In lieu of Freshmusic SG and Asian Pop Weekly’s 20th and 17th year anniversaries, the veteran media platforms have joined forces for a second year running on music discovery showcase SEAtide featuring the unlikely pairing of Singapore’s Charlie Lim and Shanghai-based Diana Wang 王詩安. The showcase will be held at Swee Lee Clarke Quay on the 19th of September.
While last year’s SEAtide showcase was a blind box concept which revealed Taiwan’s Shallow Levee 淺提, Malaysia’s Anna Chong and Singapore’s Krysta Joy as special guests, this year’s showcase felt too exciting for co-curators Yuneng Chen and Jocelle Koh to keep under wraps.
“It is truly a dream come true to be able to bring Charlie and Diana together to perform once again. I’ve been a fan of Charlie and Diana’s separately even before they were brought together to collaborate by Khalil, and to be able to host them nine years after they released ‘Starry’ in 2017 really feels like a full circle moment for all of us” says Jocelle, Asian Pop Weekly founder.
“This is Diana’s first ticketed show in Singapore and Charlie’s first since his new album launch. It will be a night full of soul, drive and little surprises.” says Yuneng, Freshmusic founder.
Brought together by the late Mandarin music godfather of Soul, R&B and Blues Khalil Fong 方大同, Wang and Lim collaborated on a track titled ‘Starry’ which appeared on Wang’s first album with Fong’s label Fu Music.
An artistically sound yet surprising collaboration, ‘Starry’ marked Lim’s first forage into the Mandarin music world, and a soft landing ground for the creative powerhouse who’s slated to release his third studio album ‘DAYDREAM’ August 26th. Lim recounts the experience of being asked to work with Khalil and Diana on ‘Starry’ together.
“Khalil called me out of the blue and he said; ‘hey I’ve got this track I’m working on with this artist who’s amazing, would you like to have a go at writing a verse for it? Don’t worry about it being in Mandarin or English, just do your thing’… and I had a lot of fun writing it.”
While fans of Diana, Charlie and perhaps Khalil could highly anticipate seeing the duo perform ‘Starry’ live for the very first time, fans of Wang’s ethereal, melismatic vocals and wide-ranging catalog are in for a treat as this will be her first ever headlining performance in Singapore. Of this experience, Wang shares her excitement:
“I am really happy to be able to see Charlie again because it’s been ages. I think the last time I saw him was also in Singapore, and also because I’ve always wanted to collab with him again. But what I look forward to the most is the show itself, to see the audience in person and to feel and vibe what they like. Because every time I’m switching from location to location, the audience has a different type of taste and their own favorites/reactions are different. So I’m really looking forward to how it’s going to go. Also this time it will be a very intimate show, which I don’t think I’ve done before… I think it’ll feel like me in my own living room. So I think it’s going to be very heartfelt.”
As the most ambitious SEAtide event yet featuring two of Asia’s brightest stars in a warm, inviting yet intimate setting at Swee Lee Music, SEAtide has also partnered with Aloft as a hotel sponsor for this event.
As one of Singapore’s most vibrant lifestyle hotels with a consistent history of supporting the local and wider music scene, through live events across its spaces, music-inspired cocktail menu at w xyz bar and even a music-themed Yue restaurant, Aloft by Marriott Singapore Novena shared more about how SEAtide’s ambitious cultural dialogue aligned with the brand’s values:
“Music has always been part of Aloft by Marriott’s DNA, and SEAtide’s vision for cultural dialogue through sound resonated deeply with us,” said Tan Kim Seng, General Manager of Aloft by Marriott Singapore Novena. “Supporting this showcase felt like a natural extension of who we are, a space where creativity, community, and connection come together. We’re proud to play a part in bringing this experience to life.”
Promising to be a night of many firsts for all involved, this rare intimate performance and collaboration for the ages is definitively one for the books.
SEAtide 2026: Charlie Lim x Diana Wang 王詩安 Event Details
Date: 19 Sep 2026, Saturday
Time: 7pm doors open, show starts 7.30pm
Venue: Swee Lee Clarke Quay, Blk 3B River Valley Rd, #01-06 Clarke Quay, Singapore 179021
Entry Fee: $65 inclusive of 1 drink (excludes platform handling fee) / Doors: $85
Ticketing Link (on sale 22nd July 8pm SGT): https://seatide2026.eventbrite.sg
