A to Z of 2024: The biggest lifestyle moments of the year, from music and food to arts and travel
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SINGAPORE – A mural of a young samsui woman with a cigarette in hand sparked one of Singapore’s most controversial public art debates. American pop star Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour concerts in Singapore in March gave a boost to the humble bead shop. And pasta got its time in the spotlight. Here are 26 moments and trends that left their mark on Singapore’s lifestyle scene in 2024.
A: Viral song Apt. takes the world by storm
K-pop star Rose and American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars in the music video for Apt.
PHOTO: ROSE/YOUTUBE
“Apateu, apateu, apateu, apateu.” From the moment K-pop girl group Blackpink’s Rose released her song Apt. with American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, the catchy tune has been inescapable.
While her bandmates Lisa and Jennie released songs in 2024, there is no doubt Rose has the biggest hit of them all.
Apt., inspired by a South Korean drinking game of the same name, dropped on Oct 18 and became a viral sensation almost overnight.
B: The bookstore is dead, long live the bookstore
Epigram Coffee Bookshop at the Singapore Art Museum. It will not be renewing its lease for its outlet at the Tanjong Pagar Distripark.
PHOTO: EPIGRAM BOOKS
Print culture was buffeted by cruel economic winds in 2024.
In successive months, Times Bookstores exited after nearly five decades of operations; SingLit bastion Epigram Books posted notice that it will shut its bricks-and-mortar store Epigram Coffee Bookshop; and the landmark Thambi Magazine Store in Holland Village shuttered.
The news was met with public groans that served only to underscore the relentlessness of the tragic trend.
C: Chicken rice enjoys a renaissance
Hai Ge Ji Single Chicken Rice Set. The humble chicken rice found itself in the spotlight in 2024.
ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO
The humble chicken rice found itself in the spotlight in 2024, as celebrities and influencers started competing against hawkers selling one of Singapore’s most-loved dishes. Established restaurant chains also joined the fray.
D: Deadpool & Wolverine break the box-office rule book in Singapore
(From left) Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan in Deadpool & Wolverine.
PHOTO: DISNEY
In the cinema business, the rule of thumb is: The lower the classification, the better the box office. It makes sense, as families with children make up a significant portion of cinemagoers.
The rule is backed by numbers. In the Marvel-dominated list of the top 10 highest-grossing films in Singapore, no film has a rating higher than PG13, which allows entry to children under 13, with parental guidance.
In July, a rule-breaker came along in the form of a mouthy Marvel superhero – partnered with a far surlier frenemy.
The violent and expletive-laden Deadpool & Wolverine became the first film of 2024 to cross the $7 million mark at the local box office. With its final take of just over $7 million, it is the highest-grossing M18-rated film of all time in Singapore.
E: Electrified vehicles go further than ever
Chinese carmakers like BYD are starting to export hybrid models capable of incredibly long ranges before needing a refuel.
PHOTO: AFP
It is just as well that the candies and soft drinks sold at petrol stations cost as much as they do, because people will not be patronising such convenience stores as often as they did before – not with the rising popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) and advancing technology that keep motorists away from the pumps.
Hybrid vehicles, which combine the petrol engine with electrification, promise long operating range and lower fuel bills. They also allow those not sold on full EVs and their reliance on the charging network to get a taste of electric motoring.
If variety is the spice of life, shopping for electrified vehicles in 2025 will be more thrilling than a mala hotpot dinner.
F: Friendship bracelets and The Eras Tour mania
Fans with friendship bracelets near the National Stadium on March 2, the first day of pop star Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour concerts in Singapore.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Hotels, restaurants and other hospitality providers are the typical beneficiaries of concert tourism. But another retail player experienced an unexpected boost from American pop star Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour concerts in Singapore in March: the humble bead shop.
Once the niche province of crafters, bead shops in Singapore and other parts of the world found themselves swarmed by Swifties – fans of the 35-year-old singer-songwriter – looking to make friendship bracelets to trade during the concerts.
G: Gen Z and Alpha turn ‘brain rot’ and bizarre memes into new language
The Gen Z and Alpha slang term "skibidi" is derived from the YouTube machinima web series Skibidi Toilet, while the label "sigma" refers to independent men.
PHOTOS: DAFUQ!?BOOM!/YOUTUBE, STANZI/YOUTUBE
“Time changes all things; there is no reason why language should escape this universal law,” wrote 19th-century Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure.
