The Music Run: 5 Zones, 5 Genres, 5km Of Fun

The Music Run has been bringing the beat all around the world and Singapore was its first Asia stop last Saturday.

Mixing the futuristic with the phenomenal, The Music Run is slated to hit 40 countries this year, combining two popular interests: running and music. Runners basically get to run (or walk, if you wish) to the beat with booming speakers pumping out 150,000 watts of music, making sure you don’t miss a word from your favourite songs.

It was all about the music, and DJ Sam Withers was at the stage at the Music Festival since 3pm in the afternoon getting the crowd pumped up for The Sam Willows. Those who wanted to try out  something new headed over to the Silent Disco arena to experience a whole other world just with a pair of headphones. An interactive piano entertained kids; it played tunes when stepped on, and also came accessorised with its own smoke machine.

The 5km route was divided into five different zones, each themed to a different soundtrack. The entire route was peppered with speakers that blasted out songs to the runners’ delight.

Here’s my favorite hits from each zone, which came complete with multiple photo opportunities that made for nice Instagrammable photos (Cos if you didn’t post a photo, you might just as well have not gone).

Rock Zone: Demons by Imagine Dragons

One of the biggest indie-rock bands on the circuit, Imagine Dragons fits right into our playlist for a warm-up. I especially loved how they placed tough, beefy men with leather jackets and Harley Davidsons all geared up right at the beginning of the run, it kind of piqued my interest and made me wonder what would follow. The selection of this zone helped to get runners in the mood of running.

Pop: Lose Yourself by Justin Bieber

The Biebs has as much anti-fans as fans, but his latest album shows that he is certainly capable of pushing out a good tune. It was kind of hard to choose a favourite track, but Lose Yourself certainly had the most feels behind it. While the pop section was rather lacking in fast-beat songs which would theoretically make more sense for a run, the playlist was definitely chart-topping with the likes of Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber, and the songs definitely made for a nice stroll along the beach.

The Pop zone also came with a segment where you could throw around big bouncy balls as you ran. Adding big bouncy balls to anything is bound to up the fun factor, and it did not make feel like we were actually at a run.

Old School: Oops I Did It Again by Britney Spears

There were so many hits to choose from like Michael Jackson, but there is not doubt that Britney is one idol who really brings out the memories with her famous hit. Her meltdown in 2007 revealed the darker side of stardom, but we were certainly glad that she is back again with better songs to boot. A little segment for the oldie fans was certainly well received. There really was a huge range of genres that proved for a great aural experience.

Hip Hop: Bang Bang Bang by Big Bang

Here’s one for those K-pop lovers! It really surprised me to hear a Korean song but it certainly did not stop us from rocking out to it. Big Bang’s songs are really versatile, and can be played anywhere. Cue body rolls as trap music and hip hop took over the speakers in this segment.

Photo op: Snap a picture at the graffiti-covered car against a giant graffiti wall to increase your street style, or get a whole crew of dancers that are #squadgoals.

Dance: Roses by The Chainsmokers

Ending off the run with some dance tunes that had us grooving all the way to the finish line. While I was expecting straight up hard-style songs (which were saved for the after party), the songs in this segment were more melodic electro that suited the beach backdrop. I wished we could be closer to the sea, but having a view of the beach was better than nothing. A group of students who were at the beach also dropped by the sides to cheer on runners, providing a last encouragement for those whose energy might be flagging a little.

For the die-hard party animals with endless energy, the party continued on at the Music Village and later on at the W Hotel with DJ Sam Withers, who certainly knew which tracks to drop.

Here’s a video to get a glimpse of the fun you missed if you didn’t get a chance to make it down.