Enter Sandman

We Ponder Alongside Singer Bernard Dinata About Life And Love And Whether Lullaboy Necessarily Has To Become Lullaman

- JONATHAN HO

IT’S NOT OFTEN a celebrity arrives without his minders for a photoshoot. Incognito, I watched as he entered the lift lobby. No airs, the Nirvana tee-wearing, young 27-year-old who would not look like he’s someone with 34 million streams on his most popular single on Spotify.

American-born, Singaporean-raised and Indonesian-Chinese in ethnicity, Bernard Dinata is Lullaboy and vice versa. His performer persona and his personal one are indistinguishable, going so far as to highlight, “I didn’t think a name more commonly associated with a dog would be a good name for a pop-star,” he jokes.

Do you prefer to listen to your own music during the shoot? I ask. It’s a shit test he passes admirably. “I don’t like to listen to music once it’s released because I’d find myself wishing to change things but mostly, I think it’s too cocky, I’m not like that.”

What about your mum though? I ask again. He belts out a heartwarming laugh, “Oh man, she’s probably my number one fan, she plays them all the time to a point where I need to ask her to chill!” Indeed, the self-styled “Lullamom”, though not officially the leader of the “Lullafam” (his fan community), is indeed a big influence on this rising star. He makes the point that his mother had sent YouTube clips of his songs to his childhood crush and 10 years later, they make contact once again because she’s asking him who’s sending her all these links. “Turns out, it was my mum and I was like: Gosh, I’m so sorry but I hope you enjoyed it.”

And did she?

“Hahaha, I don’t think so.

“Over the years, I’ve reached a point where I don’t get upset with my mum for