Boy is sweet to girl. Girl falls in love with boy, only to realise he is in love with another girl.
This love story seems all too familiar, but it is what sparked 26-year-old singer-songwriter Alicia Koh to pen the lyrics and melody of "Leave Me Alone".
Alicia performs at wedding events and live music venues. She was 24 years old when she experienced the unrequited love. The boy, whom she met at a live music venue, treated her exceptionally well. When she found out he got together with another girl, she was devastated.
When renowned composer and music producer Billy Koh first heard the demo version of Alicia's song, he was drawn to her nonchalant vocals. He said, "The music is also quite uncommon, as it only utilises four chords to produce a song with distinctive melody."
The latest episode of zaobao.sg music programme Sing Our Song welcomes Billy Koh, one of the most influential music industry players, on board. He had successfully groomed Mandopop stars like JJ Lin and Kit Chan and is one of the pioneers of the Xinyao scene in 1980s.
Having written and produced numerous songs, Billy Koh encountered a challenge while producing "Leave Me Alone". He couldn't fully understand Alicia's Chinese lyrics, probably due to the fact that "many young Singaporeans think in English before writing in Chinese". Billy communicated with Alicia several times before understanding what she was trying to convey. Eventually, he tasked his disciple in Beijing to help amend her lyrics to what we hear today.
Alicia will debut the full version of "Leave Me Alone" at the Sing Our Song music showcase held at Malay Heritage Centre on 8 January at 8pm. Singaporean twin group BY2 will be performing as guest singers. This showcase will also be broadcasted live on zaobao.sg as well as zaobao.sg's Facebook page.
About Sing Our Song
Sing Our Song is a never-before-seen online-to-offline 7-episode music programme where budding local musicians are paired with local veterans to embark on a musical journey of coaching, collaboration and co-creation.
Viewers enjoy real-time interaction during the live webcast of the finale performance, and even stand a chance to be invited to watch the performance at an exclusive venue steeped in history. This show promises to give audiences a dazzling time and a new way to experience music.
