapore’s 50th anniversary, The Sam Willows collaborated with Jimmy Ye (葉良俊), a Singaporean mandopop singer, to release the song ‘Come Back To You’ in the ‘Sing, Love’ Album produced by Red Roof Records.[17]


In addition, The Sam Willows had released 3 songs titled ‘Flags Up’, ‘Ordinary’ and ‘Champion’ under the compilation album ‘Songs Of The Games’ for the 28th edition of the Southeast Asia Games (SEA Games). Benjamin Kheng had released another song under the same album called ‘A Love Song - Unbreakable’.


Now signed to Sony Music Entertainment Asia Pacific, The Sam Willows released an album titled ‘Take Heart’. The album was recorded in Stockholm, Sweden where they had worked with renowned producers Harry Sommerdahl and Fredrik Häggstam. The former has produced tracks for popular UK boyband The Wanted.[18] The title song ‘Take Heart’ has reached over 1.6 million views on YouTube as of February 2019. The album was created around the theme of love.[19]

Album Sing, Love Duration
1 Come Back To You (in Collaboration with Jimmy Ye) 3:56
Album Songs Of The Games Duration
1 Flags Up 3:31
2 Ordinary 3:36
3 Champion 2:50
4 A Love Song - Unbreakable (Benjamin Kheng) 3:49
Album Take Heart Duration
1 Rest Of Your Life 3:21
2 Take Heart 3:49
3 Taking All His Time 3:41
4 Riverdance 4:14
5 For Love 3:56
6 Stay 3:35
7 Not The Only One 3:18
8 All Time High 4:10
9 Glasshouse (Lillywhite Edition) 3:50

2012

Shortly after their formation, The Sam Willows went on to produce their debut EP under Warner Music Singapore titled ‘The Sam Willows’.[20]

Album The Sam Willows (EP) Duration
1 Crown 1:55
2 Crimson 3:45
3 Coming Train 3:44
4 Glasshouse 4:16
5 Nightlight 5:20
6 Epilogue 2:03

Past performances

Music festivals

Date Festival Organizer Location
4 August 2018[21] Hyperplay Festival

Hyperplay is the first ASEAN esports and music festival featuring cosplay, esports competitions and music performances.[22]

Singapore’s Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), and the National Youth Council Singapore Indoor Stadium, Singapore
21 July 2018 We The Fest (WTF)

WTF is Indonesia’s largest international music festival featuring artists from the region as well as world renown artists over the span of 3 days.[23]

Ismaya Live Jakarta, Indonesia
20 August 2017[24] Summer Sonic Festival

Summer Sonic is a three-day long rock festival that is held annually in Japan. Both international and local artist perform at this event.[25]

Creativeman Productions[26] Tokyo, Japan
11 September 2016 Ultra Music Festival Singapore

Ultra Music Festivals are held to showcase electronic dance music (EDM) artists worldwide.

Ultra Enterprises Inc. Ultra Park, Singapore
November 2013 West Australian Music (WAM) Festival

WAMFest is held mainly for the purpose of showcasing local music including artists, producers and bands.[27]

WAM Perth, Australia
October 2013[28] MU:CON 2013

The conference lasted 3 days and was held with the purpose of showcasing South Korea’s local talent as well as to provide a sharing platform for international groups as well.[29]

Korea Creative Content Agency Seoul, South Korea
October 2013 Zandari Festa

In 2013, the second edition of Zandari Festa hosted around 350 international and local bands across the span of 3 days.[30]

Zandari Culture Company Hongdae, Seoul, Korea
22 September 2013[31]21 September 2014[32] 18 September 2015[33] Formula 1 (F1) Grand Prix

The F1 Grand Prix is a leg of the FIA Formula 1 Championship that features various performances each year.

Singapore GP Pte Ltd. Singapore
24 May 2013[34] Digital & Music Matters

The 2013 edition of the festival had included the YouTube FanFest powered by HP. It is an event which aims to provide networking opportunities and includes the Music Matters Live Festival which has three nights of performances.

Branded Ltd Singapore
March 2013[35] South by SouthWest (SXSW) Music Festival

The festival is held annually in March with artists from more than 60 countries performing.[36]

SXSW, LLC Austin, Texas, USA
March 2013 Canadian Music Week (CMW)

CMW is a celebration of music across Toronto with comedy performances, film showcases and various performances.[37]

- Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Performances

Date Event Organizer Location
20 May (Manila) and 23 May (Singapore) 2016[38] Little Mix “The Get Weird Tour 2016”

The Sam Willows was the opening act for British pop girl group, Little Mix, for two concerts of their tour.

- The Star Performing Arts Theatre, Singapore, and KIA Theatre Manilla, Philippines[39]
9 August 2015 National Day Parade (SG50)

The Sam Willows was the opening act for the National Day Parade 2015. They had performed their rendition of the National Day Song ‘Home’ originally sung by Kit Chan.[40]

Singapore Armed Forces, NDP Executive Committee[41] The Padang, Singapore
16 June 2015 28th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games)

The Sam Willows performed at the closing ceremony of the 28th SEA Games with their song ‘Ordinary’ which was released in a compilation album for the games.

