From guitar covers to TikTok, Lawrence Wong has found his own tune

ONCE a lesser-known member of Singapore’s fourth-generation (4G) leadership, Lawrence Wong quickly rose to prominence – and arguably onto the path of becoming prime minister – during the Covid-19 crisis.

But those frequent pandemic-era press conferences that he fronted were not the only thing that helped raise his profile. In the last couple of years, his prolific social media posts have connected him to a younger generation in a significant way.

For better or for worse, Wong had a relatively low profile in his early political career, compared to some of his 4G peers. He was seldom named as a frontrunner for the top job, but nor did he make gaffes that lingered in the popular consciousness.

What did stick, if anything, was his reputation as a guitar player.

Ever since he was unveiled as a People’s Action Party candidate in April 2011, before the next month’s general election, no profile of Wong has been complete without a mention of this.

Such stories strike the same few notes in their overview of his musical passion: guitar-led church worship, university-era busking in the US and cover songs at grassroots events.

Wong himself has seemed happy to make guitar-playing part of his public persona. Till today, he describes himself on his Instagram page as a “bookworm, guitar player and dog lover”.

As Wong’s portfolios changed and his political trajectory soared, his musical endeavours have even sweetened the tone of foreign relations.

In September 2022, Wong made his first official visit across the Causeway after becoming deputy prime minister. There, he discussed challenges and opportunities with Malaysia’s Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz – and also played the guitar with him.

Last November, a video of Wong learning the sitar – a traditional stringed instrument from India – even drew the attention of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Modi wrote: “May your passion for the sitar continue to grow and inspire others. Best wishes on this melodious endeavour.”

But Wong has not confined himself to the guitar strings. In recent years, he has gained attention for a different sort of performance: videos on social media, not least the Gen Z territory of TikTok.

Reaching a younger audience

Of course, Wong will not be Singapore’s first social media-savvy prime minister. The man he will soon succeed, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, has amassed some 1.7 million followers on Facebook, and over 727,000 on Instagram.

Wong has about 190,000 followers each on Facebook and Instagram. But it is on TikTok – with another 105,000-odd followers – where Wong has broken new ground.

PM Lee’s lighter social media posts tend to be artfully-composed photographs, captioned with his now-signature phrase “(Photo by me)”. In contrast, Wong has ventured straight into Gen Z culture with comedy videos.

His first few TikToks were quieter affairs, often focused on grassroots events. But just as co-chairing the Covid-19 multi-ministry taskforce elevated his profile, it was a pandemic-related video that first captured the public’s attention.

On Mar 30, 2022, shortly after the government relaxed the rules for mask-wearing outdoors, Wong posted a TikTok of himself dramatically removing his mask as he descended the steps of The Treasury, set to a hit song by South Korean pop group Blackpink.

With 1.9 million views to date, it is by far the most-watched video on his TikTok account – barring an April 2023 video in which he tries the viral lato-lato toy at the Geylang Serai bazaar, which has 3.8 million views.

While many government organisations and politicians have attempted to keep up with video trends, Wong has gone beyond mere memes.

He has used videos to explain Budget moves, recap Parliament speeches and give updates on his overseas engagements – while still appealing to younger audiences by, for instance, including Kpop dance moves in an overview of his attendance at the G20 meetings in Indonesia.

Venturing into humour is always a gamble for politicians, and in today’s irony-rich online world, it can be hard to tell deadpan mockery from genuine appreciation. But if nothing else, Wong’s social media efforts have shown him to be game for anything and lacking in airs.

Politicians’ social media comment sections tend to draw polite messages that address them formally as “Minister”. Not so in the no-holds-barred land of TikTok – where Wong, far from taking offence, has even responded directly to some of the more familiar appellations.

Just as with guitar-playing, TikTok has been a way to showcase bilateral ties. In September 2023, Wong tackled a TikTok trend in a runway-worthy video filmed with Brunei’s Prince Abdul Mateen.

Wong’s original artistic pursuit has found an audience here as well. On Mar 2, at the start of megastar Taylor Swift’s six-night concert tour in Singapore, he uploaded a guitar cover of her hit Love Story – bringing together an old passion, a new preoccupation and an awareness of what interests Gen Z.

Still, when Wong takes over as prime minister, it is anyone’s guess if his social media posts will retain their lightheartedness or take on a more sombre tone.

Indeed, soon after the May 15 handover date was announced, Wong took to social media for a smiling yet uncharacteristically formal video.

Clad in a suit, against the backdrop of a Singapore flag, he said: “I pledge to give my all in this undertaking. Every ounce of my energy shall be devoted to the service of our country and our people.”

As the next general election looms, the question is whether his social media presence will help him stay in tune with a younger generation of voters – or prove to have been a passing fad.