2012 was a massive year for our Singaporeans K-Pop fans, seeing that many K-Pop artistes such as Psy, BIGBANG and 2NE1 graced our country to put up an array of dazzling performances. So of course, it was only deemed right to end the spectacular year with a wee bit more of the K-Pop mania.

But what’s a countdown celebration without the mandatory bursts of fireworks, exceptional musical acts to groove to and the company of your loved ones?

Well, if you hate squeezing through crowds, perspiring through the night and having a blocked view of the fireworks, the Celebrate 2013 party at the Marina Bay Floating Platform definitely spares you from all that. In fact, you get quite the opposite for only $25.

Dubbed as Singapore’s largest countdown party according to EventFinda, the annual ‘Celebrate’ countdown party brings a wide range of musicals acts, flown from different parts of the world and caters to varying age groups.  A dance-party that featured Singapore’s most influential DJS was also included in the package, with DJ Inquisitive mixing his signature beats throughout the show while DJ Foxxxy spinned the Top 40 dance hits all the way till 3 A.M.

You even get to rekindle the standard crowd-pleaser from the 70s, such as the Kallang Wave, by joining the raving crowd of Singaporeans as they waved with pride, passion and genuine enthusiasm.

Hosted by the animated Gurmit Singh and Joanne Peh this year, the four hour show at the floating platform was decked out extravagantly with a colourful and massive stage set-up, accompanied by big screens to give the people at the back a good view of what’s going on.

To cater to the Korean pop fans in Singapore, the lineup included SKarf, a Singaporean-Korean girl group. Newly-formed the quintet of polite and charming girls gave their very first New Year’s Eve performance in Singapore, while in the midst of preparing for the release of their album in 2013.

During the exclusive pre-event press conference with the performers, the leader of SKarf, Tasha Low, was full of tease with the secrecy of the group’s plans. She did mention, though, “We’re very glad to be back in Singapore and are excited to be performing. I used to watch it on TV and now it’s our turn!”

True enough, their enthusiasm greatly fueled their zesty performance on stage, where they sang and danced to classic English song “That’s What Friends Are For” and their second single, “My Love”. Not only were their voices soothingly beautiful, but these sweethearts exuded charisma during their performance as they frequently paused to wave or pose for their fans.

The crowd raved and whooped as these girls sang their hearts out and shook their lean and tiny frames on the big stage.

The four charming men from South Korean hip-hop group M.I.B (Most Incredible Busters) also ripped the stage apart with their highly energetic mega hits and suave moves – they got every female fan of theirs in the crowd screaming and thrusting their fists in the air, asking for more!

Incorporating a little hip-hop to their pop genre, M.I.B told the press that they hope to collaborate with famous rappers like Lil’Wayne and Wiz Khalifa someday.

The international cast of Tony Award-winning Broadway Musical Jersey Boys brought us back to the 60s as they reminisced and chronicled the triumphs and trials of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.

Malaysian songstress Sheila Majid entertained the crowd with her velvety smooth vocals by singing classic jazz piece “Fly Me to the Moon”and her chart-topping hit single “Aku Cinta Padamu”. Her stunning performance, together with the neon-pink long-sleeved dress she donned, definitely made crossing the Causeway worthwhile for her Malaysian fans.

However, the highly-anticipated acts for the night were definitely up-and-coming local indie band The Sam Willows, rapper ShiGGa Shay, homegrown regional sensation Taufik Batisah and frontman of American band The Click Five, Kyle Patrick.

The rising star on 987FM for the month of January, the quartet from The Sam Willows performed songs that ranged from dirty blues to gospel-funk and indie-folk. 987FM’s Rozz commented during the press conference, “The Sam Willows are amazing and they are definitely going to places”. True enough, their mellow yet upbeat tunes are definitely putting Singapore’s musicians on the world map – no doubts on that!

With a new EP titled “They Call Me ShiGGa” in the bag, ShiGGa Shay  complemented their dulcet sounds with his highly dynamic rap beats that were fresh and wicked. ShiGGa’s surely another new kid on the Singapore block to watch out for.

And right before the clock struck midnight, the first Singapore Idol winner Taufik Batisah flawlessly showed off his slick and suave moves whilst singing his brand new track “Sky’s the Limit”.

Kyle Patrick, lead singer of The Click Five, has been touring Asia for the past 5 months promoting his first solo album, Go for Gold.

The ‘honorary Asian’, as people jokingly nickname him, Kyle Patrick said to the crowd, “I’m so excited to be doing my final show for my promotional tour in Singapore! I’ve always wanted to perform here but I’ve never gotten the chance, till now!”

“I’ve learnt that crowd-dynamics is very different in each country and Singapore, you are simply wonderful! Singapore feels like second home to me as I’ve been here six to eight times already! And I love it!” said Kyle Patrick during the press conference session.

Clad in an awkward combination of a matching maroon-coloured suit and a pair of chucks, Kyle Patrick looked surprisingly presentable and exceptionally suave as he took the crowd on a journey to boogie town with his infectious, groove-worthy tracks such as “Wild Ways” and “Go for Gold”. The high-energy songs undoubtedly got the crowd dancing, cheering and fist pumping in the air in unison.

Despite all cheery hoedown and music extravaganza, the heavy rain prior to the show and the on-and-off drizzle during the event certainly suppressed the moods of many.

21-year-old Anders Ng, student, said, “The rain was really annoying. It didn’t help that the contingency plan for bad weather was horrible as no ponchos was given out to the crowd. Additionally, the umbrellas blocked many people’s view of the stage”.

Another partygoer Rebecca Smith, 18, said, “It’s my first New Year’s celebration in Singapore and I loved it! The atmosphere and people made it so much fun, despite the rain. And although there was a big crowd, it wasn’t packed or pushy with long queues. But the fireworks were definitely the best part of the night.”

All photos courtesy of MediaCorp Channel 5.