This year's NDP theme song is out: The Road Ahead to be performed by 4 singer-songwriters

SINGAPORE - This year's National Day Parade (NDP) theme song The Road Ahead was released on Friday (July 2), along with the parade's logo and theme, "Together, Our Singapore Spirit".

The Road Ahead was written and composed by singer-songwriter Linying and music producer Evan Low.

It will be performed on National Day by Linying, 27, and singer-songwriters Sezairi Sezali, 34, Shye-Anne Brown, 18, and Shabir Tabare Alam, 36.

For Linying and Brown, it will be their first NDP involvement, while Sezairi will be making his second NDP appearance, and Shabir his fourth.

The Road Ahead tells of the adversity Singapore has faced throughout its history, and about how the nation has overcome the odds, said the NDP executive committee in a statement on Friday.

It added that Linying was inspired to write the song as she wanted to encourage Singaporeans to count on one another amid challenging times such as the Covid-19 pandemic, when the road ahead remains uncertain.

An accompanying music video was directed by film-maker Huang Junxiang, 33, and animation film-maker Jerrold Chong, 30.

It blends live scenes with animations in a first for NDP music videos, and features the four theme song singers taking viewers through a journey that recalls Singapore's growth and reflects on the nation's shared values.

As for the parade theme, "Together, Our Singapore Spirit", the organisers said that it builds on last year's NDP theme, which was "Together, A Stronger Singapore".

"Together" is a reminder of Singaporeans' shared identity and "how we have come together as one united people", while "Our Singapore Spirit" encourages Singaporeans to draw strength from a can-do spirit amid potential disruptions in the coming decade, said the organisers.

This year's NDP logo features a lion motif, and the number 56 to mark Singapore's 56th year of independence.

The organisers said the lion head logo represents "our nation's strength of will and unity".

The five bold strokes of the logo reflect the ideals represented by the five stars of Singapore's national flag: democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality.

The logo was conceptualised by Nanyang Polytechnic student Tan Yun Xin.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.