Someone thinks that the video for this year’s NDP theme song is too hipster and exclusive

Before reading further, make sure you’ve at least watched the music video for this year’s National Day Song — the convolutedly titled ‘Tomorrow’s Here Today’ by long-time cover band 53A. 

Catchy enough? Family-friendly elements okay? Sing-along levels satisfactory? Here’s another query — is it too hipster though? 

Apparently somebody thinks so. In a letter sent to The Straits Times, Liew Kai Khiun argues that the video doesn’t seem to “encapsulate the social fabric and achievements of its citizenry” nor does it “connect to the larger public in more intimate and memorable ways”. 

The biggest gripe this letter writer has is that the video gives off the impression that Singapore is only for the “cardboard, fun-loving hipster”. To be fair, there is a sizeable percentage of footage depicting cardboards backdrops though. Lanterns and umbrellas too in fact, but we doubt “lantern, umbrella, cardboard, fun-loving hipster” rolls off the tongue so easy. 

In fact, Liew seems to really dislike the cardboard-ian elements of the video: 

“It gives the troubling impression of a Singapore of the future as a flimsy and boxed-in cardboard consumerist city-state, instead of a nation built upon real concrete and steel achievements, which characterised previous productions.”

Did Liew forget to grumble about the fact that the display quality of the video on The Straits Times‘ YouTube page only goes up to 480p? What is this, the stone age? 

Oh, the disappointment felt by Liew is no less palpable. An argument is made that the video is not inclusive enough. The lens mainly pays attention on lead vocalist Sara Wee and the rest of the cast are mainly “young and able-bodied”. Where are the seniors and the achieving scientists, paralympians and pilots, Liew raises, forgetting the likes of contemptuous millennials, motivational speaking pimps, racists, douchebag drivers or even Batman Bin Suparman.

Such a passionate aversion to the video should only be responded kindly with similarly passionate internet comments though, and indeed, folks delivered: