• Jetstar Asia’s song Soar for Singapore celebrates the airline’s 20th anniversary while honouring the nation’s birthday
  • It has earned rave reviews online, with the music video getting more than 47,000 views as of August 1 afternoon
  • Viewers liked the catchy tune and creative lyrics, which incorporate Singlish
  • The music video also shows certain traits of Singaporeans such as their “kiasu” spirit

SINGAPORE, Aug 2 — Jetstar Asia has struck a chord with online users this National Day, earning rave reviews for a music video it produced to celebrate its 20th anniversary that incorporates Singlish and celebrates uniquely Singaporean traits.

From the relentless hunt for cheap deals to the quintessential “kiasu” spirit, the tune Soar for Singapore pays homage to the nation’s birthday.

The music video features the song’s creator, Scott Van Der Ven, dressed as an “auntie” (middle-aged woman) and playfully portraying Singaporean travel traits such as rushing to get off the plane after it has landed.

The video was posted on Jetstar Asia’s social media channels on Wednesday and on its Instagram account, it has been viewed more than 47,000 times as of Thursday afternoon.

Many people commented that the video had successfully convinced them to book a flight with Jetstar Asia for their next trip.

Catchy tune and relatable lyrics

Van Der Ven plays several different characters in the video.

Dressed as a Singaporean auntie, Van Der Ven rushes to be the first to disembark from the plane, with the lyrics “first one to run out the door” encapsulating the “kiasu” (competitive) streak to which many Singaporeans can relate.

“We always want cheaper” goes the song’s chorus, poking fun at another Singaporean trait: The relentless pursuit of bargains.

Other parts of the song incorporate colloquial phrases such as “ya ya papaya”, a term to describe someone who is boastful or arrogant, as well as “alamak”, which is used to convey shock or frustration.

Van Der Ven, who is a full-time content creator and creates comedic skits, told TODAY that he was honoured to be able to represent Jetstar Asia’s campaign while celebrating Singapore’s 59th year of independence this month.

The 32-year-old Singaporean is born to a Dutch father and a Chinese mother in Singapore.

He added that he used Singlish in the song because of Singapore’s racial diversity, saying that “(incorporating) Singlish within the song was something that every race could identify with”.

“With what I’m known for, in writing crazy skits and playing different characters, I wanted to write a story within the music video as well.”

On the overwhelming support from viewers, Van Der Ven said that he did not expect such a positive response and was “extremely anxious and stressed” about it.

“I am beyond grateful. Here’s to hoping that maybe one day, I’ll get to write and sing for National Day.”

In praise of the song’s creativity

Many viewers lauded the song’s catchy melody and clever lyrics, praising its ability to capture the essence of Singaporean culture with humour and authenticity.

One Instagram user commented that “this ad has single-handedly convinced me to only fly Jetstar from now on”, while another said that the tune has swayed her to “book the next flight with Jetstar”.

One comment read: “Such a nice catchy song! And hilarious creative storyline.”

Others wrote that the tune was going to be stuck in their heads “for days”.

Overwhelmingly, many called for Van Der Ven to be selected to write next year’s National Day song, with one saying: “Please consider (him) for NDP (National Day Parade) theme song. He writes his own music and can supply 20 different types of aunties.”

In response to TODAY’s queries, Jetstar Asia said that the airline wanted to convey a message of national pride, unity and joy through the song while celebrating the diverse, vibrant and unique culture of Singapore.

“As a Singapore low-cost carrier, National Day is always an important day but this year, we’re also celebrating Jetstar Asia’s 20th birthday, so we wanted to do something extra special,” it added.

“The annual NDP song is always highly anticipated, so this year, we wanted to put our own Jetstar fun twist on it, showcasing some uniquely Singaporean traits and travel quirks that we’ve seen over our 20 years of flying for Singapore.”

The company also said that the airline “couldn’t be happier” to see how well the music video resonated with Singaporeans. “They’ve loved the humour, cultural references and the overall message of the song,” it noted.

“Jetstar Asia is grateful for the support and enthusiasm shown by the public. This project was a labour of love, and seeing it resonate with so many people is incredibly rewarding.” — TODAY