Jasmine Sokko: 20/20 Vision

Jasmine Sokko’s New Year message: “Don’t hold off on what you really want to do just because others disapprove. May everyone have clearer vision in 2020!” The Singaporean electronic producer prefers to hide her face behind a mask, letting her futuristic melodies and haunting vocals do the talking. But even this mysterious artist gathers with her family and enjoys Lunar New Year traditions. This festive season, Apple Music invited her to curate an exclusive playlist and share her memories and experiences of the holiday. “Lunar New Year has always meant pineapple tarts, accumulating ang bao money, trading mandarin oranges and school holidays!” Sokko tells Apple Music. The food, a quintessential element of the New Year celebrations, is diverse, like her family. “My mum’s from China while my dad’s from Indonesia, so we get a unique mix of interesting food: There’s lemper (sticky rice) and satay (skewered meat) from Indonesia and Chinese dumplings and yusheng.” More than just traditional holiday music, Sokko also uses the time to discover new sounds. “Most people would pick traditional songs like ‘春天又来了’, but Lunar New Year is a great time for me to think about what kind of year I want it to be, so I’ve picked all the songs that make me feel cool. I tend to get introspective [during Lunar New Year] and do digital crate-digging, hunting for new sounds.” As for the playlist’s title? “In 2015, I got a pair of new glasses and thought to myself about how 2020 means perfect vision. I’ve waited five years to use this title! Finally!”