Singapore Southeast Asian Games Organising Committee The National Stadium, Singapore

Concerts

Date Event Organizer Location
22 July 2016[42] Take Heart Tour 2016

The concert was The Sam Willows’ first official concert that attracted 2,500 fans which featured Singaporean rapper ShiGGa Shay as well.[43] The concert’s opening act include Singapore singer Sam Rui and Indonesian band The Overtunes.

- The Coliseum, Hard Rock Hotel Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore
5 March 2016 The Sam Willows Live

The exclusive one-day concert had sold out.[44]

The Livescape group[45] Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

References / Citations

  1. ↑ Wong, PP. “Featured Writers: The Sam Willows”. Banana Writers. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.bananawriters.com/thesamwillows
  2. ↑ Sumayao, Marco. “The Sam Willows learn to grow up without ditching fun”. MTV Asia. July 13, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.mtvasia.com/news/8aemoz/the-sam-willows-learn-to-grow-up-without-ditching-fun
  3. ↑ “The Sam Willows”. MTV Asia. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.mtvasia.com/artists/f70k2a/the-sam-willows
  4. ↑ Wong, PP. “Featured Writers: The Sam Willows”. Banana Writers. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.bananawriters.com/thesamwillows
  5. ↑ “The Sam Willows”. Socialblade. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://socialblade.com/youtube/user/thesamwillows/videos/mostviewed
  6. ↑ “Local artistes among top under-25 musicians in the world”. AsiaOne. August 19, 2015. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.asiaone.com/showbiz/local-artistes-among-top-under-25-musicians-world
  7. ↑ "The Sam Willows". Forbes. Accessed on 13 May 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/profile/the-sam-willows/#7152983e3651
  8. ↑ Eddino Abdul Hadi. “Home-grown pop quartet The Sam Willows' second album a result of 'confusing' times”. The Straits Times. July 6, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/entertainment/home-grown-pop-quartet-the-sam-willows-second-album-a-result-of-confusing
  9. ↑ Tan, Derrick. “Will The Sam Willows score a prize at MTV Europe Music Awards ’18?”. Esquire SG. October 8, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://esquiresg.com/mtv-ema-bilbao-2018-southeast-asia-singapore-nomination-vote-the-sam-willows/
  10. ↑ Noor Ashikin Abdul Rahman. “The Sam Willows conquer local iTunes chart with new single Take Heart”. May 27, 2015. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.tnp.sg/m/music/music-news/sam-willows-conquer-local-itunes-chart-new-single-take-heart
  11. ↑ Seah, May. “Young & Fabulous is S’pore’s first cosplay-themed film”. TODAYonline. April 1, 2015. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.todayonline.com/entertainment/movies/young-fabulous-spores-first-cosplay-themed-film
  12. ↑ Jong, Jed. “Young & Fabulous (最佳伙扮) – Review”. F Movie Magazine. May 25, 2016. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.fmoviemag.com/young-fabulous-%E6%9C%80%E4%BD%B3%E4%BC%99%E6%89%AE-review/
  13. ↑ “The Sam Willows”. Spotify. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/0mXXLFHmd5bUHxkzaC9ujw
  14. ↑ Arteche, Michelle. "The Sam Willows release Mandarin version of '《无言》Say So' with Joanna Dong". Hear65. April 26, 2019. Accessed on 13 May 2019. Retrieved from: https://hear65.bandwagon.asia/articles/the-sam-willows-release-mandarin-version-of-say-so-with-joanna-dong
  15. ↑ “Learn the facts behind The Sam Willows' heartfelt 'Robot'”. MTV Asia. July 06, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.mtvasia.com/news/q0712a/learn-the-facts-behind-the-sam-willows-heartfelt-robot
  16. ↑ Peters, Daniels. “The Sam Willows: "We wrote 'Keep Me Jealous' in one day"”. Bandwagon. May 12, 2017. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved on: https://www.bandwagon.asia/articles/the-sam-willows
  17. ↑ “Sing, Love”. SG50. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.sg/en/SG50/WhatsOn/2015/Sing%20Love.aspx?Past=Yes
  18. ↑ Eddino Abdul Hadi. “The Sam Willows' debut album is polished, but too happy-poppy”. The Straits Times. November 4, 2015. Accessed on 16 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/entertainment/the-sam-willows-debut-album-is-polished-but-too-happy-poppy
  19. ↑ Timwee. “The Sam Willows on their debut album Take Heart: "It's just the sound that we want to put out."”. Bandwagon. September 7, 2016. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.bandwagon.asia/articles/the-sam-willows-on-their-debut-album-take-heart-it-s-just-the-sound-that-we-want-to-put-out
  20. ↑ Singh, Surej. “The Sam Willows talk their new album I Know, But Where and its "world of openness and love" “. Hear65. July 12, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://hear65.bandwagon.asia/articles/the-sam-willows-i-know-but-where-interview
