lullaboy is a fascinating example of an artist whose career you cannot afford to take your eyes off.

Since he decided to pursue music in earnest during his time in the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) Music & Drama Company, the 27-year-old has managed to create a brand of music that stands out in a pop music scene that is growing increasingly saturated.

Dealing with love and the human experience, his songs have not only charmed listeners, but also captured the attention of music industry professionals. Just last year, lullaboy, whose real name is Bernard Dinata, was added to the lineup of RedRecords, a label from Universal Music Group and AirAsia that seeks to nurture Asian artists.

As members of the "lullafam" would know, there has never been a dull year in lullaboy's journey so far, and 2023 looks set to keep things the way they are. 

On 21 July, the 'Cool' act will make his festival debut at Good Vibes Festival 2023 in Malaysia, which he describes as "one of the craziest things ever". It is at the event where lullaboy will feature on a star-studded lineup that also includes international names such as British rock band The 1975, Canadian R&B artist Daniel Caesar, and American singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter.

Ahead of his appearance at Good Vibes Festival 2023, lullaboy sat down with Bandwagon to talk about his pre-festival preparations, how his music has helped him in his personal journey, and how he hopes to inspire aspiring musicians.

 

 

 

 

 

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Hi, lullaboy! What are your all-time favourite love songs? 

My all-time favourite love songs. It's a broad question because love is... there are so many different sides to it. But if you're talking about [my] all-time [favourites], I think number one would be 'Can't Help Falling In Love'. Number two is... I always grew up like this emo rocker kid and so [the love songs from] that generation are my true favourites as well. There's one called 'Into Your Arms' by The Maine. I like that one a lot. And number three, I like this song called 'Nobody Compares To You'. It's by my favourite DJ called Gryffin and it's with this female singer. I think they just bodied that song and it's like a sad love song, but it's always one of my favourites.

What are three essential lullaboy songs that a newcomer to your music should listen to?

Number one is 'Shortcut To Heaven'. That's a song that's just been going crazy overseas, and it's always nice to see that there are a lot of people vibing with the song. And then number two, I would go with 'Someone Like You', which is a song of mine that kind of just changed my life, you know, and ever since I released that song, I have felt like, "Yeah, I'm entering a new dimension or something." I'm always thankful and every time I perform that song, it takes me back to the start. 

Number three is probably my latest song, which is called 'Cool'. It's a song about just not really caring what the world thinks is cool because that is constantly changing and [it is] so hard to keep up with all the trends and stuff. I wanted to release this song as a reminder to people to just always be yourself in this crazy, changing world. 

You’ve mentioned that your songs are about “what it means to be human”. How has making your own music helped you to grow as a person? 

This whole music journey is one that I feel like I didn't choose. I do really feel like it kind of chose me, and I'm always somebody who approaches this whole music journey like [I'm] looking through the eyes of a kid, you know, and I'm always down to learn. Ever since I released my songs, they have been a way for me to reach out to other people and do my part in making them feel better. But at the same time, deep, deep down, I think writing my songs, putting them in a diary form and then sharing them with everybody [has also been] a way for me to understand myself more and it has been a way for me to feel not alone. So it's a give-and-take with the fans.

Congratulations on being invited to perform at Good Vibes Festival 2023! Tell us how it feels to be a part of the festival.

[It's] one of the craziest things ever. When I just revealed it to everybody on my social media [channels], everybody went crazy because it's the first time for me. I've done so many little shows and managed to build a really, really amazing and loyal following of listeners and I'm always thankful for that. This is the first time that we're actually performing on a festival stage and it's going to be such a big one.

I'm sharing the stage with some of my favourite artists of all time. I remember when The 1975 came to Singapore and I went to watch them as a kid, I was like, "Oh, my mind is blown." I used to be in the rock band scene so I've performed their songs, and now I get to kind of share a stage with them as well. I think on the same day that I'm performing, there's also Daniel Caesar, [whose songs I used to] play as well on stage. Yeah, maybe I can hang out with them and let them know the impact that they have on me. I'm just super thankful.

How are your preparations for Good Vibes Festival 2023 coming along? 

I wish I could say that it's so easy and I'm just chilling, you know. But that's not the truth because this is such an important milestone that I want to get right. And I want to really give my best, especially because it's not going to be in Singapore. It's going to be in Malaysia and there are so many people over there whom I really want to reach out to and show what I can do. So we're going crazy with the band — we have an amazing one — and I'm just preparing. I've been doing a lot of cardio as well just to prepare so that I can give my 100% for every single song.

 

 

 

 

 

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Speaking of performances, what do you think are some differences between telling stories in a recording studio and sharing them with a live audience? 

That is how I kind of separate the two, you're right. There's the recording phase and the writing part, which I really love. And then there's that whole other game where you're actually performing these songs in front of not only [an] online [crowd], but [also] in front of real people. It's a different world because I think when you're in the studio, it's more introspective and it's all about how I can fully put what I'm feeling into this work. It just doesn't feel complete without the chance to perform [the songs] on stage because once you're on that stage performing [for] hundreds and thousands of people, it's a way to know that what you're doing actually matters. And to see the fans singing back, that feeling is one of the main reasons why I do what I do. I love that human connection. It always feels like it's a family as well, and that's why I call my fan base the lullafam. That's how it feels to me so I just want to be honest with people.

In your previous interview with Bandwagon, you told us that your musical inspirations include artists like Lauv, Jeremy Zucker, keshi, and Bruno Major. What kind of impact do you hope to leave on aspiring artists who listen to your music? 

Lately, it's been kind of strange. There have been a lot of people coming up to me and sending me DMs [to tell] me how my music has impacted them and [tell me that] they want to meet up and have sessions and just talk to me and stuff. These are mainly the local scene kids in Singapore. I never thought that I'd be able to get to this stage, to be honest, so I'm always grateful and thankful for it. What I hope is that they just see me as a form of inspiration, in a way, to know that anything's possible. You know, if I can do it, they can do it. And I just want to tell them to follow their hearts.

You released your debut album, chapters of you, early last year. How have you been building on this milestone, and what can we expect from you in the future? 

Oh, it still feels like yesterday that I released that album, and it totally transformed the trajectory of my career. It's just like 12 songs all about different sides of love. I don't know. I thought I had figured it out, but the truth is, I don't think anybody really understands love and you can't just define love in 12 songs. It felt like a good foundation for me to release that album, but there's so much left to explore. I think now after releasing that first album, I'm ready to do more.

Stream lullaboy's debut album, chapters of you, here:

Good Vibes Festival 2023 will be happening at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia from 21 July to 23 July. Tickets, priced from RM338 onwards, are available for purchase here.