Singapore lawyer-songwriter Tan Boon Wah pens theme song for Shu Qi’s directorial debut Girl
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Tan Boon Wah composed the theme song If It's Not Mine for Girl, directed by Shu Qi.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF TAN BOON WAH
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SINGAPORE – Singaporean lawyer and songwriter Tan Boon Wah never knew who the director was, nor where his assignment would end up, when he received a brief outline for a film project.
It was simply described as a “1980s setting and a girl’s coming-of-age story”.
He composed a melody that would later become the theme song of Taiwanese actress Shu Qi’s feature directorial debut Girl.
“I wrote a song based on that idea, sent it to my publisher and, some time later, I found out it had been selected,” Tan says, calling the turn of events serendipitous.
Girl is set in 1980s Taipei and follows 10-year-old Hsiao-lee (played by Bai Xiao-ying) as she navigates a turbulent home life and a deepening friendship with her new classmate Li-li (Lin Pin-tung).
The film was in the running for the top prize of the Golden Lion at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival and was the opening film of the 36th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), where it made its South-east Asian premiere on Nov 26.
The song, titled If It’s Not Mine in English, is composed by Tan, with lyrics by Taiwanese co-lyricists Nasi Li and Pan Wei-fan. Taiwanese Mandopop star Cyndi Wang performs the song.
A group photo of Girl’s music production team in Taipei on Oct 27 for its Asian premiere – (from left) Taiwanese co-lyricist Nasi Li, Singaporean songwriter Tan Boon Wah, Taiwanese co-lyricist Pan Wei-fan and Taiwanese music producer Alex Zhang,
PHOTO: COURTESY OF TAN BOON WAH
Tan, 50, recalls being completely unaware of the film’s scale when he wrote the song.
“I didn’t know who the director was or that it would eventually lead to Girl. So, really, it was one of those unexpected turns where the song found its home on its own,” he says.
The team decided to use the song exactly as he had written it.
“The only later work involved the musical arrangement, making sure it flowed naturally with the film’s tone and pacing,” he says.
Tan did not meet Shu Qi, 49, during the songwriting stage. “My part of the process was already completed by the time her team came across the demo,” he says.
While he attended the gala premiere of Girl at the Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands on Nov 26, their paths did not cross.
After watching Girl, Tan was struck by how closely the film’s emotional tone aligned with the song.
“I thought it was a beautiful, tender film – quietly emotional, yet deeply relatable,” he says. “There’s something very universal about its themes of growing up, self-discovery and the passage of time. The song is not loud or showy, but it lingers, like the film.”
A practising real estate lawyer and partner at law film Allen & Gledhill, Tan has written for Mandopop artistes including Stefanie Sun, Tanya Chua and Jolin Tsai.
He is most known for co-writing the title track for the 2020 Taiwanese romance drama Your Name Engraved Herein, which won Best Original Song at the Golden Horse Awards and Song of the Year at the Golden Melody Awards.
He addresses the plagiarism controversy surrounding that hit.
“I’ve largely left this to my publisher and have no further input beyond what was said at the time. It’s been a few years now, and I’ve since moved on and just stayed focused on creating new musical work,” he says.
Having his music featured in SGIFF’s opening film feels significant.
“As songwriters, we often work behind the scenes, so to have a piece of music featured so significantly in a movie feels very special,” he says, adding that the project reflects a cultural bridge between Singapore and Taiwan.
“I’ve always believed that music and stories can bridge cultures, and this project embodies that.”
