Singaporean Brooklyn-based artist-producer hongjoin returns with “Ms. I Thrift Everything”, the fifth single from his forthcoming album ‘CLOCKWORK’, set for release on May 29. Out today, the track is a nostalgic, coming-of-age vignette — a feel-good thrift-store daydream brought to life through honeyed melodies and candid storytelling.
Drenched in Y2K warmth and unmistakable after-school energy, “Ms. I Thrift Everything” channelsthe rush of first crushes and loud bedroom sing-alongs that defined a generation. Built on honeyed R&B melodies and bright indie bounce, it leans into a nostalgic palette of teen-dream reverie and hallway-heartbeat pop, where one glance can fuel imagination and destiny.
The track also highlights hongjoin’s gift for transforming everyday moments into cinematic, emotionally rich narratives. With a blend of feel-good theatricality and diary-like honesty, hongjoin turns a fleeting thrift-store encounter into a full-blown romantic universe. It’s a coming-of-age anthem wrapped in flip-phone era romance and CD-player confessions, capturing the beautiful delusion and irrational hope of falling in love with someone you might never see again.
Set to arrive on May 29, ‘CLOCKWORK’ marks hongjoin’s first full-length project — an ambitious 12-track exploration where each song represents one hour on the clock face; a complete rotation through every emotional state of love and loss. Written and produced by hongjoin, the album blends alt-pop, R&B, and indie sensibilities into a deeply personal, genre-fluid statement shaped between Asia and America.
A rising name within Southeast Asia’s new wave of globally minded artists, hongjoin has steadily built momentum across the region and internationally. He has amassed over 10 million streams on Spotify and currently draws more than 183.9K monthly listeners with his top listeners concentrated across key Southeast Asian cities including #2 Philippines, #3 Taiwan, #4 Indonesia, #5 Singapore, #6 Thailand, #7 Malaysia, and #12 Vietnam. In 2024, he received two accolades from Spotify — Top Artist of Rising 65 and Top 5 Songs of Rising 65 for ‘KOMOREBI’. His music has also received coverage from regional publications including The Straits Times, Men’s Folio, and SEA Today News. In 2024, sold out his homecoming headline show, ‘Everything in Between’, at the Esplanade Annexe. He has also opened for notable acts including Ricky Montgomery, Charlie Burg, Matt Maltese, Mikayla Geier, PRYVT, grentperez, and more, further underscoring his growing presence on the regional and international live circuit.
Entirely self-produced, his work reflects a generation shaped by both global internet culture and intimate bedroom creativity — positioning him as a standout voice emerging from Singapore’s independent music scene. With “Ms. I Thrift Everything” setting the tone, ‘CLOCKWORK’ promises a vivid, coming-of-age world — one that captures fleeting romance, youthful imagination, and the emotional textures of growing up in motion.