Today, as Gen Z and Gen Alpha come of age in a hyperconnected world, their evolving slang reflects an online ecosystem drenched in pop culture references, viral memes and niche internet subcultures.
H: Hit musical Hamilton premieres in Singapore
Australian actor Jason Arrow (centre) played American founding father Alexander Hamilton.
PHOTO: DANIEL BOUD
The hype was palpable when news broke in late 2023 that the Broadway and West End sensation Hamilton would finally make its debut in Singapore, at the Sands Theatre.
The critically acclaimed, award-winning production had enjoyed massive box-office success, with many sold-out performances when it was staged in other parts of the world since premiering off-Broadway in 2015.
No other musical in recent memory had been as decorated as the sung-and-rapped-through biographical musical, which covers the life of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and his involvement in the American Revolution up to his death in 1804.
I: Immersive experiences level up
Visitors at the Impressions Of Monet: The Experience at Gardens by the Bay’s Flower Dome.
PHOTO: ST FILE
In a time when human beings can do most things on their smartphones – from streaming concerts happening halfway across the world to interacting with artificial intelligence bots like ChatGPT – getting their attention takes a lot of work.
This is probably why immersive experiences have continued to ramp up in the last year – and why Singapore has continued to lap them up.
Impressions Of Monet: The Experience at Gardens by the Bay, for instance, has attracted more than 750,000 visitors since opening in July.
J: Marvel hero Jitter creates discourse about cultural, neurodivergent stereotypes
Sofia Yong (Earth-616) is Jitter, a Singaporean teen mutant with the ability to take on any skill or talent for one minute before crashing.
PHOTOS: MARVEL
Singaporean Marvel character Sofia Yong, or Jitter, garnered plenty of online discussion after the announcement of her character on Aug 9. She first appeared as an unnamed character in the Aug 7 issue of the rebooted Uncanny X-Men series.
Written by American comic writer Gail Simone and illustrated by American comic artist David Marquez, Jitter can fully take on any skill or talent for one minute by concentrating. However, if she over-exerts herself, she fails. To pace herself, Jitter keeps a stopwatch with her at all times, according to the Marvel character card.
K: K-pop’s terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad year
K-pop girl band NewJeans (in a September photo) unilaterally terminated their contract with their music label, Ador, on Nov 28.
PHOTO: REUTERS
2024 has been largely a scandal-ridden and unsavoury year for K-pop, involving some of the biggest stars and agencies.
Chief of these is the ugly ongoing feud between K-pop giant Hybe and music producer Min Hee-jin, the former chief executive of Hybe’s subsidiary label Ador, which manages the hit girl group NewJeans.
The quintet took the side of Ms Min, who was fired from her role, and have since fallen out with Ador, unilaterally terminating their contract with the label on Nov 28.
L: ‘Low and No’ drink trend bubbles up
With rising demand for non-alcoholic drinks, new options like cold-pressed juice from Mustly have hit the market.
PHOTO: MUSTLY
In 2024, dry January turned into a year-long trend. Diners swopped their champagne flutes for skinny glasses of sparkling tea, equally effervescent and tinged a similar shade of gold. Cans of health-conscious juices and teas started jostling for shelf space alongside established offerings like beer and wine.
As Singapore stepped up its fight against the twin threats of sugar and salt – in August, it was announced that Nutri-Grade labels would extend to salt, sauces, seasonings, instant noodles and cooking oil, in addition to beverages – it seemed the message had hit home.
M: More hope, less shame around menopause
Femtech start-up Surety organised Singapore’s inaugural Menopause Festival in November.
PHOTO: SURETY
2024 marked the year more Singapore women broke the silence surrounding menopause.
While their mothers suffered without complaint, more women in midlife today are seeking help for menopause, which marks the end of a woman’s fertility and is defined as 12 months without a period.
Some 1.1 billion women, or one out of eight people worldwide, will be post-menopausal in 2025. The average woman in Singapore hits menopause at age 49, two years earlier than their counterparts in Western societies.
N: Nanyang kopi’s snazzy iterations stir up interest among young consumers
A growing number of retro-themed cafes here serve traditional coffee with local or Malaysian dishes.
