Wikipedia

Annette Lee

Annette Rochelle Lee[a] (born 10 July 1992) is a Singaporean singer-songwriter, scriptwriter, actor and filmmaker. She is known for works such as "The Caifan Song" and Dream Stall.

Annette Lee
李安
Annette Lee, at her EP Launch at Canvas Club, Boat Quay, Singapore, on 4 November 2017.
Born
Annette Rochelle Lee

(1992-07-10) 10 July 1992 (age 34)
Alma materCedar Girls' Secondary School
Saint Andrew's Junior College
Nanyang Technological University
Occupations
  • Actress
  • Singer-songwriter
  • scriptwriter
  • director
Years active2015–present
Spouse
Raphael Foo
​
(m. 2017)​
Children1
Musical career
GenresElectrofolk, Electro-pop, Power ballad, Rock
InstrumentsPiano, guitar
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese李安
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLǐ Ān
Websiteannettelee.sg

Lee joined SGAG in 2015, under the persona "Sue-Ann", before quitting to create her own shows and comedic sketches in 2020. She plays various personae, such as Chantelle, whom she describes as an "entitled" social media influencer, and Susan, described as a "thrifty" auntie by Ruth Yeo of Channel NewsAsia.

In 2021, Lee released "The Caifan Song", a parody of ordering cai fan, as part of The Ann & Ben Show with Benjamin Kheng. She described the song as her "proudest achievement" in 2023, and was her breakout role, according to Chong Seow Wei of Tatler Asia.

In 2026, she debuted with the movie Dream Stall, about pursuing unorthodox careers in Singapore, which she wrote, directed, and acted in. It was released when Singaporeans were sceptical about locally produced films, and in response, she offered refunds to moviegoers who felt that they "wasted their time".

Early life

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Annette Rochelle Lee,[2] known professionally as Annette Lee,[‡ 1] is a Singaporean[3] Peranakan.[‡ 2] She was born on 10 July[‡ 3] 1992.[4] Lee studied at Cedar Girls' Secondary School[‡ 4] and Saint Andrew's Junior College.[‡ 3] She did a skit in primary school drama class where she acted as a peacock, influencing her to continue pursuing comedy, realising that she could make people laugh.[5]

From 2011,[‡ 5] she studied digital filmmaking[6] at the Nanyang Technological University's School of Art Design and Media,[2] graduating in 2015.[7] During university, she performed cover gigs at local bars and cafés,[‡ 1] being a vocalist in a two-man band.[8] She also de-stressed with her personal blog,[‡ 1] titled ifonlywefartflowers, as it was a faster way to tell stories than creating a fully-illustrated book.[‡ 5]

Career

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Lee was first brought to the attention of SGAG from her blog,[2][9] in which she drew comics and shared stories about her "fleeting existence".[2] She joined SGAG in 2015,[9] initially involved in its film-making process.[10][8] However, she also had to act due to a shortage of manpower,[8] such as under her "Sue-Ann"[b] persona,[10] a ditzy[8] character who wears glasses,[11] which was created to be dissimilar to herself.[8] Sofiana Ramli of Time Out described the persona as "hilarious".[10] In 2022, Lee was listed on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list.[9]

Since 2020, Lee had left SGAG and had created her own shows for her own platforms,[12] as she wanted more autonomy to pursue her own work.[9] Lee describes her motivation as being able to empower people into "life, hope and love" through her stories.[‡ 1] She did not initially aspire to become a content creator as it was not a common occupation when she grew up.[6] After working in media during post-university life, she stumbled into becoming a content creator.[6] She posted short skits on Instagram and TikTok, and discussed adulting on YouTube in the Glowing Up series.[8] Most of her content were comedic in nature;[8] she finds bringing happiness to others most fulfilling.[5] According to Her World, her social media posts are well-received.[13]

In 2022, she performed her first major live show, involving comedy and music, at Esplanade, titled Annette Lee: All-In-One,[14] to more than 10,000 people.[6] She also co-hosts Adventure of the Day, a food and travel show[5] about discovering different subcultures in Singapore such as hawker culture,[‡ 6] with Zermatt Neo as of 2023,[9] challenging the common Singaporean saying that "[there is] nothing to do in [Singapore]".[5] As of 2023, she re-invested most of her earnings into her work, such as The Ann & Ben Show and Adventure of the Day.[9]

She has several personae she plays, which was inspired by Chris Lilley's similar antic,[5] appearing in skits heavily rooted in Singaporean culture.[13] For example, she plays Chantelle,[‡ 7][c] who introduces herself as "Singapore's most famous influencer", and is described as "pretentious" by Toh Ziyi of Channel NewsAsia,[15] while Lee describes her as "entitled", "out-of-touch" and "annoying".[6] Chantelle employs the English language poorly according to Her World.[8] Chantelle was modelled after social media influencers who showcase their ideal lives to the world, allowing people to voice their opinions about social media influencers without identifying specific people.[8] In 2023, she interviewed Yoo Jae Suk, Lee Kwang Soo, and Kwon Yu-ri with this persona, which was well-received by Internet users and celebrities such as Rebecca Lim.[15]

