Earlier today, Tanya Chua was trending on Twitter in Singapore. Initially, I thought that it was nice that Tanya Chua is trending in Singapore and finally getting some more recognition at home.

I was actually sorely disappointed. She was trending because of an on-going debate amongst netizens about how some fans of Kpop group 4Minute (4nias) were booing and jeering at Tanya Chua because they wanted to see their girls on stage.

While I recognise that it’s probably a select few 4nias that were booing, it ticks me off that people jeer at people who are talented and have worked so hard to stand on the stage. Even more if the person standing on stage is a successful and credible Singaporean talent in the global mandarin music market.

I have watched Tanya Chua perform live before and she is amazing; contrary to the popular belief among most Singaporeans about how there is no (musical) talent in Singapore.

It just irritates and amuses me how Singapore is probably the only country in the world (I could be wrong but that sure is how it seems) where the general population doesn’t support their fellow countrymen in whatever field we are competing on in the international scene.

This whole hoo-hah is close to my heart because I have seen and experienced a variation of the lack of support in the music scene in Singapore myself. I have also seen a few of my friends in the local music scene struggle to make ends meet. Most of them give up and go back to a full time job because at the end of the day, they need to eat and they need a roof over their heads.

So when I see a Singaporean act who makes headway in the mainstream music scene, I give them the due respect even if I don’t like their music. Just because I know how hard it is to get to where they are.