PHOTOS: HEDY KHOO, GREAT NANYANG HERITAGE CAFE
Traditional coffee from South-east Asia, also known as Nanyang coffee, was on an uptrend in 2024, stirring interest among young consumers with snazzy iterations such as Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe’s Coconut Coffee and Soymilk Coffee.
Fuelling the revival of traditional coffee was a growing number of retro-themed cafes here which serve traditional coffee, along with local or Malaysian dishes.
O: Ozempic, the breakthrough drug for diabetes and weight loss
Ozempic’s active ingredient, semaglutide, does not only manage blood sugar levels, but also causes weight loss.
PHOTO: REUTERS
In 2024, Ozempic gained global attention as ground-breaking treatment not just for Type 2 diabetes but also weight management, leading to widespread demand and media coverage.
Originally developed by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk to manage blood sugar levels, Ozempic’s active ingredient, semaglutide, was found to cause significant weight loss. This led to its adoption as a popular off-label treatment for obesity.
Semaglutide mimics a natural hormone made in the small intestine called glucagon-like peptide-1.
Besides regulating blood sugar levels, semaglutide works in the brain to create a feeling of fullness, helping users eat less by curbing their appetite.
This double benefit led to Ozempic being hailed as a game-changer and fuelled a surge in its popularity, which has been driven by endorsements from celebrities and social media influencers, as well as online weight-loss success stories.
P: Pasta goes artisanal
Many more places sprang up for diners to have a plate of pasta and perhaps a glass of wine.
PHOTOS: CASA VOSTRA, LOCANDA, PASTARO
The hunger for artisanal pizza is eternal in Singapore. But in 2024, the spotlight shone on another well-loved carb: pasta.
Diners may shun chi-chi restaurants, but they cannot say no to a plate of noodles.
And restaurateurs heard them loud and clear. Many more places sprang up for diners to have a plate of pasta and perhaps a glass of wine.
Sure, a diner can opt for a basic plate with that Singapore favourite – carbonara sauce – but restaurants have been upping the ante. The sauces are more complex; in many cases, the pasta is made in-house and comes in ever more esoteric shapes. Most places price their plates below $30.
Q: Quitting the food and beverage scene
Fine-dining restaurant La Dame de Pic, French chef Anne-Sophie Pic's Singapore outpost, closed in 2024.
PHOTO: RAFFLES HOTEL SINGAPORE
La Dame de Pic, Tippling Club, Gemma, Art di Daniele Sperindio, Sushi Kimura, Beni, Chef Kang’s, Sommer and Braci are all restaurants that fine-dining fans might recommend as must-visit places in Singapore.
Yet, they are on another list: restaurants that shuttered, or will shutter, by the end of 2024.
Food and beverage is a blood sport in Singapore, where competition is rife and diners are fickle. The industry bled profusely this year and no type of restaurant has been spared.
R: Rising mercury shifts seasons and impacts travel plans
The Acropolis in Greece shut down for hours in July as southern Europe endured a heatwave.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The year 2023 was recorded as the hottest in history, and 2024 is on track to surpass it.
Global warming – largely attributed to carbon emissions from burning coal, oil and gas – is the main culprit, causing the mercury to rise at an alarming rate.
In July, southern Europe endured a relentless heatwave, with Greece’s iconic cultural attraction, the Acropolis – a hilltop Unesco World Heritage site that attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists annually – shut down for hours as temperatures soared to 38 deg C.
S: Smoking samsui woman the unlikely protagonist in year of controversial public art
Artist Sean Dunston’s mural of a young samsui woman with a cigarette at 297 South Bridge Road sparked much debate.
PHOTO: ST FILE
In a country where art rarely gets the spotlight, it was an unlikely mural of a young samsui woman with a cigarette in hand which sparked one of Singapore’s most controversial public art debates.
On June 27, The Straits Times reported that the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) had ordered the cigarette on the 297 South Bridge Road mural to be removed.
After the report, artists, tour guides, history buffs, advocacy organisations and the online commentariat spilt much ink over whether the unauthorised mural should be removed or remain unchanged.
T: TikTok’s very mindful, very demure reach
TikTok remained the dominant influence in the pop cultural landscape during 2024.
PHOTOS: HENRIK CHRISTIANSEN/TIKTOK, JOOLS LEBRON/TIKTOK
You see how TikTok continued to foster the exchange of ideas and philosophy between borders and cultures in 2024? Very mindful, very demure.