She also plays Susan, who introduces herself as Auntie Susan,[16] a thrifty persona created for her series named Asian Parent Tings.[17] Susan uses an "auntie Hokkien accent".[16] Susan was inspired by her mother who ran a "stereotypical Asian household".[8] In 2022, she discussed about how names were pronounced in her "auntie Hokkien accent", with Joanne Peh, in this persona, which many Singaporeans found funny online.[16]

As filmmaker

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Lee's student short film Graduation (2014)[d] won "Best Art Direction" at the Singapore Short Film Awards, and her thesis film Keep Mum (2015)[e] gave her a "Best Director" nomination[‡ 9][14] in the National Youth Film Awards.[‡ 5]

In 2022, Lee launched a mockumentary on YouTube, Asian Billionaires, following a wealthy family in Singapore managing their "rich people problems".[6][‡ 10] She wanted to write about the issues that Singaporeans face regardless of wealth and use the mockumentary to "bridge [the] gap in the class divide" in Singapore.[18] It attracted movie companies who suggested her to create a movie, but she did not give much attention to it.[19]

Dream Stall

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Dream Stall,[f] an English-Mandarin[3] drama-comedy film,[14] opened in Singaporean cinemas on 27 May 2026.[20] It is Lee's debut movie,[20] which she wrote, directed, and acted in.[14] It followed the suggestion of Anthony Chen, a Singaporean film director, to Lee in 2022 to create a comedy movie, which made her revisit her desire in university of making a movie.[7]

The story follows Enya, a university graduate taking over her family's bak kut teh stall, previously managed by her father,[7] who wanted to shut the stall down.[21] It features two songs written and performed by her, Strangers' Land and Better Than Yours (The Bak Kut Teh Song).[3] The movie was inspired by her own artistic journey and difficulties of young Singaporeans pursuing unorthodox careers,[7] and the definition of success in Singapore's pragmatic society.[14] The film celebrates Singaporean culture and she hoped that it would provoke thoughts about the speed of erosion of Singaporean culture, such as in cuisine and film.[22]

The movie was released when cinema attendance was dwindling and locally produced films faced increasing dismissal.[22] Lee attributed the attitude possibly to past bad experiences with local films,[21] and believed that local filmmakers must regain audience trust.[22] In response,[22] she promised to refund watchers that felt that they "wasted their time".[3] Internet users commended her certainty and eagerness to vouch for her work.[21] Twelve people showed up[20] at the feedback session at *SCAPE on 5 June 2026,[3] of which only one person was refunded for his criticism of its filming location, humour, and use of Singlish.[20]

Music

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Lee started teaching herself the guitar and how to sing from the age of 12.[10] She also plays the piano.[10] She started writing songs from the age of 15.[11] She writes songs in the electro-folk[8] and power ballad genre.[23] Her EPs were written in the electropop and rock genre.[‡ 11]

In November 2017, Lee released her first musical work, an EP titled All Our Achilles Heels.[10] Her album was awarded the National Arts Council presentation grant.[11] The title of the EP comes from the lyrics of the single "Ready for a Savior".[10] It was created through her interest of the human condition, and how flaws and vulnerabilities reveal one's humanity.[10] The songs came from her personal experience of handling anxiety and trying to describe happiness.[10]

In 2020, she released her second EP titled Song for the Underdog.[14] It was written as an encouragement to herself and her listeners, making a comparison to Aesop's Fable, "The Tortoise and the Hare", about how she could still succeed, despite feeling like she grew up in a challenging environment with a slow start.[24] It includes "Gold", a pop song with country elements,[25] about remaining hopeful for those struggling in life,[24] which went viral on TikTok.[26]

In 2023,[‡ 12] she released "Send You Memes",[g] a single about wanting to stay at home, which represented for introverts, but also for extroverts who sometimes feel introverted.[5]

Lee is also known for The Ann & Ben Show, a comedy music video series created with another Singaporean artist, Benjamin Kheng.[23] She wanted to see if she could make funny and relatable songs with Kheng, as they both had free time during the COVID-19 pandemic.[27] The songs were received positively by Singaporeans.[27]

