S’porean asks if anybody else thinks the NDP 2026 songs are ‘really, really bad’

Singaporean wonders if anybody else thinks the NDP 2026 songs are bad

A Singaporean Redditor has sparked a discussion over this year’s National Day Parade (NDP) songs, asking if anyone else thinks they are “really, really bad”.

OP feels NDP songs are getting worse

The post was shared on subreddit r/askSingapore on 8 Aug and has since attracted more than 250 upvotes.

The Original Poster (OP) stressed that they are Singaporean, adding: “No hate, I was born and bred here.”

According to the OP, they felt that NDP songs have been declining in quality over the years.

Of the three songs released this year, they considered ‘Sparkle’ the best of the bunch, describing it as “marginally catchy” and less reliant on autotune.

However, they still criticised its lyrics and parts of its music video.

‘Giants’ received a more mixed review, with the OP saying its melody and lyrics might not appeal to everyone. They also criticised its use of autotune.

But ‘You’ll Be Okay’ was singled out for the harshest criticism. The OP claimed its chorus sounded similar to Kelly Clarkson’s 2004 power ballad ‘Since U Been Gone’.

They also complained about its lyrics and heavy use of autotune.

“No offence to the singers. I’ve never made a song, it’s probably hard as heck to even make half-decent ones but offence to the songs,” the OP said.

Not vibing with the new NDP songs

In the comments section, most netizens seem to agree with the OP about the new NDP songs.

A netizen said that the lyrics in ‘Giants’ are “neither poetic nor meaningful”, and felt “forced” instead.

A commenter said there hasn’t been a good NDP song for 20 years, and questioned the need for new songs every year.

A Redditor shared that the new NDP songs are not “necessarily bad” but just that they “don’t fit the context of National Day”.

OP felt that one NDP song would suffice

The OP, Yvette Wang, 15, a student, told MS News that she was pretty shocked after hearing the new NDP songs as she had been “expecting better stuff”.

Yvette shared that many people had also told her that the 2025 NDP song sounded quite bad too, especially for a 60th-anniversary song.

However, she personally did not think it was that bad.

“I don’t often have very strong feelings about NDP songs,” she said.

“I’ve just noticed more and more people around me complaining about the quality of the songs,” she added.

She also felt that having three NDP songs this year was “redundant” and that one song would have been sufficient. She also disliked how ‘Giants’ and ‘You’ll Be Okay’ sounded overly autotuned.

Yvette also felt the government’s attempt to experiment with new music styles this year was unsuccessful.

When asked if she had a favourite NDP song, she quipped: “I don’t really have one but I do like ‘The Road Ahead’ and ‘Home’. I like their melodies.”

Also read: Benjamin Kheng to perform nostalgic National Day Parade 2024 theme song

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Featured image adapted from Jasmine Sokko on Facebook, Iman Fandi on Instagram & Dru Chen on Instagram.