Spotify Spotlight: Together by Shabir & Abby Simone

Like most Singaporeans, I was curious to see how this year's National Day Parade would be executed given the constraints brought about by COVID-19. As expected, there were no big-scale segments but we were treated to an entertaining evening show nonetheless filled with musicians and dancers.

While there were the usual suspects of classic NDP themes, seeing so many new original music being performed by our local artistes was certainly a breath of fresh air as well. Chief among them was "Together" by Shabir and Abby Simone, an electro-pop banger that definitely upped the cool factor on stage.

Sounds like: Hurts and Anne-Marie singing over a club-worthy Major Lazer production. The hypnotic vocal sample that kicks off the song immediately reels you in. By the time Abby's luscious, sultry drawl and Shabir's velvet smooth baritone swirls into your ears, you're left with no choice but to surrender to the drop.

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Kollywood Cool

Shabir is one of our most famous exports in the Tamil music industry. An award-winning composer and singer-songwriter, his talents have taken him to India where he scored a number of Kollywood (a portmanteau of Kodambakkam - the neighbourhood in India where Tamil filmaking is based - and Hollywood) films and even made his acting debut.

"Together" is his first indie release in English, written with a message of hope in the face of challenging times. Judging from his confident and effortless delivery, this infectious number is sure to be a hit just like his other Tamil tracks.

Sultry Siren

Abby Simone has that magnetic quality to her voice that is resplendent in its raspiness. The lead vocalist of local funk trio MMLD brings the attitude and fierce energy, more than holding her own against Shabir's laidback charm. Together (pun intended), they make a formidable tag team.

Be sure to check out "Together" on all streaming platforms and follow our playlist below to listen to our #SpotifySpotlight recommendations.

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