Benjamin Kheng: 8 things to know about him (besides his singing)

Ever since Benjamin Kheng made his debut in the music scene in 2012 as part of Singaporean indie pop band The Sam Willows (alongside sister Narelle, Sandra Riley Tang and Jonathan Chua), his career has been on an upward trajectory.

The band has amassed millions of streams and headlined concerts and music festivals, with two albums and one extended play under their belt.

Since the band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2019, Benjamin has moved on to build his solo career with the debut album A Sea That Never Stops (2019), and the single Fresh Feelings that dropped earlier this year.

As he turns 31 on August 15, we’re celebrating Benjamin’s birthday by spotlighting these eight facts you might not know about him.

He was a national swimmer

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Before he won us over with his melodic voice, Benjamin used to be a national youth swimmer. Benjamin started swimming at six, enrolled in the Singapore Sports School and competed in youth competitions.

In an interview with Youthopia, Benjamin revealed that although he “realised that my passions lay somewhere else”, he had some regrets about not becoming a professional swimmer.

Nevertheless, Benjamin hopes that the sporting scene in Singapore would flourish and that athletes here get the recognition they deserve.

He's a comedian

Besides his musical talent, Benjamin also has a knack for comedy. In 2018, Benjamin partnered with Hirzi Zulkiflie to create BenZi Project, a “comedy sketch series aimed at making you laugh, then think, then cry uncontrollably in existential dread (in that order)”.

With sketches on topics ranging from current affairs to cultural stereotypes and social issues, the channel has since amassed an impressive 66k subscribers and over 4 million views.

Moreover, Benjamin has also served as a screenwriter and host (alongside Hirzi) for Comedy Central Asia’s Stand-Up Asia Season 4 in 2019, further proving his comedic craft.

He's an actor too

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When we said that Benjamin is a multi-hyphenate, we really meant it. Music, comedy and writing aside, Benjamin has also made great strides as an actor. His debut on the small screen was portraying Pete in the telemovie Love is Love – Fat Hope (2015) before adding The Breakup List (2016), After Love (2019) and more to his oeuvre.

On the big screen and theatre, he has been in Young & Fabulous (2016) and Wonder Boy (2017) as well as Ah Boys To Men: The Musical (2014) and Fun Home (2017).

He's an advocate for breast cancer awareness

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In 2015, Benjamin and sister Narelle dedicated the song For Love in their debut EP Take Heart to their late mother who succumbed to breast cancer when they were 12 and eight respectively. In an interview with The New Paper, the siblings shared fond memories with their mother, which included her being an avid supporter of his swimming endeavour.

Consequently, Benjamin has been a vocal advocate for breast cancer awareness. In an Instagram Live chat with Her World in October 2020, Benjamin highlighted the importance of normalising the struggles of battling an illness so everyone is more open to sharing their own.

He's also an advocate for mental health issues

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While mental health problems remain an issue that many would rather not talk about, Benjamin has been an outspoken advocate. In fact, he has spoken at TEDxYouth@Singapore about his experience overcoming depression and anxiety disorder with synaesthesia.

He has also helped raise funds for Mindset Learning Hub by scaling 33 floors of Marina Bay Financial Centre, Tower 1 as part of The Mindset Challenge & Carnival 2018.

In an interview with Evolve MMA, Benjamin credited martial arts for helping him overcome his mood disorder.

He's happily married

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Unfortunately, ladies and gentlemen, Benjamin is taken. His life partner is Naomi Yeo – an actress, voice-over artist and radio DJ. The two first met for the drama series Dead Lucky in 2018 but it wasn’t until The Intruder (2019) where they forged a friendship.

Benjamin and Naomi got engaged a year after dating, in the picturesque Lindis Pass in New Zealand in early 2020, and had a small wedding ceremony earlier this year.

In the February 2021 issue of Her World, the couple shared that they cherish their little peaceful moments: “They’re quiet; there’s nothing exciting. But these are the things you will remember when you get older.”

Just like most of us, Covid-19 has made him more mindful

Covid-19 has not been easy for everyone, but Benjamin has found a silver lining despite the tribulations. In an April 2021 interview with Harper’s Bazaar Singapore, Benjamin revealed that despite having work plans delayed due to the pandemic, he was happy to go at a slower pace.

This proved to be great as it allowed him to be more thoughtful with his actions. “Before that, it was definitely non-stop. Especially as a Singaporean, you’re used to such a ridiculous pace of life that sometimes, you don’t realise what you’re doing things for in the first place. I thought 2020 was a nice mirror to all our lives—why we do what we do.”

In the end, 2020 gave Benjamin time to “give music a break” and “learn how to fall in love with music again”. Perhaps, this helped him complete his latest single Fresh Feelings, which was released earlier this year.

He's a prolific TikToker

@benjaminkheng

mans woke up and chose ✨death✨ #foryou #fyp #xzybca #singapore #voiceover #tiktoksg

♬ original sound - Benjamin Kheng

Like many celebs, Benjamin has jumped on the TikTok bandwagon. And he’s doing well too, having chalked up over 320,000 followers and more than 3.7 million likes. You can expect anything from singing videos to comedic skits on his TikTok. His wife Naomi makes an appearance from time to time.

This article was first published in Her World Online.