Car-friendly or not? Rating NDP music videos over the past 10 years based on their car cameos

National Day is just around the corner - and that can only mean the sweet sound of NDP theme songs blasting through shopping malls… except that we're all still at home (and what a shame, since this year's NDP song is a truly special one).

In the spirit of National Day, the SGCM team decided it would take a trip down memory lane, but with a twist: to see how car-friendly the music videos of our NDP songs have been.

And more importantly, while doing so we also sleuthed around to see which - if any - cars and other four-wheeled friends have made cameos. Based on a completely unbiased and super objective assessment, here's what we found:

2011 - In a Heartbeat

We start with one of the more soaring, anthemic NDP theme songs of the last 10 years. If you need any bigger a reminder of being in 2011, just recall that this nostalgia-inducing ode to growing through the generations was performed by Sylvia Ratonel, the runner-up of Singapore Idol's third season. Yes, Singapore Idol (tell me you're not Gen Z without telling me you're not Gen Z).

While there are no cars to see here, we do get the lorry that transports Sharon Au and her son away from their kampong into the city. And because all lorries look the same from the rear, this is a toss-up between the Nissan Cabstar, Toyota Dyna or ISUZU Elf 2050 for us. Props to you if you can tell which it is (no, honestly).

Car-friendliness: 2/10 - just by virtue of half of it being in a kampong.

2012 - Love at First Light

The depressing absence of cars in the music videos continues in this lovely duet between Olivia Ong and Natanya Tan. Among shots of the freshly completed Lorong Halus, we only get a glimpse of the boot of a car parked along the road, as a young Shane Pow looks up at his love interest (we think) at the 1:58 mark.

Our bets are on this being the facelifted BMW 7 Series (E65) with its 'Bangle Butt' - named after BMW's Chief of Design back then, Chris Bangle.

Never mind that the E65 broke into uncharted territory as the first BMW with the iDrive infotainment system; when the model first debuted, the design of the rear end was certainly controversial. Clearly, the world hadn't been introduced to the front grilles of the latest 4 Series and M3 yet…

Car-friendliness: 5/10 - few cars, but we're briefly reminded of the joys of parallel parking. Also, the E65 is a modern classic. Fight me.

2016 - Tomorrow's Here Today

2016 gifted us this breezy, poppy number from local band 53A - a different but definitely not unwelcome turn away from the more serious NDP numbers. The music video here is notably more understated too than in other years, with a full studio set and artful cinematography that makes the video appear like it was shot in one continuous take.

The splash of colour and the infectious energy from the performers are fantastic, but the video is mostly indoors... meaning, of course, that there are no roads nor cars - only two unexplained SBS buses (Mercedes-Benz Citaros) at the end. We don't reckon our bus captains show up with these big boys to concerts as a habit... but hey, exceptions can be made for NDP, can't they? You know what we mean.

Car-friendliness: 1/10 - the Citaros probably only serve as advertisements for public transport. Booooo.

2018 - We Are Singapore

Perhaps as an indication of the increasing prevalence of private-hire vehicles, or perhaps as a tribute to the undying practicality of Singaporeans, the facelifted second-gen Toyota Wish makes a brief but unmistakeable appearance at the 3:04 mark in front of the majestic National Gallery.

We say unmistakeable because there's no mistaking the Wish's slim and elongated silhouette - it always stayed true to being a car-like MPV compared to rivals, with its lower stance and compact dimensions never impeding its versatility as a people-mover (its most recent visual contemporaries, such as the Honda Jade and Shuttle, don't ferry seven).

Sadly, the Wish has been replaced by the hybrid Prius+, and is unlikely to ever return. RIP.

Car-friendliness: 3/10 - bonus points for including the beloved Wish, and we're also not complaining about the magnificent National Gallery being featured so heavily.

2021 - The Road Ahead

It would feel a little weird if the MV for a song titled The Road Ahead featured no tarmac whatsoever. Thankfully, we do get shots of our roads amidst the seamless and stunning interplay between camera work and animation in this video.

Naturally, a bus take centre-stage again - Linying rides in (presumably) the MAN NL323F SMRT bus from the opening shot while reflecting on our changing landscape.

As the video closes, though, we peer out onto an expressway and spy three cars which, serendipitously, all belong to luxury marques. Just left of centre is a black fourth-gen Audi A6, flanked on the left and right by a first-gen Lexus NX and second-gen Lexus IS respectively (all sensible choices). You can't script something like that.

Car-friendliness: 7/10 - the road ahead! Luxury cars! This is home, truly.

The road ahead of The Road Ahead

So, there we go. Seeing as NDP music videos often serve as a canvas for the prevailing national narrative, cars sadly don't ever get their time in the spotlight (but shout out to the precious few that make cameos!).

We reckon this might change really soon though, when Hyundai's new factory in Jurong is in full swing; fingers crossed that that doesn't end up as Dyson No. 2. In the meantime, enjoy the great music over the years, and happy national day!

This article was first published in sgCarMart.