The inaugural edition of 555 Thai Music Festival kicked off the year with a bang, with the likes of Billkin, PP Krit and 4EVE making their debut appearance in Singapore.
Billed as the “first all-Thai music festival”, the event, held on 3 January, featured eight acts across one day.
The festival comes amid T-Pop’s growing international following and its name is a play on Thai colloquialisms, with ‘555’ referring to ‘hahaha’.
Given that the festival was held on a weekday, most audience members only streamed in towards the evening as their work day ended.
Still, Violette Wautier gave a great opening act, charming the audiences with hit songs like กักตัว (Quarantine). She was followed by Oat Pramote and URBoyTJ.
By about 6.30pm, the festivalgoers grew in numbers, as XOXO Entertainment’s ATLAS took to the stage. The group opened with MAYDAY MAYDAY (as always). We are told it was the boys’ first time in Singapore and that they were most excited to try all the food.
Labelmates 4EVE then took the stage, beginning their set with 4EVER and wowing the audience with their moves. Towards the end of their set, they performed Vroom Vroom, their newest single that had only dropped weeks prior.
It was very clear they had a following in this part of the world, judging from how loudly fans sang along to many songs.
Still, the loudest cheers of the night were reserved for PP Krit and Billkin, who performed in two separate sets but were equally adored by the fandom.
PP went first, clad in a black knit top and surrounded by a bevy of barebodied dancers – talk about oozing sensuality!
The artiste let his music do most of the talking, at times teasing his (mostly adoring) fans. Songs included ลังเล and I’ll Do It How You Like It.
Billkin equally charmed the crowds as, interpersing his set, which included songs like Mr Everything, with audience banter. At one point he even touted the effectiveness of his flask in keeping his drink cold through the set – “I am not sponsored by them,” he quipped.
Fans expecting a PP-Billkin duet (think I Told Sunset About You) were disappointed, even though the two idols performed back-to-back sets. Still, it was no love lost as the fandom lapped up every single moment.
The festival’s live acts closed with rock icons Potato, whose setlist took fans down memory lane. (We think the band had the coolest light design of the night)
ChaPop believes the festival was a good way to export T-pop to fans in Singapore and the region – very much in line with ‘soft power’.
Perhaps organising it on a weekend could help bring in more fans. ChaPop understands some fans were hesitant to buy tickets as it was a work-day night. Still, it is a good start and we hope for more of such events outside of Thailand!
