#ThisHappened 2018: Landmark Year for Singapore on Twitter

This year, Singapore took centre stage with momentous events in politics, hosting the first-ever meeting between U.S President Donald Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un (#TrumpKimSummit), and the ASEAN Summit. In entertainment, Kpop fandoms rallied for their favourite Kpop bands and events (#BTSlovemyself, #EyesOnYou) on Twitter, while #CrazyRichAsians shone a spotlight on Singapore and Singaporean actors as the movie garnered global attention on the platform. As 2018 draws to a close, Twitter continues to show that it’s the best place to find out what’s happening in the world and in Singapore across breaking news, entertainment, sports, politics and social change.

Top Moments in Singapore

1. Hallyu Wave in Singapore (#BTS / #EXO / #GOT7)

While it’s no surprise that Kpop continues to be a hot topic in Singapore, fans were particularly excited when GOT7 (@GOT7Official) landed in Singapore for their “Eyes on You” world tour in August, generating over 1.8 million conversations. Similarly, fans were elated when BTS (@BTS_twt) announced Singapore as part of the Asia leg of their world tour and caused a major buzz on Twitter with 3.2 million conversations in anticipation of their concert in 2019.

2. Trump Kim Summit (#TrumpKimSummit)

History was made when world leaders U.S President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un met for the first-time in Singapore. From political leaders to journalists; experts to citizens, the world watched and talked about the summit on Twitter generating nearly 4 million tweets from 1 June, and a spike in tweets per minute (5,200) when the world leaders shook hands.

3. 33rd ASEAN Summit (#ASEAN2018)

Citizens around the world turned to Twitter for leaders’ perspectives, expert insights and to engage with the #ASEAN2018 conversations. Over the three day summit, nearly 2.1 million tweets were shared. President Joko Widodo’s (@jokowi) surprise visit to a popular Indonesian eatery in Singapore sparked an engagement of close to 40,000 reactions from Twitter users.

4. Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix (#SingaporeGP)

The 11th edition of the night race did not leave sporting and music fans disappointed, with #SingaporeGP revving up over 1.1 million conversations, the highest ever since the start of the night race in Singapore. Lewis Hamilton’s (@lewishamilton) pole lap live stream, and Liam Gallagher’s (@liamgallagher) nostalgic performance of classics such as “Wonderwall” and “Oasis” became one of the top most talked about moments on Twitter.

5. Crazy Rich Asians (#CrazyRichAsians)

The first Hollywood film starring an all Asian cast (since The Joy Luck Club 25 years ago) drew buzz on Twitter, with Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines amongst the five top-tweeting countries (USA 1st, Canada 4th). The movie garnered over 350,000 tweets just over the opening weekend, making it the most talked about movie in August around the world.

Golden Tweet in Singapore

Singapore’s Golden Tweet in 2018 (the most retweeted Tweet by Singapore Twitter users) was a Tweet from Syazwana (@nrsyazwana_), who shared her unique Carousell experience with a student that struck a conversation with her to obtain images from specific pages of a Social Studies textbook instead of purchasing it. The Tweet garnered close to 30,000 retweets and 15,000 likes, applauding the student for his wit and the seller’s graciousness. Showing support for the kind act, the Ministry of Education (@MOEsg) added to the conversation by praising her for being a good Samaritan and shared her Tweet.

Most Tweeted Hashtags in Singapore

While Kpop remains at the top of hashtag trends this year with #Hallyupopfest, Trump Kim Summit (#TrumpKimSummit), Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix (#F1) and the National Day Parade (#ndp2018) brought Singaporeans together to discuss what’s happening in the country. Rounding up the top 5 hashtags, the #MeToo movement also took off on Twitter in Singapore as people came together to discuss the issue of sexual harassment, share their stories and support the community.

#Hallyupopfest

HallyuPopFest, the biggest Kpop music festival in Southeast Asia, and was staged in Singapore for the first time over three days from 7 to 9 September 2018. The festival featured Kpop groups such as NCT 127, Apink, Wanna One, EXID and BTOB, with over 111 idols who performed at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

#TrumpKimSummit

History was made when world leaders U.S President Donald Trump and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un met for the first-time in Singapore.

#F1

The 11th edition of the night race did not leave sporting and music fans disappointed, with #SingaporeGP / #F1 revving up over 1.1 million conversations, the highest ever since the start of the night race in Singapore.

#ndp2018

In commemoration of Singapore’s independence, the National Day Parade that took place at The Marina Bay Floating Platform on 9 August was filled with an amalgamation of multi-coloured smoke, fireworks and heartwarming stories of everyday Singaporeans. The parade was live streamed on Twitter with close to 600,000 views.

#MeToo

One year after the #MeToo movement kickstarted on Twitter, the ripple effect of the conversations still carry on around the world, including in Singapore. A global movement against sexual harassment and assault encouraged women to speak up on the issue with local gender equality advocacy group, AWARE, taking the lead on conversations and sharing their findings from their Sexual Assault Care Centre.

Most Mentioned Singaporean Personalities on Twitter

Singapore personalities engaged with their fans on Twitter over a variety of topics including politics, food and local events. Radio personality Dee Kosh (@TheDeeKosh), came up top as the most talked about in Singapore. Among his most engaging Tweets is a top retweet showcasing a humorous moment during the #ndp2018. Food influencer, Xavier Lur (@xavierlur) emerged second on the list with his top retweet featuring two common ways in how people consume local delicacy nonya kuehs. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (@leehsienloong) emerged as the third most talked about Singapore personality. PM Lee’s top retweet was a congratulatory tweet to Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir (@chedetofficial) after winning the #ge14, garnering support from both Singaporeans and Malaysians. Funnyman Fakkah Fuzz (@FakkahFuzz) took the fourth spot and garnered significant interest with his humorous video at Halloween Horror Nights generating over 300,000 views. CEO of Razer, Min-Liang Tan (@minliangtan) sets an example for other Singaporean CEOs with his top retweet engaging his fans and gathering feedback before he takes on a Japanese gamer’s suggestion of creating a Razer-branded Gachapon machine.

Most Engaged Singapore Brands on Twitter

Singapore brands also took to Twitter to engage with their fans from launches and events to contest giveaways. Topping the chart for brand engagement, renowned gaming brand, Razer (@Razer), earned their top retweet conducting a video merchandise giveaway contest with their fans around popular #Overwatch character, D.va. Amidst their stunning destination marketing on Twitter, Singapore Airlines (@SingaporeAir) launched their direct flight route from Singapore to New York to much fanfare on the platform. SMRT (@SMRT_Singapore) kept passengers updated with the release of new train operating hours on the platform that generated conversations amongst Singaporeans. Starhub (@StarHub) and Marina Bay Sands (@marinabaysands) drove further engagements with their fans through entertainment partnerships - Kpop band, BTS’ (@BTS_twt) TV programme and the cast of movie Avengers: Infinity War’s Red Carpet at the venue (#AvengersSG) that amassed 71,000 and 335,000 video views respectively.

People flock to Twitter to see what’s happening and join in conversations on trending topics and events in Singapore and around the world. Users on Twitter have a natural tendency to engage with their favourite brands and hence are more receptive to brand messaging than on other platforms. In 2018, Singapore got the world’s attention for hosting landmark political events like #TrumpKimSummit and being the home to the film #CrazyRichAsians. In 2019, we look forward to higher engagement from our growing users in Singapore and many more opportunities for brands to leverage this interest and to engage with a global audience and earn their place in the global conversation.