With less than two weeks to go to Stärker Music Carnival, we've rounded up the list of acts performing at the event - from Mandopop songstress A-Lin to local 80's-inspired synth-pop band Disco Hue, here's what you need to know about them.

A-Lin

A-Lin (real name Huang Li-ling) made her made in debut in 2006, and rapidly achieved commercial success, having been dubbed as “A Born Diva” and “the next A-Mei”. However, it was only after her participation in the third season of the popular Chinese singing competition, 我是歌手 (I Am A Singer) in 2015 that she shot to fame and gained recognition in the Mandopop scene.

The Taiwanese starlet is known for her wide vocal range and lyrics, which are evident in her many ballads ;‘给我一个理由忘记' (Give Me a Reason to Forget), which has garnered 62 million views on YouTube since its release in 2010, is a perfect example of that – with heartfelt and relatable lryics, A-Lin is most powerful at her most vulnerable.

A-Lin last performed in Singapore in March this year to a 5000-strong crowd at the sold-out Star Theatre as part of her Sonar Singapore Echo Limited concert, which proves why she's the perfect headliner for the Stärker Music Carnival.

Disco Hue

The indie synth-pop quartet - currently consisting of members Sherlyn (vocals/synths), Zie (samples/synths), Billy (drums/beats) and Rush (guitars) - made their debut in 2011.

Following years of lineup changes and experimentation with different music styles, the band released their debut EP Arcade in 2016, which successfully defined and solidified the Disco Hue sound that we all know and love today. Arcade features the band's most popular tracks 'Gotta Be You' and 'I'll Be Waiting', and peaked at #2 on Singapore's iTunes Pop Chart — a pretty amazing feat for a debut EP.

Disco Hue pride themselves in their infectious 80's inspired synths and lead vocalist Sherlyn's soaring vocals, distinct with their bright and catchy sound. Their latest single 'Plastic Hearts' featuring fellow Singaporean rapper Akeem Jahat, is reflective of that. The track peaked at #2 on the Philippines iTunes Alternative Music Chart and at #5 on Spotify's Singapore Top Viral Chart.

Jasmine Sokko

Known for her dark, edgy, and futuristic aesthetic, Jasmine Sokko is one of the latest additions to the electro-pop music scene in Singapore.

The singer-songwriter/music producer released her long-awaited debut album titled Nº EP (can be pronounced as either Number/No) in September this year. Nº EP details her musical journey that began with her debut single '1057', which has now garnered 570,000 streams on Spotify since its release in 2016. The album includes four other tracks — '1057' (pronounced as Lost), '600D', 'Porcupine' and 'H2O' — which we've reviewed here.

Although a relatively fresh face, Sokko has already performed at major festivals such as Ultra Singapore, IGNITE! Music Festival and Local Motion, so she's definitely got the chops to pull off a fantastic live set. An up-and-coming artist, Jasmine Sokko isn't one to miss.

The Façade

The alternative four-piece band, currently consisting of members Brendon Chua (lead vocals/guitar), Jereld Ang (vocals/lead guitar), Shawn Chan (drums, percussion) and Benjamin Mah (bassist), made their EP debut in June this year with Vanity.

The EP contains The Façade's singles released prior to their EP launch, namely 'Better Than This' — which charted at #2 on Singapore's iTunes overall chart — ‘Victim’, and their most recent single, ‘White’.

Other songs present in the tracklist include 'Hearsay', as well as varying edits/versions of the former tracks. Vanity explores "the concept of growing up, following the drama that follows careless youth, young hot-blooded rebellion, and the pains and wonders of transitioning into adulthood" — all wonderfully expressed through the songs' groovy beats and electrifying guitar riffs.

Alfred Sim

Alfred Sim first made his mark in Singapore music when he competed in the first and second season of local talent search competition 'Project Superstar' in 2005 and 2006; he eventually went on to become the overall winner of season three of the competition, which took place in 2014. The singer is also known for being the voice behind '家乡' (Homeland), the theme song of popular Channel 8 drama, The Journey: A Voyage. 

While Sim has been in the music business for a relatively long time, he only released his debut self-titled EP Alfred 等到沈志豪 in 2016. Sim recently released his first self-composed single '一直都在' (Here, Always), which we're hoping to hear him belt out to. Here, Always made it to the top 10 of Spotify SG viral chart (Top 50 Viral Tracks Singapore All Genre Chart), ranked #1 on iTunes Singapore Mandopop chart.

Ling Kai

The Singapore-born starlet had her first taste of success in the music industry when she uploaded her first original song 'Larkin Step' on YouTube five years ago — the video has since gathered over a million views thus far.

Since then, Ling Kai has gone on to bigger things — releasing albums with tracks sung in English and Mandarin, and winning coveted awards, such as the Best Newcomer Award at the YinYueTai 2nd Annual V Chart Awards in China in 2013.

Dubbed as "the next Stefanie Sun" by local media, Ling Kai is known for her smooth and dreamy vocals, evident in the aforementioned 'Larkin Step' and 'Dumbfounded', which topped the iTunes Mandopop chart. Her bilingualism has effectively gained her fans both domestically and internationally, among both the Mandopop scene and local music scene.

Stärker Music Carnival 2017 will be happening on 4 November, at Tanjong Pagar Centre's L1 Urban Park.

Admission is free for anyone who purchases an F&B package, which costs S$25, while a free-flow beer F&B package will be available for $158. Get your packages here. 

This article is presented by Stärker Group and Cross Ratio Entertainment Pte Ltd.