May 2019’s Feature – Tat Tong

Tat Tong is a Los Angeles-based Singaporean music producer, songwriter, and recording artist. As a member of hitmaking duo The Swaggernautz with Jovany Javier, his discography includes 20x platinum certifications, with over 20 #1 hits out of over 60 Top 20 hits spanning 5 continents worldwide. He is a signed songwriter with Universal Music Publishing, and he and Javier are also signed as WAPEA – a boundary-crossing Asian-Latino artist duo – with Rebeleon Entertainment/Universal Music Latin Entertainment in the United States.

In the American/global English pop music space, Tong co-produced and co-wrote Troye Sivan’s debut single “Happy Little Pill” off his TRXYE and Blue Neighborhood EPs, which were certified Gold in Australia and the United States, charted at #1 on iTunes in 66 countries, and reached #5 on the Billboard 200 chart, making him the first Singaporean to have an entry in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200. He also co-wrote American DJ Elephante’s single “Age Of Innocence” featuring Trouze and Damon Sharpe which charted at #18 on the Billboard Dance charts.

Moving into Latin music, Tong recently co-produced and co-wrote the Mandarin remix of “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and JJ Lin, and worked on CNCO’s Billboard Latin Albums #1-charting album “CNCO” in 2018. In the Asian music scene, he and Javier worked closely with Wang Lee Hom in 2017, culminating in his latest album “A.I. Love”, as well as the end credits theme song for Hollywood blockbuster “The Great Wall” starring Matt Damon and Andy Lau. The Swaggernautz’s global credits also include work with Kaskade, Demi Lovato, ShiNEE, A-mei, Karen Mok, Show Lo, Junho of 2PM, and Vanness Wu.

Tong was awarded 2 consecutive COMPASS Awards in 2016 (Wings of Excellence) and 2017 (Top Local English Pop Song).

COMPASS: Did you face any failures in your music path and how did you overcome them?

Tat Tong: So many! To me, success is just the tip of the iceberg – and the underwater part is the numerous failures, trial-and-error attempts, and emotionally trying moments that people never get to see. Looking back, I – and the people around me – have always been pushing myself out of my comfort zone every few years – and that inevitably comes with setbacks before the rewards happen. For example, when I first started writing music for the Mandopop market, it was hard for the publisher to sell my songs because they weren’t commercially relevant – and even when they were sold, they didn’t do all that well. I remember my first half-year publishing check was for something like $6.14!

After grinding for a few years and achieving some hits in Mandopop and K-pop, I then decided to move to Los Angeles to grow my career, which of course meant sacrificing quite a bit of the momentum (and income streams) I had already built in Asia to try to make it in the most brutally competitive music scene in the world. In addition, I had to learn new habits – having written songs by myself before, I was suddenly thrust into the world of collaborative songwriting, and I remember freezing up, unable to even program a simple drum loop in my first few sessions.

And then a couple of years later, my creative partner Jovany opened the whole new world of Latin pop music to me – and it was back to the drawing board as I had to figure out a completely new sound in a totally foreign language. Not to mention the complexities of figuring out the business side of music – politics, networking, and contractual negotiations, which often threatened to derail the significant advances that we had made as a team. Looking back, all of these changes did not happen easily, but the key is that I had a truly supportive team around me to push through the tough times together, and that we share a common mindset of never, ever quitting.

C: Any word of advice for new entrants?

T: First, ask yourself – do you love making music so much that you can’t imagine doing anything else as your job?

If so, do go ahead and make it your career, but be aware that you’re about to embark on a crazy rollercoaster ride with highly inconsistent monetary rewards, and all the financial and emotional stress that accompanies that. For me, I built up some savings before taking the plunge, to help mitigate the anxiety somewhat.

Also, know that making music your job will inevitably change your relationship with it. It’s not just about art and self-expression anymore: you’ll quickly realize that the business side is never a bed of roses, and that coupled with the aforementioned financial stress will make you question your decision many times. If that’s not what you want, there is absolutely nothing wrong with keeping music as your hobby or side hustle, while having a full-time job to pay the bills.

As with any business, relationships are everything. It’s important to network and to build a supportive group of friends around you, or better yet, to work as a team once you’ve found those very special people whom you can trust to have your back at all times. And, no matter what everyone else seems to be doing, always be fair and scrupulous. Word gets around.

C: How do you define being successful in the music industry?

T: My definition of success in music has changed so much over time. When I first started writing songs as a hobby, it was simply about deriving joy from the process and expressing my feelings – and I was thrilled whenever someone wanted to sing my songs. Then it became about accumulating accolades – working with known acts, achieving #1 and Top 20 chart positions, and getting awards. Almost every social media post was about highlighting these events. Thereafter, it became about breaking into bigger markets – Korea, Japan, Europe, and the US. As I was contemplating leaving Singapore, I remember giving an interview (with i-Weekly magazine) in 2012 where I said that my goal was to win a Grammy by 40. After moving to Los Angeles in 2013 and finding my team partners there and in Singapore, success became a lot less about my personal achievements, and more about doing well as a collective.

And now, I’ve more or less come full circle, as I’ve realized that so much success in music is serendipitous – of course you need to work hard and smart so as to be ready when opportunity strikes, but in the end you never know when the next hit or life-changing moment will happen. That being the case, it’s paramount that you find a way to enjoy each and every day of the journey, with its crazy ups and downs, as much as the destination – the peak moments of public recognition and monetary rewards. And so, this is my current definition of success in the music industry: to be able to savor each day for what it is – an experience that not everyone gets to have, and a blessed opportunity to do what I love for a living.

Where to find Tat Tong:
Twitter: @t2tattong
Instagram: @t2tattong
WAPEA’s Instagram: @wapeaofficial
The Swaggernautz’s Twitter: @theswaggernautz

Up-and-coming local acts will be featured in this space on a monthly basis.
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If you would like us to feature you or your band, write to us at: membership@compass.org.sg and should you or your band be selected for our monthly feature, we will contact you with the requirements. Selection will be at COMPASS’ discretion and all decisions made are final.

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