Jasmine Sokko: 20/20 Vision

The mysteriously masked Jasmine Sokko is one of the top electronic musicians from Singapore. With her iconic pairing of futuristic melodies and haunting vocals, Sokko made a splash on the Chinese variety show Rave Now, growing her regional presence significantly. This festive season, Apple Music has invited her to curate an exclusive Chinese New Year playlist and share her memories and experiences of the holiday. “Chinese New Year has always meant pineapple tarts, accumulating hongbao money, trading mandarin oranges and school holiday!” Jasmine tells Apple Music. The food, a quintessential element of the New Year, is as diverse as Jasmine’s family. “My mom’s from China while my dad’s from Indonesia so we get a unique mix of interesting food that I absolutely look forward to: There’s lemper (sticky rice) and satay (skewered meat) from Indonesia and Chinese dumplings and yusheng.” Jasmine doesn’t wear red for the festive season, but her family celebrates her individuality. “I only wear black clothes and I thought my family would be against that, but apparently, they are more than happy for me to be myself. In fact my mom dressed in black for a year to ‘twin’ with me.” But how does Jasmine feel about the music of the season? She tells Apple Music, “‘Refreshing’ is my personal sound for CNY. Most people would pick traditional CNY songs like “It’s Spring Again” but CNY is a great time for me to recalibrate when it comes to what kind of year I want it to be, so I curate all the songs that make me feel cool. My theme song for 2020 would be an unreleased song I am going to release in 2020.” Jasmine also reveals the motivation behind her curated playlist. “Creating a playlist is like curating a photo album to capture the kind of person you are at that particular point in time and what you aspire to become later,” she says. “In 2015, I got a pair of new glasses and thought to myself about how 2020 means perfect vision. I’ve waited 5 years to use this title! Finally!” A clear vision for the future is definitely motivating for her. “Don’t hold off on what you really want to do just because others disapprove. May everyone have clearer vision in 2020!”