It’s not every day that a 20-year-old singer-songwriter from a tiny red dot like Singapore racks up over 2 million Spotify listeners. Yet, that’s exactly the story of Regina Song, whose single the cutest pair recently went viral on TikTok, bringing her into the global spotlight. The track has since amassed over 34 million streams on Spotify, at the time of writing.
And the song’s not just a TikTok sensation – it’s also made its way onto some seriously prestigious playlists, even snagging the top spot on Spotify’s ‘Viral 50 - Global’ chart. With over 2.3 million monthly listeners, Regina’s music is proving impossible to ignore. Earlier this year, she dropped fangirl, her debut album that has captured the hearts of listeners everywhere.
Regina was also named a Spotify 2024 RADAR artist and has performed a series of shows in Singapore, including opening for grentperez and Matt Maltese. She also just wrapped up her first Southeast Asia tour, performing across four cities: Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Jakarta, and Manila – marking her first shows outside of Singapore. We catch up with Regina to see how she's holding up amid the whirlwind of excitement that's taking her music career to new heights.
RECOMMENDED: Coldplay just released a music video – and it was filmed right here in Singapore and The best concerts and music festivals in Singapore in 2025
Hey Regina! Can you tell us about your early days in music? When and how did your music journey begin?
Hi! My mom sent me for piano lessons when I was 6, and honestly I didn’t really enjoy it. However, I really liked singing! Despite that, I enrolled into the School of the Arts as a classical pianist. Being immersed in a creative environment during my teenage years, I got a lot of opportunities to write, sing, and play music. I started writing lyrics in between classes and found myself humming random tunes while walking home, and that’s when I started songwriting. When I turned 17, I decided that I really wanted to put out my own music, and that’s how everything started.
How has your journey as an artist evolved since you first started?
When I first started writing, it was definitely very messy. But as I kept writing, I started developing my own style: diaristic and personal writing. I listened to a lot of Taylor Swift growing up, but I was also exposed to a lot of K-pop, mandopop, and classical music. I loved how every Taylor Swift song told a story, and that was what I wanted to achieve in my songwriting.
I spent so much of my life working towards this and dreaming that a day like this would come, and honestly I did not imagine it would come so soon. And for that, I am so immensely grateful.
Congrats on your viral hit the cutest pair and for surpassing 2 million listeners on Spotify – what was your initial reaction to these milestones?
I feel so moved by the overwhelming amount of support, and of course I am so glad that all the hard work my team and I put in has paid off! Sometimes I still cannot believe this happened. I spent so much of my life working towards this and dreaming that a day like this would come, and honestly I did not imagine it would come so soon. And for that, I am so immensely grateful.
Are you able to pinpoint the exact moment you realised that the cutest pair was going viral?
I uploaded a video of me singing the cutest pair live, and it got so much traction overnight. It was totally unexpected, and that one video triggered many other people to engage with the track as well as my other videos.
Tell us more about the song – what is it about and what was the inspiration behind the lyrics?
I was inspired by my crush at the time who was falling for another girl. So, the cutest pair was my confession song to him. It was to convince him that we’d be the best pairing, and that the person he was looking for was right in front of him. I was also really inspired by this cartoon called Milk & Mocha Bear.
What challenges have you faced in your music career thus far as a 20-year-old musician?
The biggest challenge was starting, understanding what makes music stick, and what the algorithm favours. It took me awhile to get the hang of it, and sometimes I would even pause my content during times where I got demoralised. However, I just kept reminding myself that trying different types of content, working smart and picking myself back up would pay off one day. I’m glad I did not give up.
Your name is now almost synonymous with the cutest pair, but what are some of your other underrated songs you think fans should also check out?
I’m glad everyone likes the cutest pair, it is the title track of my album after all! Some other songs that fans often say they like are venus and leftover feelings. My personal favourite is heartache frenzy because I think it’s one of the more unique songs I have written, and it is also super fun to perform live!
Lastly, aside from music, what’s something you enjoy doing?
I love watching YouTube commentaries and listening to podcasts on pop music. It is one of my favourite things to do during my free time because I genuinely enjoy consuming pop culture, and also because it helps me better understand how to shape my career better, and possibly become inspired for my future artistic direction. Apart from music, I really like fashion and makeup, which makes shopping one of my favourite pastimes.
Regina’s next performance is happening on March 3 at The Star Theatre, alongside three other talented artists.
