16th September 2023 – (Singapore) Singaporean slang term “kiasu” originates from the Minnan language, which means “afraid” or “fearful” (kia) of losing (su). Translated into Chinese, it can be interpreted as the fear of losing or being left behind. The term “kiasu” is widely used in both Malaysia and Singapore, particularly to describe individuals who strive to be first in everything.
Recently, singer Jackson Wang flew to Singapore to prepare for his performance as a guest at the “F1 2023 Singapore Grand Prix.” During an interview, he shared some interesting encounters he had in Singapore. He mentioned having a Singaporean friend who would teasingly say, “Woah very kiaaa-suuuu” whenever they saw him applying face masks or doing anything else. It was a playful way of calling him a person who is overly concerned about not losing. This unique expression surprised Jackson Wang, and he exclaimed, “So, this is a Singaporean characteristic? Wah Kiasu! Everything is kiasu!” He immediately started using the term himself!
Not only that, but since learning the term “kiasu,” Jackson Wang has embraced it during his appearances at events in Singapore. He confidently holds up his microphone and exclaims, “Do you know one word called Kiasu? Let this party be a very Kiasu party, let’s go!” It seems like Jackson Wang has genuinely taken a liking to this Singaporean slang.
Jackson Wang, born Wang Ka-yee on 28th March 1994, is a multi-talented artist hailing from Hong Kong. He is widely recognized as a rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer, and fashion designer. Jackson is a member of the renowned South Korean boy band Got7, formed by JYP Entertainment. Additionally, he is the founder of the record label Team Wang, where he holds the positions of creative director and lead designer for its subsidiary fashion brand, Team Wang Design.
In 2019, Wang ventured into his solo career and released his first album titled “Mirrors.” The album achieved significant success, reaching number 32 on the prestigious American Billboard 200 chart. Following this, in 2022, he released his second album, “Magic Man,” which performed even better, peaking at number 15 on the Billboard 200. In 2021, Jackson departed from JYP Entertainment and formed the Chinese hip-hop group Panthepack under his label, Team Wang.
Before his music career took off, Wang excelled as a sabre fencer and participated in numerous domestic and international fencing competitions. His achievements and influence in the entertainment industry have earned him a spot on the Forbes China Celebrity 100 list, where he ranked 10th in 2021. Notably, Jackson boasts an impressive following on Instagram, with 32.2 million followers as of May 2023, making him the Chinese celebrity with the highest number of Instagram followers.