'Singaporeans will decide my fate': Cathay busker Jeff Ng breaks his silence after backlash

In June, local musician Jeff Ng hit a career high he had never experienced before.

The hitherto unknown Mandopop busker-turned-TikTok sensation was being profiled by major news outlets as crowds of thousands gathered to catch him singing live outside The Cathay building in Dhoby Ghaut.

Fans lapped up his underdog success story, and his Instagram following swelled to around 80,000.

But by July, his star had come crashing down.

A former girlfriend made a public post on social media that alleged Ng was emotionally abusive to her during their three-year relationship.

More negative press followed, as netizens criticised him for exhibiting a "diva" attitude during past performances and accused him of buying Instagram followers, while fellow musicians claimed to avoid working with him due to his unprofessional behaviour.

After the wave of online backlash, he cancelled subsequent performances at The Cathay - citing the sudden spike in Covid-19 cases - and other scheduled venues, and continued to keep a low profile.

Until now.

Ng, 32, tells The Straits Times over the telephone in his first media interview since his scandal: "I watched old videos of myself and cried because who could have thought that, 14 years later, I'd be going through something like this? I wondered if I let down the mentors who taught me music."

In a 90-minute interview conducted in Mandarin on Wednesday, he says he is committed to changing, and becoming a better person and musician that people will like. But his fate ultimately lies in the hands of Singapore listeners.

"I am thankful for the good and the bad that has happened because the good has supported me while the bad has helped me to grow," he says.

"I'll give myself a few more years until I'm 35. If people see I have changed and they want me to keep singing and they think I'm a good person to help bring Singapore music overseas, then I'll continue. But if not, I'll retreat to making music behind the scenes. Singaporeans will decide."

In the meantime, Ng - who sang at various bars and restaurants for years and started busking only in 2018 - is quietly picking up the pieces of his career.

He has been part of the line-up at the National Day Picnic By The Bay show at Gardens by the Bay and an anniversary concert with the Asian Cultural Symphony Orchestra, but will be making his solo comeback next week - at a different cinema venue this time.

He is set to perform to a crowd of 600 at a sold-out music showcase at Golden Village VivoCity on Sept 9. Tickets were priced at $20 for the 90-minute concert, which will be followed by a one-hour autograph session.

The singer believes he has lost several gigs due to the spate of negative news about him, including a sponsorship deal with an electronics brand that took back the laptop it sent him a day after giving it to him.

He says: "I can understand. I don't blame anyone."

He adds: "People who don't support me anymore, people who stopped being my fans - I understand. Everyone has his or her own likes and dislikes. You cannot force people to like you."

Rumours about Ng circulated around end-June, when a musician and other netizens posted about his behaviour during performances, claiming that he was rude and unprofessional, demanding audience members not to speak during his performances.

But the biggest bombshell came on July 1 when a former girlfriend of Ng’s alleged in a long Facebook post that he was emotionally abusive and unfaithful to her.

Ng publicly apologised for his behaviour, describing himself as "young and reckless" in his 20s. His wife of a year stood by him, calling him "a changed man".

But the troubles did not end there.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Jeff Ng (@jeffhellomusic)

 

Criticisms were also levelled at him for allegedly questioning netizens who unfollow him on Instagram.

When asked to respond to these claims, Ng says: "Whatever is in the past, I'll like to leave it in the past and focus on the future."

But he admits to being very flawed, especially in his 20s. "I was very particular then. I'm a perfectionist. When I'm performing, if I can't hear myself, I won't know what to do. Should I tell the bar owner, the sound man or the audience? But these are not excuses for my actions. I was very uncompromising in the past."

He adds: "I don't have high EQ (emotional intelligence). I'm used to always doing things alone, which now I see the demerits of."

And he says he has changed.

With a laugh, he takes a jab at himself: "I know people say they don't want me to tell them to keep quiet when I sing. Rest assured I will not do so.

"When I was performing at Gardens by the Bay, there were kids (noisily) playing, but I was okay. Because the time I have on stage is short and I should not be bothered by these trivial concerns. It's a change in mindset. What's important is performing. I'm thankful for the people who have shown me the right direction to take."

He is also grateful to those who have continued to support him at his lowest point.

Cinema chain Golden Village had approached him in June for the upcoming showcase, at the height of his popularity, but did not drop him when the tide turned against him.

While there were online commentators who mocked the gig when it was announced, tickets for the show sold out in two days.

"Fame and money are not the point. I really want to show my appreciation and give back to these people who are still waiting for me and willing to support me," he says.

The event will see Ng perform his latest self-penned tune, To Write An Imperfect Song, live for the first time, and there will be a song request segment where he will interact with audiences. He says: "When I'm busking, I always take song requests, so I think that fits my showmanship."

Following his quick rise and even swifter fall, Ng is much more wary of fame and emphasises that he does not want to pursue it.

He recalls: "I actually went to my neighbourhood temple in June to pray that my busking sessions will go well. And for a bit, it looked like the gods heard me. And then in July, I went back to pray and told the gods: 'I have felt the brief brush of fame. Can you take it back now?'"

And the man known as the "Cathay busker" even jokes about being fame-shy on his old stomping ground.

"I think if I went back to Cathay and saw a crowd of 1,000 people come to see me sing, I might pack up and go."