Singaporean DJ LIKKI brought a little bit of home to one of the world’s biggest electronic dance music (EDM) festivals, weaving MRT sounds, an all-too-familiar bird call, and a traditional Chinese instrument into her set at Tomorrowland Belgium.
Performing at the House of Fortune by JBL stage on 25 July, the 27-year-old featured elements instantly recognisable to Singaporeans, including public transport announcements and the call of the Asian koel, better known locally as the “uwu” bird.
Source: @theycallmelikki on Instagram
She also took to the stage with an erhu, blending the traditional Chinese instrument with electronic dance music.
Speaking to MS News, LIKKI said these familiar touches reflected her identity.
Image courtesy of LIKKI
“I’m incredibly proud to be Singaporean, and it’s a real privilege to bring these sounds, even something as familiar as SMRT announcements, or the ‘uwu’ bird, to an international audience,” she said.
LIKKI said the public transport audio came from recordings she made during everyday life in Singapore.
“I’m always recording interesting sounds whenever I’m out,” she explained.
She recalled sitting at an MRT station one day when her AirPods stopped working and deciding to record an announcement instead.
That recording eventually found its way into her music.
Her Tomorrowland set opened with a track titled “Welcome To Singapore”, featuring public transport announcements she had recorded with place names including Ang Mo Kio and Nee Soon.
Source: @theycallmelikki on Instagram
She also incorporated sounds from traditional Asian instruments such as the pipa, suona, dizi, oud, and veena.
Then came another familiar local sound: the Asian koel.
LIKKI said she had recorded the bird on several occasions. “The ‘uwu’ bird is such an iconic part of everyday Singapore that I thought, why not put it in the drop?”
What she did not expect was how strongly the moment would resonate during her set.
The response from the crowd took LIKKI by surprise.
It was incredibly heartwarming and surreal to see such a huge international crowd dancing to what I would call the ‘sound of Singapore’.
The moment became even more meaningful when she spotted fellow Singaporeans among the audience.
Image courtesy of LIKKI
“Seeing so many Singaporeans in the crowd cheering and raising their flags” was “really emotional”, she said.
LIKKI had previously developed the MRT-inspired track as the opening for a show called ‘In The Lion City’ earlier in 2026.
The idea was to make audiences feel as though they were entering Singapore through a journey on the MRT.
The local references were not the only cultural elements LIKKI brought to Tomorrowland.
She also performed on the erhu, an instrument she has played since childhood.
LIKKI previously played in the Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra and has performed as an erhu soloist.
Image courtesy of LIKKI
“My whole artist project is built around being a Singaporean erhu DJ,” she said.
For her, playing the erhu on such a stage went beyond simply adding a traditional instrument to an EDM set. “It was about bringing a part of myself to the stage.”
One of the most memorable moments came when she first picked up the erhu during her performance.
“I saw people in the audience tearing up, and that was incredibly emotional for me because my whole dream has been to bring this fusion of EDM and erhu to a global audience.”
Video courtesy of LIKKI
LIKKI’s path to Tomorrowland began after she was selected as Singapore’s representative for the JBL x Martin Garrix Academy in 2025.
She travelled to Amsterdam, where she spent four days at STMPD RCRDS, the label founded by Dutch DJ and record producer Martin Garrix, learning about music, branding, and the industry alongside 29 other artists from around the world.
This year, eight artists from the academy were invited to perform at the House of Fortune by JBL stage. LIKKI was among them.
Source: @theycallmelikki on Instagram
She said performing there had long been a dream.
The moment I stood on stage and shouted, ‘What’s up, Tomorrowland? My name is LIKKI and I’m from Singapore’ was surreal.
While Singaporean influences featured prominently in her Tomorrowland set, LIKKI clarified that they weren’t added specifically for the festival.
She grew up playing the erhu, performed in Chinese orchestras, and studied Western composition at the School of the Arts (SOTA) and the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music.
She has also been involved in multicultural ensembles and developed music projects supported by Singapore’s National Arts Council.
Image courtesy of LIKKI
“I wasn’t trying to suddenly make the set ‘Singaporean’, as Singapore and my culture are already part of who I am as an artist.”
The reaction to her set has also left listeners wondering whether they might get to hear the tracks again.
LIKKI said she had not originally planned to release them on streaming platforms because of potential copyright issues involving the MRT audio.
However, she may now reconsider. “Because of the roaring support, I might try to get clearance, but I’m not sure if I will succeed.”
For LIKKI, the set marked the culmination of around eight years spent experimenting with electronic music, local culture, and traditional instruments.
Image courtesy of LIKKI
She admitted that getting people to understand and support the concept had not always been easy. “It’s been about eight years of experimenting with this sound and, honestly, begging people to notice it.”
Despite reaching one of the world’s biggest EDM festivals, she has no plans to stop experimenting.
“I don’t think I’m going to stop here. If anything, this has made me even more determined to keep pushing it further, and keep staying true to myself and the music I want to make.”
Image courtesy of LIKKI
Ultimately, LIKKI hopes the experience encourages others to embrace their own roots.
“More than anything, I hope it shows that we should embrace where we come from to make music that belongs on a global stage.”
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Featured image courtesy of LIKKI and @theycallmelikki on Instagram.