Podcasts provide a much-needed distraction from every day by bringing listeners up to date on what is going on around the globe, including politics, business, crime, and pop culture. We have got you covered with the best podcasts, whether you want to learn something new, experience the world through someone else’s eyes, or simply laugh out loud. Now press the play button.
City Music Singapore
City Music produces podcasts in addition to providing musical instruments. Every week, #The CityBois get together to discuss current events in the Lion City all while making music. The team interviews local bands such as shoegaze-indie outfit Coming Up Roses and gives audio walkthroughs on simplifying your portable recording setup using Garageband and affordable audio equipment, on the Korg portable analog synths, and how to make your own jingle, all while through using the Zoom LiveTrak L-8 interface which is a must-have for podcasters everywhere.
Political Agenda
Get down to business with New Naratif, a Southeast Asian movement for democracy, freedom of information, and expression. Whether it is about representation and equality, activism and social change, or current affairs and issues of national relevance in Singapore, each episode lasts an hour to two hours and covers a wide range of themes. The roundtable discussion series is published every two weeks and is spearheaded by Managing Director and only Singaporean to swim the English Channel, PJ Thum, and Editor-in-Chief Kirsten Han.
Randomly Relatable SG
Allow Shuraim, Uwais, and Sabrina to speak for you if you have a lot of questions but lack the courage to ask them. The trio invites noteworthy people to debate controversial themes three days a week. A transsexual woman talks about being stamped “bapok”, a mobster defies preconceptions, and an ex-convict talks about life behind bars in previous episodes. However, the trio keeps things lighthearted with themes like interview tips, flashback cartoons, and social media trends.
Saga
Saga, AWARE’s latest limited-series podcast, delves into a chunk of Singapore’s civil society history. The podcast, hosted by renowned former journalist Bharati Jagdish, tells the story of how a group of nine women with hidden intentions took over the executive committee of AWARE in 2009, setting off a dramatic chain of events to reclaim the organization’s leadership. Around 50 people who were directly involved in the AWARE Saga, including former AWARE presidents Constance Singam, Kanwaljit Soin, and Dana Lam, have contributed their voices to this initiative. It is a riveting voyage through ever-relevant subjects like feminism, LGBTQ rights, and the role of religion in public space, set to an original score by local band.gif.
Singapore Noodles
Food is designed to be enjoyed, but it also serves as a window into current issues such as heritage, culture, health, and the environment. Take a deep dive with local chef Pamelia Chia who is the author of Wet Market to Table. On the Singapore Noodles podcast, she discusses regional dishes like Javanese urap and South Indian rasam, the gardening movement, food culture appropriation, fading trades, and much more. These vibrant discussions with guests like Makansutra creator KF Seetoh and Chef Damien D’Silva will give you a greater understanding of regional and local cuisines – where they originate from, how they are created, and what they mean.
Straight Outta Asia
This Deezer podcast takes a unique look at Asian urban cultures through the eyes of popular hip-hop artists such as Yung Raja from Singapore, Ramengvrl from Indonesia, Aman Ra from Malaysia, Maria from Japan, Suboi from Vietnam, and Gloc-9 from the Philippines. It also goes deeper into Asia’s vibrant hip-hop scene and culture. On Tuesdays, new episodes are released every two weeks.
Yah Lah But
The series, hosted by Haresh and Terence from the YouTube channel Ministry of Funny, claims to be “the most unfiltered dialogues to ever come out of the much-censored country”. It examines everything that has made headlines in Singapore, from the NUS molester to the controversial ePay ad. Netflix’s Singapore Social, even has a three-part episode with Nicole Ong, Paul Foster, and Vinny Sharp as guests. Recent episodes have focused on the coronavirus pandemic and how it has affected businesses, social practices, and condoms, among other things. With a pandemic, Malaysia’s iconic bomoh returns to protect Malaysia and the rest of the world from the virus.