Or was it the epitome of brat, as epitomised by British singer-songwriter Charli XCX’s sixth studio album of the same name, with its dark lime-green and chaotic electro club pop aesthetic?
These two contrasting concepts seemed to take over the internet in 2024, along with trends such as the “Gen Z intern writes the marketing script” and “looking for a man in finance”.
All of these trends were birthed on TikTok, which remained the dominant influence in the pop cultural landscape during the year.
U: Ugly shoes stand the test of time
Communications director Mervyn Lee counts himself as an “ugly shoe” convert and has amassed a sizeable collection.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
In an era when fashion trends come and go faster than you can lace up your sneakers, one movement has proved its staying power: ugly shoes.
Once a polarising fashion statement, these unconventional designs have, in 2024, found their place as an essential part of modern wardrobes.
From oversized platforms to quirky mules, ugly shoes continue to evolve, with the world’s leading designers and brands fully embracing their appeal.
V: Virtual tools make travel experiences more personal and efficient
The use of artificial intelligence and machine learning for travel has been rapidly developing.
ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Virtual tools reshaped the travel landscape in 2024, driving innovation and transforming experiences for travellers worldwide.
While artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning have been in use for over a decade, their rapid evolution is unlocking new possibilities for the mass travel and tourism industry.
Beyond assisting with customer service, AI-powered tools on booking platforms offer personalised trip suggestions tailored to individual preferences.
W: Warabimochi stretches taste buds with variety
Warabimochi from Warabimochi Kamakura.
PHOTO: WARABIMOCHI KAMAKURA
Singapore was mad for mochi in 2024, the craze sparked by the arrival in February of popular Japanese brand Warabimochi Kamakura.
Long queues ensued at its first shop at One Holland Village. The brand started opening more stores: at Takashimaya Shopping Centre and Taste Orchard, both in Orchard Road; Jem mall in Jurong; and Waterway Point in Punggol.
People found the common Japanese summer snack – made with bracken starch, cut into squares and coated with kinako (roasted soya bean powder) or matcha – irresistible. They slurped up the brand’s drinks, with little blobs of wobbly mochi in them.
X: X factor of Charli XCX and the pop girlie domination
(From left) Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan led the charge for the pop girlie domination of 2024.
PHOTOS: REUTERS, AFP
From Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter to Chappell Roan and Billie Eilish, women ruled the airwaves in 2024.
It began in spring, when no less than Ariana Grande, Beyonce and Taylor Swift – all three American pop queens – released new albums in quick succession, starting with Grande’s Eternal Sunshine and Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter in March, and Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department in April.
Each of the three albums broke the record for most-streamed album in a single day on the Spotify streaming service.
American singer Eilish and British-Albanian singer Dua Lipa followed in May with their third studio albums, Hit Me Hard And Soft and Radical Optimism respectively, which were hotly anticipated in mainstream circles.
That was not the case for Charli XCX’s release Brat, which dropped in June. The British singer-songwriter has largely stuck to experimental genres such as hyperpop in the last few years.
But Brat, the 32-year-old’s sixth studio album, broke into the mainstream and became positively inescapable for anyone who identifies as terminally online.
Y: Youth rewrite social norms
In 2024, Gen Zs and millennials continued to push boundaries.
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
It has always been the case that young people drive societal change. Some of the most famous founding fathers of the American Revolution of the 18th century were in their 20s. Alexander Hamilton, the first US secretary of the treasury, was said to be 21 when he co-signed the US’ Declaration of Independence.
In 2024, Gen Zs aged 12 to 27 and younger millennials aged 28 to 43 continued to question and push the boundaries of societal norms and concerns, in Singapore and around the world.
One trend that hit the spotlight, underconsumption, has seen young people reject the rampant consumerism and materialism that drive modern capitalist culture.
In this lifestyle, people focus less on buying, and more on decluttering and maximising the use of existing possessions.
Z: Zoo baby star Moo Deng takes over the internet
A baby female pygmy hippo named Moo Deng became 2024’s biggest animal star for her biting and screaming antics.
PHOTO: REUTERS
For users scrolling through TikTok, X and Instagram, one animal has emerged as the undisputed star of 2024: Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippopotamus at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand.
Born on July 10, Moo Deng – whose name translates to “bouncing pig”, a Thai meatball dish – catapulted into internet meme status when images of her shared by the zoo went viral in September.