  21. ↑ “Hyperplay 2018 Day One: What Went Down – CL, The Sam Willows and esports collide”. MTV Asia. August 04, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.mtvasia.com/news/hnnll4/hyperplay-2018-what-went-down
  22. ↑ “Hyperplay 2018”. Asia Game Festival. Accessed on 11 January 2019.. Retrieved from: https://asiagamefest.com/esports/hyperplay-2018/
  23. ↑ “People are freaking out over Lorde, James Bay, alt-J, The Neighbourhood and Odesza at We The Fest 2018”. MTV Asia. February 09, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.mtvasia.com/news/vhhrs6/people-are-freaking-out-over-lorde-james-bay-alt-j-the-neighbourhood-and-odesza-at-we-the-fest-2018
  24. ↑ Lee, Jia Wen. “The Sam Willows and Wicked Aura will take the stage at Summer Sonic 2017”. Bandwagon. June 28, 2017. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from:  https://www.bandwagon.asia/articles/the-sam-willows-wicked-aura-summer-sonic-2017
  25. ↑ “Summer Sonic (Tokyo)”. JNTO. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/342/
  26. ↑ “Summer Sonic Festival”. Facebook. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://m.facebook.com/summersonicfestival/about
  27. ↑ “WAM FESTIVAL 2013 Dig The New Breed”. X-Press Magazine. October 2, 2013. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://xpressmag.com.au/wam-festival-2013-dig-the-new-breed/
  28. ↑ “The Sam Willows - SEOUL SEARCHING (Korea 2013)”. Facebook. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.218645721592963.1073741829.130837363707133&type=3
  29. ↑ “MU:CON Seoul gears up for second global music conference”. The Korean Herald. September 24, 2013. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20130924000794
  30. ↑ “Zandari Festa”. Culture.pl. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://asia.culture.pl/en/node/7160932
  31. ↑ “Line Up for the 2013 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix”. Joven.at.heart. March 06, 2013. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://jovenatheart.com/2013/03/06/line-up-for-the-2013-formula-1-singtel-singapore-grand-prix/
  32. ↑ Lee, Crystal. “Your Last-minute Guide to F1 Singapore Grand Prix”. Honeycombers. September 17, 2014. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://thehoneycombers.com/singapore/last-minute-guide-f1-singapore-grand-prix/
  33. ↑ “The Sam Willows”. Eventfinda. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.eventfinda.sg/2015/the-sam-willows/singapore/marina-bay
  34. ↑ “Music Matters 2013”. TimeOut Singapore. April 30, 2013. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.timeout.com/singapore/music/music-matters-2013
  35. ↑ “SX Schedule”. SXSW. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://schedule.sxsw.com/2013/events
  36. ↑ SXSW”. SXSW. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.sxsw.com/festivals/music/
  37. ↑ Morton, Brian. “30 must-see shows at Canadian Music Week 2013”. blogTO. March 15, 2013. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.blogto.com/music/2013/03/30_must-see_shows_at_canadian_music_week_2013/
  38. ↑ “Little Mix ‘The Get Weird Tour’ Live in Singapore 2016”. MIDAS Promotions. May 3, 2018. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://midaspromotions.com/events/little-mix-the-get-weird-tour-live-in-singapore-2016/
  39. ↑ Gia Allana Soriano. “Little Mix oozes with #GirlPower during their Get Weird Tour in Manila”. May 21, 2016. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.wheninmanila.com/little-mix-oozes-with-girlpower-during-their-get-weird-tour-in-manila/
  40. ↑ The Sam Willows. “In case you missed the NDP broadcast yesterday here’s us performing our version of Home”. Facebook. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/TheSamWillows/posts/in-case-you-missed-the-ndp-broadcast-yesterday-heres-us-performing-our-version-o/334516426672558/
  41. ↑ “Catch the best moments of the 28th SEA Games on MediaCorp”. Mediacorp. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.mediacorp.sg/en/corporate/mediacorp-in-the-news/media-releases/catch-the-best-moments-of-5855782
  42. ↑ Vidhya, Sai. “Take Heart Tour 2016”. Radio Heartwave. July 22, 2016. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://radioheatwave.com/take-heart-tour-2016/
  43. ↑ Lim, Yu Jia. “Five things you missed at The Sam Willows Take Heart Tour”. Youth.sg. July 25, 2016. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.youth.sg/Spotted/Reviews/2016/7/Five-things-you-missed-at-The-Sam-Willows-Take-Heart-Tour
  44. ↑ The Sam Willows”. We The Fest. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.wethefest.com/lineup/the-sam-willows
  45. ↑ “THE SAM WILLOWS LIVE IN KL”. Galactix Ticketing Malaysia. Accessed on 11 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.galactix.asia/thesamwillows
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