Alfred Sun: A rising star talks career, growth and style
The multi-talented performer has faced some lows on his journey in entertainment, but he’s riding high now
YOU MIGHT KNOW ALFRED SUN from his music, his performance in the viral short film Summerdaze, or the myriad other projects he’s done in recent years. He is, after all, a true triple threat, with an impressive list of acting, singing and dancing credits under his belt.
Sun’s road to success has been 13 years in the making. He started performing in his teens, with stints in South Korea, Taiwan and China, where he participated in the boy-band search show We Are Young in 2020.
“When I first started out… my main goal was just to do anything related to music and the arts,” he tells BT Luxe. “I didn’t see it as a career until the opportunity came for me to go to South Korea,” he adds. At the time, he’d been offered a training contract with Alpha Entertainment, but eventually gave this up to complete his National Service.
Sun’s looks certainly give no indication that he’s such a seasoned performer, with wide eyes and a boyish face that wouldn’t look out of place in a teen drama.
But as he speaks about his journey in entertainment, it’s less difficult to believe he’s really 31. He exudes a quiet confidence, softly smiling throughout the conversation. His responses are thoughtful, yet delivered with a youthful charm. He’s relaxed, humble and intimate, at one point even sitting on the floor to get more comfortable.
Challenges make a champion
The early days in Sun’s career were no walk in the park. In fact, he compares the experience to a roller-coaster ride. “It was extremely lonely,” he says of the lowest points in his career. “Once you start looking at this as a job, you have different expectations, and results matter a lot more.”
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The years he spent training and working overseas were particularly gruelling, he adds. He also grappled with his place in the industry. “I originally went to Taiwan to pursue a few opportunities there, and ended up doing more acting jobs. At the time, I was fixated on the idea that if I wanted to become a singer, I shouldn’t invest my time in other projects.”
Eventually, he found that there was value in honing his skills and developing himself across the board. Since then, he’s returned to Singapore and put out three singles, including his debut, Vampire, in June 2022. (An album is in the works.)
While he’s riding high now, Sun hasn’t been resting on his laurels. For him, consistent improvement and growth is key. “I really enjoy it when I get to… put myself in a stressful environment, because it makes me feel like I’m really stretched.”
A self-professed perfectionist, Sun says he’s always critical of himself. But his high expectations aren’t destructive, he adds. Rather, they give him a sense of purpose and achievement when he looks back: “When I see how much better I’ve become – that’s something that excites me a lot.”
Substance meets style
Given his seemingly boundless talent, it probably comes as no surprise that Sun’s also a bona fide style icon, with outfit shots on his Instagram page racking up thousands of likes. Scrolling through his feed, one is greeted with an eclectic mix of edgy outfits, soft-boy looks and even classic suiting.
Sun sees his clothes as an extension of his work. “When it comes to music, it’s a lot more experimental,” he says, adding that his outfits are often based on how they accentuate the choreography when he dances or how they match the mood of the song when he sings.
Rather than honing in on a specific style, Sun prefers to mix things up in his wardrobe. While he admits having a smaller frame used to prevent him from trying out new things, he’s now experimenting more as he grows into his own skin and explores each new chapter in his career.
He adds that working with various stylists has given him a window into fashion, allowing him to learn on the job. “In the past, my dress sense was actually quite one-dimensional,” he quips. “I’ve learnt to be more open and lean into others’ expertise on what looks good.
“Of course, there are times when I just immediately feel drawn towards a certain style or outfit. But it’s only when it’s all put together that I can see its full visual impact… It’s a learning process for me.”
Sun adds that he’s also become more adventurous with his styling choices as the fashion industry becomes more inclusive.
“I don’t think in the past we had as much representation of skinnier guys and smaller-sized guys as we do now… I feel like fashion has evolved a lot. A lot more guys are willing to try different colours and silhouettes. I’m (more open) too, now, with trying on things that are more edgy.”
Experiment on; we’re all here for the ride.
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