‘Sometimes those messages make you feel depressed’: Glenn Yong on ‘nasty’ comments about his Countdown performance

Local singer-actor Glenn Yong opens up after Countdown Party backlash, says he was tempted to pull out even before performance

When Glenn Yong stepped onto the stage at Mediacorp’s Countdown Party By The Beach on 31 Dec 2025, he knew he was walking into a storm.

The 29-year-old actor-singer had only been training seriously in music for about a year, yet he found himself sharing the stage with veteran performers who had spent decades honing their craft.

That contrast was already weighing on him long before the night of the show, even though no one would’ve guessed it from his assured stage presence and confident demeanour once the cameras were rolling.

‘I felt like a nursery kid being put into the Premier League’

When the national media network first invited Yong to perform, his initial excitement quickly gave way to fear.

The line-up included two members from top K-pop girl group Red Velvet, multiple Singapore Idol winners, and singers who had been in the industry for 10 to 20 years, while he had only started serious vocal training in 2025.

“I felt like a nursery kid being put into the Premier League,” he said in an interview with MS News, describing the pressure he felt.

Because of this, Yong seriously considered pulling out, knowing comparisons were inevitable. But in the end, he went ahead, because music had become something deeply personal to him.

“I really love it, and I wanted to push myself instead of hiding,” he said.

It also helped that the other performers were kind to him behind the scenes. Many offered advice, encouragement and feedback, which helped him get through rehearsals and step onto the stage with greater confidence.

He performed his single ‘Break Out’ and took part in duets with Nathan Hartono, SDZ, and lullaboy, choosing to focus on enjoying the moment rather than measuring himself against anyone else.

But once the show aired, clips of his performance began circulating online. And soon after, so did the backlash.

It was really nasty.

When criticism turned cruel

Even before his Countdown performance, Yong was already used to unkind remarks online, where strangers regularly labelled him “cringe”, “try-hard”, or dismissed him as “untalented”.

But he said the reaction after the show crossed a very different line.

In Singapore, he has noticed a familiar pattern: anyone who dares to step outside the conventional path of study, work, and stability often becomes an easy target, with encouragement rare and judgement quick.

After Countdown, however, the criticism intensified and shifted in tone.

Some comments focused on his singing and acting ability, questioning his tone, technique, and whether he deserved to be on that stage at all. While harsh, Yong said he expected that kind of feedback and even tries to learn from it.

What troubled him more was how much of the commentary turned personal.

He recalled seeing remarks about his looks, his hairstyle, his face, and his body, criticisms that had nothing to do with his performance.

“It feels very objectifying, now that I think about it,” he said. “It’s not just ‘I don’t like his voice’. It becomes ‘I don’t like how he looks’ or ‘I don’t like how he talks’.”

The comments ranged from blunt insults to mocking observations, many delivered anonymously, which made the volume and cruelty feel overwhelming.

Yong said those personal attacks affected him differently from technical criticism.

“Sometimes those messages make you feel depressed and dejected,” he admitted, especially when they ignore the months of effort, training, and preparation behind a single performance.

While he actively looks out for constructive feedback that can help him improve as an artist, he said personal attacks leave no room for growth, only doubt.

At times, he found himself questioning whether he was really “that bad” before reminding himself that many of the comments had little to do with his work at all.

Redditor questions why Singaporeans are quick to tear down those who are different

In early January, a Reddit user posted a long message questioning why Singaporeans seem so quick to tear down their own people when they try something different.

The post referenced Yong’s Countdown performance and drew parallels to how new F&B business owners are often mocked online and told they will fail.

The Reddit post questioned why Singaporeans seem so quick to tear down those who choose paths outside the conventional study-to-corporate route, and pointed out that support is often given only after there is visible success or widespread approval from others.

“It’s almost like there’s no room for trying and failing at all,” they noted.

The post struck a nerve. Many agreed that in Singapore, people are often celebrated only after they’ve made it, not while they’re still learning and struggling.

Yong said he has observed the same thing throughout his career.

He believes local talent is often taken seriously only after gaining overseas recognition, citing swimmer Joseph Schooling as an example of how public support surged following international success.

“That’s the culture I see here,” he said, while stressing that this was his personal observation.

Yong also noted that many of the harshest comments tend to come from anonymous accounts, which he believes reflects a fear of putting oneself out there.

‘Being cringe is part of the process of becoming great’

Unlike many singers, Yong did not grow up with music lessons.

He only began taking singing seriously last year, attending vocal classes, piano lessons, and songwriting sessions, sometimes training almost daily for months at a time.

“In fact, most of the time during lessons, when I’m doing vocal exercises, I really cringe at my own voice because I feel like it’s not nice,” he said.

He admitted he is not naturally gifted and still struggles with self-doubt during practice, but he sees progress with every lesson.

That progress, he said, is what keeps him going even when the criticism is loud.

Yong believes the fear of embarrassment is what stops many people in Singapore from ever trying something creative.

“When you start something new, you will look bad and feel awkward, and that’s normal,” he said, adding that nobody becomes good without first being bad.

To him, being called “cringe” is part of growth.

Being cringe is part of the process of becoming great. It means you are actually trying.

Quiet support, loud hate

While the hate is loud and public, Yong said support still exists, even if it often stays private.

He regularly receives direct messages from people who feel encouraged by his courage and work ethic, even if they never comment openly.

His biggest source of strength, however, comes from his family, friends, and team. They remind him of his effort on the days he feels like giving up.

“Every day I feel like quitting, but they pull me back,” he said.

Despite everything, Yong says he does not regret performing at Countdown.

Music, he explained, allows him to express emotions he can’t always show through acting, making each song feel like a page from his personal diary.

“And I want to put it out there so that people who maybe think the same, feel the same way as me, feel less alone through the songs that I put out.”

That, he said, is why he keeps going, even when the path feels lonely.

“Courage is living for your own dreams instead of other people’s expectations,” he added. “I really enjoy being on stage performing regardless of whether I’m good or not.”

For now, he is walking uphill. But he is still moving forward.

Also read: Jackson Wang Invites Glenn Yong To Dressing Room After Concert, They Then Party At Marquee

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Featured image by MS News (photography by Toan Ngo Huy) and @glennyqh on Instagram.