Singapore’s top singer-songwriters JJ Lin and Gentle Bones have teamed up for an epic collaboration. Using music as a universal language, the collaboration track ‘At Least I Had You’ questions our existence in a world full of confusion and insecurities. An anthemic track of gratitude, the song is a ray of hope illuminating and unifying the hearts of all of us who may be going through tough times.
The track also marks JJ Lin’s first English collaboration with a male Singaporean artist, speaking volumes as to the significance of this musical union.
‘At Least I Had You’ is now available on all digital platforms (access here).
Gentle Bones and JJ Lin: From Fans To Collaborators
After a bizarre ‘incident’ on both Gentle Bones and JJ Lin’s Instagram accounts last Sunday (Gentle Bones and his partner-in-crime JJ Lin took over each other’s accounts), sharp-eyed fans who noticed the ‘hacking’ were left in utter suspense of what was to come after the posts were subsequently deleted.
The collaboration is a dream come true for Gentle Bones, who has spoken numerous times about the influence that JJ Lin’s music had on him growing up. As expected from the reaction of a fan finding out that his idol wants to work with him, the experience was surreal for Gentle Bones (aka Joel Tan).
“I’ve been a huge fan of his music for almost my entire life and he’s a very talented individual, ahead of his time both back then and now. When I heard he was open to collaborating, I couldn’t believe it.” Likewise, JJ Lin was also an admirer of Gentle Bones’ work. “I listened to a couple of his demos, and I was already a fan.”
Gentle Bones had many good things to share about JJ Lin. “He’s a kind, humble and very real person.” Likewise, JJ Lin had nothing but high praises about his collaborative partner as well. “Though gentle and sentimental at first, his music is a perfect representation of a ‘quiet strong’ movement and musical style that I’ve also been an advocate of.”
‘There’s A Lot Of Power In The Song’
The two had great chemistry from the get-go, completing the song within five hours of having a jamming session.
Gentle Bones explained, “I think everyone goes through a lot of things in life and when we get back to times when we reflect on what really had an effect on our lives, it’s usually the relationship we have with certain people.”
For JJ Lin, the song conveys the message that no matter how rough it gets, we can still find comfort in music and in one another. “When I heard the song, I thought there was a lot of power in the song and in the demo.”
“He’s a natural when it comes to songwriting. He would have a grasp on what could be improved immediately, and he suggested ideas straight off the bat,” said Gentle Bones of the Mandopop icon. Sharing on the creative process, JJ Lin added, “We had a lot of fun, exploring how we could make a song that belonged to us both. I’m glad it turned out the way it did.”
