New & Noteworthy
April 2019’s Feature – Serene Koong
Serene Koong 龚芝怡 is a singer, songwriter and producer from Singapore who has been acclaimed in the music industry with 8 major career awards, at the Global Chinese Golden Chart Awards (3 times), Singapore Hit Awards (3 times), Star Awards 20 and Compass Awards. Her breakout hit “幸福不难”, which was awarded “Top Local Soundtrack” at the 23rd Compass Awards is one of the most prominent drama series theme songs on television in recent years. 
“Music has to come from a place within us that is honest and real.” These are the qualities that define her artistry, and the same which have attracted a growing fan base for her music.
With a growing portfolio of hit songs (on TV and film) and accolades to match, Serene who performs in both Mandarin and English, has established herself as one of the rising female Singaporean producer and singer-songwriter artists.
She debut in 2010 with the album “55:38:7” and captured the hearts of listeners with her composition “明知我爱你”, the hit ballad which remains a radio and KTV favourite today. Her r&b release “最好的我” generated a following in Greater China. That year, Serene received 5 nominations and won 2 awards at the Singapore Hit Awards, a feat for a newcomer, next to industry heavyweight Jay Chou with the same number of nominations.
Her desire to remain authentic as an artist made her delve further into her song writing and music production and she gradually forged an identity in her music which would lead to an important step in her career. In 2013, Serene stepped up to the role of producer for the single, “幸福不难︎” (Happiness is Not Difficult), which would become the multi-award winning theme song for MediaCorp’s blockbuster “The Dream Makers (志在四方)”.
The song catapulted to huge success, reaching #1 on iTunes MandoPop Charts and amassed one million views on Youtube. Serene won “Best Theme Song” at Star Awards 20, and “Top Downloaded Female Artist” at the Singapore Hit Awards. At the 4th Global Chinese Golden Chart Awards, she brought home double awards for “Top Dedicated Song” and “Outstanding Artist.” (won by top Singaporean artists Tanya Chua and JJ Lin in previous years).
She made her break into film with the poignant theme song “心肝” (Precious) which she wrote and produced for “Grandma Positioning System” in the highly acclaimed SG50 Anthology “7 Letters”.
“当世界只剩下我一个人” (All Alone) which she wrote and produced specially for “The Dream Makers 2” charted Top 10 on Spotify Viral 50 charts during its release and received the award for Outstanding Artiste of The Year presented by UFM100.3 at the Global Chinese Golden Chart Awards in Beijing.
In 2018, Serene appeared on “SPOP Sing!” as Singing Mentor (歌唱导师), alongside well-known music veterans Billy Koh and Lee Shih Shiong (Judges), Nathan Hartono, Joanna Dong and Boon Hui Loo (Ambassadors) and other prominent Singaporean artists and producers in the search for the next home-grown talent.
Where to find Serene Koong:
Website: www.serenekoong.com
Instagram: instagram.com/serenegongzhiyi
Youtube: youtube.com/serenekoong
Facebook: facebook.com/koongserene
Spotify: Serene Koong