Singer-Songwriter Duo, Amanda Ong & Sope Drop “Diabetes” MV

Singaporean singer-songwriter duo Amanda Ong and Sope announce the release of their first and latest collaboration titled Diabetes, written together not long after becoming fast friends and discovering many things in common between the two of them–one of which is the fact that they both share the same experience of being young people with (type 2) diabetes. The track is now available on all major streaming platforms. 

It became obvious fairly quickly that no one else could relate to something like this except each other. Diabetes is a song that looks back on their individual experiences, going through the highs and lows of their journey thus far–from getting their diagnosis to having to adjust their lifestyles and diets and struggling with how much change they’ve had to undergo in a short amount of time for the sake of their own health.

Diabetes is a lighthearted attempt at reflection without being dismissive of what it means to live with the health condition; the upbeat and cheerful backing guitar track lends an interesting contrast with the duo’s frank and straightforward lyrics about something that most wouldn’t ever try joking about. In spite of that, the song doesn’t pretend diabetes is anything to laugh over.

Delivering the song together was a cathartic experience for both singers, who have varying struggles with diabetes. The continual questioning and back-and-forth in the chorus sum up their eternal struggle with their condition and health. It may seem like a no-brainer–that one’s health comes first–but both Amanda and Sope seem to agree: you’ll never really know what it’s like until you try being that person.

With support from Diabetes Singapore, following the single release, a music video has been released on Amanda’s YouTube channel.