The viral music video cover of Adele's Hello that was partly shot at Marina Bay Sands is neither a tribute to the singer nor to Singapore, says Bryan Hawn, the underwear-clad star of the clip.
It is merely him having some fun and providing light entertainment - all the while selling his brand as a fitness expert, he tells The Straits Times in an e-mail interview.
"My videos are parodies and imitations for comic effect, so please don't take these videos seriously. They are definitely not a tribute," he says.
"The main objective of my videos is to sell fitness. I enjoy entertaining people and my videos are outlets for me to bring joy to others and to inspire people to express themselves in freedom."
Although he has filmed several music video covers of pop songs, such as for Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball and One Direction's Perfect, it is his cover of Adele's hit tune Hello that has been making waves in Singapore over the past few days.
The video has been available on Hawn's YouTube channel (@BryHawn) since November last year, but gained traction here only last weekend after Singaporean Kenneth Tan shared it on Facebook on Saturday. The 41/2-minute clip has since garnered more than 1.3 million views on Facebook and been shared more than 9,000 times.
In the video, the muscular Hawn is clad only in a pair of briefs and lip-synching to the song against the backdrops of Marina Bay Sands' infinity pool and Gardens by the Bay.
It also shows him feeding monkeys in Penang, Malaysia, and getting splashed with water by an elephant in Goa, India.
All three countries were ports of call on a recent cruise vacation he took, says the American. He has particularly fond memories of his time in Singapore.
"The Supertree Grove (at Gardens by the Bay) was by far one of the most spectacular things I have witnessed, especially when it is lit up at night.
"Marina Bay Sands has one of the most famous pools in the world. The infinity pool creates an incredible feeling for the guest as the water looks as if it drops off the side of the hotel. I was most excited about filming at these two locations," he says, adding that he did not experience any problems while filming here.
"I am just one person with one camera. I have no film crew, so there is no reason for people to give me any problems," says Hawn, who shoots all of his videos "with zero assistance" using only a tripod, before editing the footage using software such as iMovie and Adobe Premiere.
"But because I film in underwear or swimwear, that definitely creates a lot of conversation and attention."
He is known among fitness enthusiasts in the United States for having a particularly toned butt, which he shows freely in his video clips with close-up shots of his behind. The personal trainer and fitness model has also authored a book called The List: What The Top Fitness Models Don't Want You To Know, which features detailed buttocks workouts.
The bachelor admits to being "shocked" by how his Hello video has gone viral in Singapore, but understands why.
"The events that transpired were once-in-a-lifetime experiences, from the elephant to the monkeys, and the beautiful tourist attractions of Singapore. Having that combined with a fitness model and Adele's Hello makes a probable formula for a viral video," he says. He adds that he always chooses to cover pop songs that "are popular and will engage a large audience".
He hopes that his brand of mixing fitness and humour will inspire people to fulfil their fitness goals for the new year.
"More importantly, I hope that I've brought them joy, made them laugh and let them know that anything is possible if you follow your heart and don't give up on your dreams."
•Follow Yip Wai Yee on Twitter @STyipwaiyee
•Bryan Hawn's YouTube channel is @BryHawn
