Manifest Destiny

JASMINE SOKKO HAS NEVER WANTED TO FIT IN. AND AFTER A DECADE OF MAKING MUSIC, SHE'S ABOUT READY TO EMBARK ON HER THIRD ACT.

- FARHAN SHAH

SHE GAZED AT THE BONSAI TREE A LOT LONGER than she thought she would.

All around her, people walked past, rushing to get somewhere—or nowhere. But Jasmine Sokko was in no hurry. The bonsai tree had fully entranced her. “This 500-year-old tree was so beautiful,” says Sokko. “It had survived for so long through all the changes in the world and it was still there, living, a reflection of our era now.”

There were several centuries between her and the tree, but Sokko now fully understood the power of patience. She already knew this virtue. The bonsai tree, however, drove home the point even further. It's hard to ignore society's constant urges—be fast, be successful, hit quick numbers. Slowing down is anathema to the world. And yet, here was a bonsai tree in Japan telling Sokko that beauty can be found when we appreciate time.

Jasmine Sokko wasn't always Jasmine Sokko. In 2015, she was just Jasmine, a business management student at Singapore Management University. Sokko was the moniker she used when making music. Then, in 2016, she released her debut single ‘1057’, which she wrote and produced. The title was a numerical translation for the word ‘lost’, but the synth-pop beats and catchy lyrics found a home in Singapore's music scene, catapulting Sokko to the top of Spotify Singapore's hottest hits.