SINGAPORE: About 28,000 fans will be attending Stefanie Sun’s four sold-out concerts at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on April 5, 6, 12 and 13, which are part of her Aut Nihilo tour, according to The Straits Times. It has been a decade since her Kepler world tour, which concluded at the National Stadium in 2014.
Aut Nihilo, which means “or nothing at all” in Latin, is her fifth concert tour. The singer released a studio album, No.13 — A Dancing Van Gogh (2017), with tracks like Windbreaker and A State Of Bliss.
In 2024, she released Appearance, and this year, she will release Afterwards. Despite not releasing new content these past few years, the 46-year-old is still popular. Within minutes, the tickets for the concerts were sold out when they were on sale in October and November 2024.
Following her concerts in Singapore, she heads to China, where she will be in Shanghai on April 26 and 28. This will be followed by shows in Shenzhen on May 16 and 18. On June 13 and 15, she will be in Beijing and then in Chongqing on Sept 19 and 21.
Sun has not revealed her other concert plans. In an October statement, she said she was looking forward to sharing joys, sorrows, and a sense of freedom with her audience. On Dec 31, she posted on Instagram about the hardships of concert preparations. However, she still thinks about the experience positively.
The singer is glad for everything despite the challenges. There are also lessons learned. “Excited to celebrate our shared moments. Be fearless and proud. See you soon,” she said.
She talked about rehearsing in another post, and she said she was grateful and would continue to put in the effort.
This is Sun’s 25th year in entertainment. Since Yan Zi (2000) she has released 13 studio albums and sold more than 20 million records worldwide. Thirty of her hits charted on 2024’s U1000 Music Countdown, hosted by UFM100.3. What I Miss (2007) is at No.65.
Encounter was the OST for the Hong Kong drama Turn Left, Turn Right (2003), while Appearance was the OST for Love Endures (2024). In 2020, she had plans to go on tour to celebrate her 20th anniversary, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it had to be turned into an online gig in June.
During the One Love Asia Festival 2022, she performed Against The Light (2007) and I Am Fine (2003) alongside Taiwan’s Show Lo, Yoga Lin, and Weibird Wei.
There are five reasons why the Mandopop Queen remains iconic in the music industry.
1. Her unique voice
Sun is known for her unique, slightly raspy voice. Songs like Cloudy Day and Love Document are sung with wistfulness while tracks like Turbo are sung with carefree abandon. Songs like What I Miss and Encounter (2003) are her most-played tracks on Spotify.
2. Her relatability
The singer is known for her sensible, girl-next-door character and as a family woman after two decades. She tied the knot with Nadim van der Ros, an Indonesian-born founder of a consulting firm, and they have a 12-year-old son and a six-year-old daughter.
3. Her spunky style
Sun graced the triple-cover anniversary issue of Harper’s Bazaar Singapore in 2021, wearing several designer outfits while celebrating the magazine’s 20th anniversary. The singer wears a pink and blue flowered gown with frilly ethereal tulle. She is known for her short hairstyle as well.
4. She flies the Singapore flag
We Will Get There (2002) and One United People (2003) are the two National Day Parade theme songs she sang. She also performed Our Singapore (2019) with JJ Lin, Charlie Lim, Taufik Batisah, Yung Raja, and Jacinta Abisheganaden. She performed Cloudy Day, My Desired Happiness (2000), Green Light (2001), and Kepler (2014) during the Sing50 concert at the National Stadium in 2015.
The event was organised by The Straits Times and The Business Times. For the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Sun performed at a gala dinner for his 80th birthday in 2003. She also contributed to his 2011 book, My Lifelong Challenge: Singapore’s Bilingual Journey.
Furthermore, after the death of Mr Lee’s wife, Kwa Geok Choo, Sun performed her favourite song, Que Sera, Sera, at the Business China Awards in 2011. Mr Lee was moved to tears, which was one of Sun’s proudest moments as a singer. In 2014, a wax figure of Sun was made in Madame Tussauds Singapore, and an orchid was named after her in 2006.
The flowers are about 7 cm long, and it is a white orchid hybrid called Dendrobium Stefanie Sun. In 2005, Sun was the first Singaporean to win the Golden Melody Award for Best Mandarin Female Singer. She also won Best New Artist in 2001.
5. She never forgets her roots
On Dec 31, at the Sands Grand Ballroom, Sun surprised her mentors Lee Wei Song and Lee Si Song at their 40th anniversary concert. They are co-founders of Lee Wei Song Music Academy, where Sun attended pop vocals and songwriting classes.
She was not expected to show up as she was busy preparing for her concerts, but when My Desired Happiness was performed, Sun walked onstage to join in. She told them she could not come as she was preparing for the concerts. Sun, a Nanyang Technological University marketing undergraduate, likens her journey with the twin brothers to a kite.
When she began her journey, they were a gust of wind that let her fly and then wander freely. Now, she can still fly back.
