Formerly known as… Gentle Bones to retire stage name by year-end

Singaporean singer Joel Tan announced on Instagram that he will not perform anymore as Gentle Bones and will retire the stage name by the end of 2022.

Gentle Bones is one of Singapore’s most popular local English pop artistes. He was the second most streamed Singaporean artiste on Spotify in 2021, behind Mandopop star JJ Lin.

Tan, 28, wrote that his performance at Marina Bay Sands’ Sands Theatre on July 22 was his “last ever concert in Singapore”.

The charity show was a collaboration with RHT Rajan Menon Foundation, with proceeds going to organisations such as Lions Befrienders Service Association Touch Community Services Limited and Dementia Singapore.

“I’d be lying if I said that the accompanying successes hadn’t rubbed off on me in inefficient ways for all and so I believe it is time for me to no longer be involved in Singapore as Gentle Bones, a recording artiste,” he wrote.

“By the end of the year, GB will no longer be performing or participating in any activities locally, and I’ll be officially retiring Gentle Bones in Singapore.”

Tan added that there will “still be more music to be made”, without elaborating. He also runs Yung Lee Records, a music company that has released his music, as well as works by other singers such as Dru Chen.

Tan started Gentle Bones as a YouTube channel in 2010, posting videos of cover songs. In 2013 he released his breakout hit Until We Die, and in the following year, a self-titled debut EP.

He has since racked up other hits such as I Wouldn’t Know Any Better Than You (2018), which has 44.4 million streams on Spotify and 5.7 million views on YouTube.

In June, he released his most recent EP, Bones & The Boy, featuring duets with Singapore-based singer-songwriter lullaboy.

The MBS concert featured appearances from other home-grown singers he has collaborated with in the past, including JJ Lin, Charlie Lim and Linying.