Young, in love and famous: Meet the S'pore couple influencers reaching millions of fans
Young Singaporean couples are going viral, but not for offering tips on relationships.
Instead of curated advice or clickbait drama, these creators post skits, trending challenges, and everyday moments that can reach an audience of millions.
Some do it for fun, while others hope to make a career out of it.
Couple influencers that The New Paper spoke to say content creation has become a way of documenting both the silly and the sincere in their relationships.
Pandemic project turned full-time gig
Sherrin, 23, and her partner Yixi, 26, who declined to disclose their full names, met on dating app OKCupid and started filming videos together during the pandemic. What began as a fun way to pass the time quickly grew into something bigger.
"It was doing well and our audience really liked it, so we just kept posting," said Sherrin. "It's quite fun filming random vlogs too."
Their videos reflect their real-life chemistry, often built around moments that happen off-camera. "Sometimes we'll catch ourselves doing something silly and go, 'Wait, that could be a video,'" said Sherrin.
One of their most popular clips, featuring Yixi giving Sherrin a toy wheel as the 'passenger princess,' has racked up 109 million views.
The interracial couple now works full-time as content creators for @sherrinandyixi, boasting 4.4 million followers and more than 200 million likes on TikTok. Most of their viewers are based in Southeast Asias countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, and span a wide age range from teens to adults in their 40s.
"We're currently on a trip in Europe and are surprised that some followers here actually recognise us," Sherrin said.
The couple is already thinking long term. "We're definitely looking at shifting it into a family account in the future," said Yixi.
"We want to bring our audience along with us through different stages, from being boyfriend and girlfriend to eventually having children," Sherrin added.
Styled up and in sync
Kaci Beh, 26, and Bryan Yap, 27, both full-time models, are best known to local followers for their sharp fashion sense, showcased to around 2,000 TikTok followers on @kampungcouple.
The couple mainly creates fashion content centred on outfit transition, styling inspo and lookbooks, with the occasional lifestyle vlog or skit thrown in.
While the couple's Instagram videos are more polished and professional, the couple, who work full-time as models, say they aim to show a more relaxed and personal side on TikTok.
Ms Beh, 26, left polytechnic before finishing her course and has explored tattooing, while Mr Yap, 27, once earned a living selling chicken rice and vegetables. They say these experiences help shape the content they post and the perspectives they share online.
Ms Beh shapes the couple's creative direction. "We only disagree on fonts," said Mr Yap with a laugh. "Whenever I choose one, I'll let Kaci see it and she'll often say it's too kiddish or too boomer."
Starting small, just for fun
Joyce Zhang, 21, and her boyfriend Chua Jia Le, 22, say their TikTok account began as a way to document memories.
"I posted a few silly videos of us on my own account and they did pretty well," said Ms Zhang. "So we made a separate one just for fun."
@joyceandjae now has almost 30,000 followers, with content mostly centred on short skits and TikTok trends. While they have gained a small following from places like the Philippines and the US, they do not earn any money from it.
"Maybe in the future," said Mr Chua, who goes by the online moniker Jaeyi. "We've had a few opportunities but we're still figuring it out."
The couple thinks carefully about how much to share.
"We try not to post anything too sensitive or private," said Mr Chua. "And if it ever starts affecting the relationship, I think that's when it's time to stop."
It's not always picture-perfect
"Content creation is a really fun job, but it's also very time-consuming. You have to be the editor, the planner, the photographer... basically everything," said Sherrin.
"It's hard to carve out time for other things. Sometimes a job offer or campaign comes in at the last minute, and we just have to go with it."
One question the couple is often asked: What happens if you break up? This was discussed early on after the couple started monetising their content.
"If it ever happens, the couple account will likely be taken down. We haven't decided whether to leave it up or deactivate it, but we'll both continue with our personal accounts instead," said Yixi.
Navigating fame
All three couples say they make an effort to remain authentic. "I think people don't like seeing things that are too fake," said Joyce. "You can sense when it's not authentic."
Then there is the darker side of social media.
"We received a lot of racist remarks, especially because we're an interracial couple," said Yixi. "As our following grew, the hate comments increased too. But we don't really bother reading them anymore. It's part and parcel of being a content creator."
Getting recognised in public also takes some getting used to. "It's really nice, but I get a bit awkward sometimes," said Ms Zhang. "I don't want to do something embarrassing and have it end up online."
Start a couple account - for the right reasons.
All three couples advise: do not jump in just for the money.
"Initially, I wanted to see if we could monetise it. But he said he didn't want the main goal to be money, because that might affect things between us," said Ms Zhang.
Ms Beh and Mr Yap echoed the sentiment. "Only start a couple account when you're confident enough in your relationship," she said. "Don't do it just because it's trending. Do it because it's authentic to who you are, and because you genuinely enjoy creating together."
"Prioritise the relationship first, and content second," added Mr Yap.
For Ms Zhang and Mr Chua, that mindset keeps things light. "We just want to have fun," said Joyce. "If someone laughs or feels seen by something we post, that's enough."
