Local singer Derrick Hoh goes on angry social media rant, deletes a decade's worth of posts

Local singer Derrick Hoh goes on angry social media rant, deletes a decade's worth of posts

Social media rants are common, but local singer-songwriter Derrick Hoh was triggered enough to launch into a long, angry and expletive-filled rant followed by the scrubbing of his social media accounts.

In a series of Instagram Stories posted recently, the 34-year-old took swipes at the entertainment industry as well as social media trends.

He wrote: "I am tired of being 'an artiste'. All I wanted was to make music for my real fans and friends. I no longer want my life to be the subject of anyone's entertainment."

Derrick was the second runner-up in Channel U's singing competition Project SuperStar in 2005, amassing a following with his distinctive voice and boyish good looks. Through his music career, he was signed with labels such as Warner Music, Gold Typhoon, and Mode Entertainment. 

On Jan 1, he posted a message where he talked about being "free to do what I want", which presumably means he's self-managed now.

In his outburst, he also lashed out at those who had indulged in gossip about his personal life through his years in showbiz, and called them to unfollow him.

Derrick added: "To whom it may concern, f*** you, f*** you very much. I don't love you, I don't hate you, just stay away from me. Thank you very much."

As he spiralled deeper into his rant, he took a dig at the social media industry and called people to "stop liking photos like it's some PR exercise".

He was irritated with the hypocrisy of social media users who seem to care more about sharing their cosmetic brands and outfits on Instagram instead of the Australian bushfires and a war that is "about to happen" (seemingly referencing the US-Iran conflict).

Derrick also added: "If you didn't know, now you know. Don't follow the s*** we do because many of it is not real. Creating art is cool, creating engagement isn't."

In two short video clips, he recorded himself deleting a decade's worth of Facebook posts, which he described as "worthless social media". He also wiped his Instagram account clean except for the Jan 1 post. 

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/B6xLBKxF0DK/[/embed]

The only thing that escaped Derrick's wrath was a "stupid ass video" of him recreating the viral hit song PPAP (Pen Pineapple Apple Pen), uploaded in Sep 2016. He explained that it was a reminder of how "stupid" viral videos are.

"I'm a singer-songwriter, and this is the most popular video of all time on my Facebook page," he wrote. It had one million views and 8,900 likes. 

Derrick concluded: "Stupid ass world. Give me my life back and stay away from my family."

It's not clear what triggered the outrage, but it definitely gave people cause for concern because Derrick posted another Instagram Story afterwards, where he thanked people for their love and apologised for the worries he had caused.

"I'll be fine, I hope. I'm just utterly disappointed with what I see around me. For many of you out there, you guys are the greatest. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise," he wrote.

Despite his diminished social media presence, one thing's for sure — Derrick isn't going anywhere. If anything, he's ploughing ahead with his own purpose because he posted about a songwriting competition happening in Feb where he will be guest performing and was very vocal about his support for the event.

He also tagged the Instagram account of the organisers and wrote: "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere despite my recent outburst. I support you guys. I'll be there. I appreciate your hard work for the local music scene."

bryanlim@asiaone.com

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