Meet WHYLUCAS, a Young Serenader Who's Scratching the Surface of His Music Career
The 21-year-old tips his toes into country pop with his latest single "Where'd It Go?".
Juggling the first year of university and a fledgling music career is never easy, but Lucas Wang, aka WHYLUCAS, is managing it with bright-eyed cheeriness. You’d recognise the strapping 21-year-old from his various Esplanade shows and on Mediacorp’s Battle Of The Buskers, building his repertoire and presence on the local scene with his trusty electric and acoustic guitars. Lately, he’s focused on releasing singles — all it takes is one to takeoff — with his latest being the country-influenced pop song “Where'd It Go?”. The components are there for a star in the making, and we’re eager to see how he pulls it all together.
Hey Lucas! How has 2024 been for you so far?
It’s been hectic trying to balance my second semester of school and releasing more songs this year in order to gain traction with my music. As a Singaporean kid, it’s always counterintuitive to pursue something that’s unrelated to academics, so there’s that subconscious pressure.
Sounds tough.
Yeah. I have my midterms at the end of the week, and I only started studying for it on Tuesday. And even though I stay in [a hall of residence], I’ll head straight home after classes because that’s where my recording equipment is. So I’ll record content for TikTok or my music, then head back to hall for the night. But I guess the enjoyment and excitement of making music makes up for it.
Growing up, was music something you always wanted to do?
I actually wanted to sign on [to the military], but I injured my ear when I was young and because of that I could not get a proper PES status. Essentially, I could not go to command school. So that left me with a lot of free time during NS. And since I started playing the guitar when I was six, and I discovered that I was quite adept with production when I dabbled with GarageBand during junior college, things naturally came together.
And how do you feel when you perform?
I love to perform. As much as it’s nerve-wrecking to think about, I don’t feel those nerves once I step onto the stage. I wouldn’t say it’s an alter ego. The notes just flow smoothly, even though my throat felt a bit tight when I first started performing. Actually, my very first performance was in Primary Two, during the school's opening ceremony!
That’s young. Any favourite moments performing so far?
Performing in my campus last year, for sure. As I said, I stay in a hall and we have these hall events. One of them is to entertain the other residents. And since this is my first year in university, friendships are still new, but the crowd was so energetic and hyped when I performed my then-latest single “Lonely People”. It was amazing, and if I can keep finding new fanbases this way it’d definitely help my music.
Do you prefer making music or performing it?
I like both. You can’t perform your own music if you don’t write songs, so it’s a cycle. But if I had to choose, I’d say performing. A lot of performers like to be in the front and centre, there’s that fun to that.
Which artistes are you listening to now that inform the music you make?
Ed Sheeran, since I was young. In 2019, my spark for guitar and music-making got rekindled by John Mayer’s “Slow Dancing In A Burning Room (Live in L.A.)”. Lately, the Jonas Brothers; their latest album (The Album) with Jon Bellion as the producer really captured the sound that I like. Noah Kahan. And recently I’ve been listening to Olivia Rodrigo and Reneé Rapp as well.
What do you think is the next important step at this point in your career?
I’ve had this discussion with my friends, and I think I need to connect with fans on a more personal level. Most of my TikToks have been marketing content, so I feel there’s a bit of a wall between my audience and me. I see artistes who post personal stuff on TikTok or IG Reels and they actually get engagement, so that’s what I’m trying to do. Music comes naturally for me, I just have to improve on my presentation and branding. That’s why, recently, I’ve also been trying to dress better when I’m busking, to elevate myself from simple streetwear like graphic tees and basketball shorts.
Lastly, why the name “WHYLUCAS”?
[Laughs] There are two reasons, a real and a lame one. Firstly, it’s the initials of my Chinese name, Wang Hong Yi Lucas. The second is to keep people on their toes, like why Lucas? Actually, back when I was trying to come up with a name in NS, I thought of creating a fake middle or last name. But that wouldn’t be me, and my friends said I’d be clowned on by Singaporeans. [Laughs] So I decided to just be myself and preserve the origins of my name.
