Article by: Annalee ‘Alee’ Noel
Nat Ho is no stranger to the spotlight. His latest release “Love Fly (Feel Alive)” is a continuation of a very long music and entertainment career. He has been a model, an actor and a TV host, but his first love has always been music. Nat Ho was featured on Singapore Idol as one of the top 30 contestants and has held leading roles in English and Mandarin TV dramas. In 2012, he released his first EP Unleashed quickly followed in 2014 with a Mandarin EP Second Male Lead, in which the lead single “Lonely Detective” broke into the Top 10 on multiple radio charts and gained 133,000 views on YouTube. While simultaneously shooting Tanglin, a long-form Singapore drama, he released “Snakes and Ladders” and “Battleship” in 2017 and 2018 respectively, including stunning music videos for both. In 2019, he attended Icon Collective and released “Next Better Playa” in 2021.
The track came about when UK-based Danish producer, Bjerglund, reached out to Nat Ho and Kpop topliner Jessica Pierpont, who has written for ITZY (6.6M monthly Spotify listeners) and Purple Kiss (600,000 monthly Spotify listeners) and more. Bjerglund produced the track during the pandemic and wanted to create something fun with uplifting energy.
Nat Ho’s incredible vocals dance along the track with bouncy synths and stellar production balance. His balance of tenor and falsetto vocals is something rarely nailed by vocalists, yet it lends beautifully to the electronic genre in a fresh way. The lyrics are inspiring and full of nostalgia for summer love paired with unbridled freedom. Fans of Sam Feldt and Jonas Blue will definitely be drawn to the similar sonic palette on “Love Fly (Feel Alive).”
Nat Ho shared, “Jess and I wrote the topline for this in March earlier this year. At that time, the world was starting to open up, and we were actually planning to head to Korea for a holiday, possibly to explore opportunities, so we wanted to write something happy, with road-trip adventure, festival vibes. You could say this was our love letter to Korea!”
The production style Bjerglund explores is a cross between pop and tropical house that is light and happy. The songwriting is incredible — check out the opening lines: “So long I’ve been waiting for ya, I’m holding on to everything of ya, It’s like you’re lighting up a fire, taking over my mind, burning me up inside,” beautifully describing the all-encompassing feeling of falling in love.
The pre-chorus in particular: “Save me from this for a minute, I don’t care just wanna let go, save me from this ordinary numb, we’re gonna live tonight so let the love fly,” joyfully encourages listeners to fully embrace the current moment. This track is perfect to play on a road trip as Nat Ho suggests, or it could be played at a beach club or nightclub.
Nat Ho also explained the lyrics, “The last 2 years have taught me that if you want to do something, or go on a new adventure, just go ahead and do it – don’t overthink things. You only live once – we don’t know if the world will go on pause again, so go out and live, tell the people you care about how much you love them, and let the Love Fly.”
“Love Fly (Feel Alive)” is extremely uplifting featuring plucky, bouncy synths throughout the pre-chorus and chorus. The verses are stripped back a bit in terms of production, showcasing Nat Ho’s voice in full and letting the lyric story unfold in its own power. The bassline is groovy but tucked in the back of the mix as is typical of pop and doesn’t distract from the track’s happy nature. Bjerglud’s track “Feeling Loca,” is definitely worth checking out for Latin fans! The blend of styles between Bjerglund, Nat Ho and Jessica Pierpont is refreshing and this writer hopes to hear more from the three of them very soon.
Currently, Nat Ho is relocating from Singapore to Seoul, South Korea. Nat Ho is focused on writing for the Kpop market predominantly, but his background in EDM and talent for production and songwriting are widely appealing globally. He will definitely be one to watch throughout the next year as he continues to work in the Kpop market and make new connections in South Korea!
CONNECT with NAT HO:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok
LISTEN to NAT HO:
Spotify | Apple Music | SoundCloud | YouTube
