I'm a Gen Z that survived an above-30s daytime party, but the music was weird
There I was at the Above30club event, adrift in a sea of millennials, all vibing like they had known every song their entire lives.
I took out my phone and tapped on Shazam, a music recognition tool that was my lifeline at the party as I scanned for the titles of track after track.
When the DJs finally dropped a beat that sounded even slightly familiar to me, the crowd went wild — singing along, moving to the beat, and breaking into full-on dance moves.
A notification popped up on my phone and revealed the song to be Miss Independent by Ne-Yo, a 2008 R&B hit.
I was two years old when it came out.
The Above30club experience
Welcome to Above30club, billed as "a daytime party for the ones with back pain and bills" and "strictly for 30-year-olds and above". It was organised by CULTURE, which throws a variety of themed parties all year round.
Tickets for the event cost significantly less than the $40 that clubs typically impose as a cover charge. At $18.90 for the early birds, $23.10 for advanced admission, and $27.30 for general admission, it was no wonder tickets for the Dec 20 party ran out so quickly, despite the odd timing of 2-7pm.
I had never been to a club before, and I don't even drink. But I was intrigued when the Above30Club said that the party would have "No kids, No Gen Zs, No TikTok dances" — basically me and everything I am familiar with. I have never been clubbing, as the idea of drinking and dancing in the dark is just not my vibe.
On top of that, the music was all from the 1990s and 2000s, which was a complete departure from the usual English pop, Mandopop and K-pop songs I usually listen to.
When I arrived at the event at Tuff Club @ Oxley Road, the staff at the registration counter welcomed me and introduced me to a wristband system akin to traffic lights.
The staff suggested a red wrist tag for me, which meant "do not disturb", since I wanted to ease into the party without the pressure of conversation. Other colours included green, which meant "open to talk", while yellow was for those feeling somewhere in between.
DJ Lynly also handed me a Salonpas plaster — a door gift I found creatively fitting for the party's theme, since back pain apparently comes free with adulthood.
Most partygoers who had just arrived headed straight to the bar, while I opted for mineral water. Bottles of Sapporo, Club-Mate and Karma Drinks were scattered everywhere as revellers made their way to the centre stage to dance.
The party started getting lively at around 3pm. Everyone was dressed in smart casual attire — nothing fancy or flashy, unlike what I imagined people would wear to parties. I was expecting people to go all out, decked out in sequins, bold colours and heels.
Keeping the energy up at the party were DJs such as Vira, Pin, and T. Williams, all of whom have thousands of followers on Instagram.
A couple owned the centre of the room, dancing boldly like they were at a mini-ballroom performance, while everyone sang along and lost themselves in the music, even while clutching their drinks.
I did recognise a few hits, such as Love The Way You Lie by Eminem, Survivor by Destiny's Child and Bye Bye Bye by *NSYNC, which I had heard on TikTok or as background music in malls. They stuck in my memory thanks to their catchiness, even though I did not know that they were so old.
I discovered through Shazam that other songs were by artists I had heard of, like Backstreet Boys, while others, such as Ne-Yo and Craig David, were completely foreign to me.
These older hits did grow on me, even though I still found the music a little strange, and slower, compared to what I normally listen to.
'People were really there for the music'
But who exactly were the people partying at the Above30club?
Megan Lim, two years below the official cutoff age of 30, was one of the 270 expected attendees for the Dec 20 party. The data analyst had stumbled upon the concept and was intrigued enough to check it out.
"We (Ms Lim and her friends) like to party to 2000s pop genre music, so we thought it would be our vibe," she said.
"I've been to a few clubs and bars that usually play this genre of music, like Another Bar and Total recall event at Capital Zouk," Ms Lim added, noting that she had never been to a daytime party in Singapore.
She found the people at Above30club to be "more civil" and she liked the overall vibe of the party. "People were friendly and everyone knows the nostalgic music so it was really fun to dance and sing along together."
"But I think we will get a table instead of GA (general admission) next time because of knee pain," she joked.
Meanwhile, Dexter Tan, 33, who attends parties once or twice a month, said that he goes to such parties to support his DJ friends who are spinning. "I used to party more often in my early twenties," Mr Tan said. "This definitely brought back some nostalgic vibes, like the old-school Jiak Kim and F Club days".
"Good music, good vibe, good company" was Mr Tan's verdict on the event, adding that he was open to attending such parties again.
This reporter came to the conclusion that the Above30club was less about age and more about shared memories, soundtracked by songs from a different era.
While I may not have grown up with the music, watching a room full of people sing along to tracks they knew by heart made it obvious why the party worked — and why Above30club plans to host more of such parties in the near future.
Even if I was the odd one out, it was a reminder that good music, in any decade, still brings people together.
