Seated side by side, they are so close yet so far apart.

That bittersweet feeling of a friend's crush gave Joanne Teo Zuo En inspiration to pen the lyrics and melody of the song Crush.

31-year-old Joanne is the budding singer-songwriter featured in the latest episode of zaobao.sg's music programme Sing Our Song. Currently working as a music instructor and gig performer, Joanne began writing songs at the age of 15 and released her first EP "Phantasm" in 2010.

Speaking of her song Crush, Joanne said that it was a photo that inspired her.

"My friend was seated beside her crush and she took a photo of their legs. I was inspired when I saw the photo, they were so close yet so far."

Local music veteran Jim Lim was attracted to the melancholic mood of Crush and Joanne's clean vocal, which drove him to pick her for this episode of Sing Our Song. In his arrangement of the song, Jim worked mainly on the chorus, using instruments like the piano, muted electric guitar and techno elements to add greater dimension to the song.

Catch the debut of this version of Crush at House of Tan Yeok Nee on Tuesday (Feb 12) at 8pm. Local Mandopop duo Carrie Yeo and Chen Diya, who call themselves The Freshman, are the guest singers for this music showcase. The session will also be broadcasted live on zaobao.sg as well as zaobao.sg Facebook page.

About Sing Our Song

Sing Our Song is a never-before-seen online-to-offline seven-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.