The Ann & Ben Show includes the Mandarin power ballad, named "The Caifan Song",[h] which was released on September 2021.[23] It has a high production value according to Toh Ziyi of Channel NewsAsia.[23] It is a parody video,[6] about the mixed emotions when ordering cai fan in Singaporean life.[8] It was received positively from Internet users and celebrities, who wrote that the tune was catchy.[23] The song received 300,000 views on YouTube in three days,[23] and as of June 2023, it received over 1.3 million views,[6] "quickly [going] viral" according to Sophie Hong of Her World.[13] Chong Seow Wei of Tatler Asia wrote that "The Caifan Song" was her breakout role.[6] In August 2023, she described the song as her "proudest achievement", describing it as a seemingly simple concept that deeply connected with people.[5]

Personal life

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In June[3] 2017,[29] Lee married Raphael Foo, a hedge fund manager.[3][4] She gave birth to their son on 16 November 2022.[30] Lee is Christian.[‡ 13] She owns a Japanese Spitz dog.[8] Lee enjoys watching movies,[3] and likes thrillers and comedies.[8] She also watches mostly light-hearted K-dramas.[5] Her favourite books to read are comics and illustrated.[‡ 5] She enjoyed watching documentaries growing up, such as Modern Family, as well as Ryan Higa on YouTube.[5] She also keeps a journaling habit for introspection.[8]

Lee also likes going for walks to various places, such as around town or to food centres.[3] On weekends, she sets time aside for her son and for Sunday visits to church, avoiding the "noise" at work.[3]

Filmography

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Films

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Year Title Role Note Ref.
2014 Graduation Director, writer, editor Short film [14]
2015 Keep Mum Director, writer, editor Short film
2022 Asian Billionaires Director, writer, editor Web series [6]
2026 Dream Stall Director, writer, actor [3]

Discography

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EPs

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Date of release Title Ref.
20 September 2017 All Our Achilles Heels [11]
2 October 2020 Song for the Underdog [14]

Notes

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  1. ↑ Chinese: 李安; pinyin: Lǐ Ān[1]
  2. ↑ Her full name is "Sue-Ann Soh".[10]
  3. ↑ Her full name is "Chantelle Tiffany Koh".[15]
  4. ↑ Chinese: 外界; pinyin: wài jiè[‡ 8]
  5. ↑ Chinese: 爸爸不说话; pinyin: bà ba bù shuō huà[‡ 8]
  6. ↑ Chinese: 梦想小店; pinyin: mèng xiǎng xiǎo diàn[1]
  7. ↑ Stylised as "send u memes".[‡ 12]
  8. ↑ Chinese: 这个那个; pinyin: zhè gè nà gè[28]

References

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Secondary sources

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  1. 1 2 钟, 雁龄; 蔡, 欣盈 (22 May 2026). "李安处女作《梦想小店》拍接吻床戏 老公不吃醋只求"别亏钱"". www.zaobao.com.sg (in Simplified Chinese). Archived from the original on 27 May 2026. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Goh, Joanna (2 October 2017). "The secret life of an SGAG writer: Annette Lee". Toggle. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Soh, Joanna (28 May 2026). "Actress-director Annette Lee takes long walks to get respite from hectic work schedule". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Archived from the original on 29 May 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  4. 1 2 Lee, Siew Hua (11 October 2021). "Exploring Germany: Actress-singer Annette Lee swings by alpine lakes and Munich". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Archived from the original on 16 June 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Batchelor, Renée (17 August 2023). "BAZAAR Power List 2023: Annette Lee". Harper's Bazaar Singapore. Archived from the original on 16 June 2026. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Chong, Seow Wei (10 June 2023). "Actress and musician Annette Lee is made for the stage". Tatler Asia. Archived from the original on 17 July 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Soh, Joanne (9 October 2025). "Content creator Annette Lee's film-making debut: Sleepless nights over her 'second baby'". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Archived from the original on 9 October 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Who is the real Annette Lee?". Her World Singapore. 2 December 2021. Archived from the original on 15 June 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Chan, Ilsa (6 October 2023). ""$3-5K": that's the least Annette Lee, 31, has made in a month since becoming a content creator". CNA Lifestyle. Archived from the original on 28 May 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ramli, Sofiana (14 September 2017). "Interview: Annette Lee". TimeOut. Archived from the original on 8 May 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Abdul Hadi, Eddino (29 October 2017). "SGAG funny girl Annette Lee also sings". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  12. ↑ Wong, Adora (17 December 2021). "YouTube comedienne Annette Lee gets serious". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Archived from the original on 28 May 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  13. 1 2 3 Hong, Sophie (3 July 2026). "Annette Lee is very serious about comedy". Her World Singapore. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Lui, John (27 May 2025). "Singapore content creator Annette Lee to write and direct first feature film". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Archived from the original on 6 June 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  15. 1 2 3 Toh, Ziyi (18 June 2023). "Annette Lee Gave Yoo Jae Suk, Lee Kwang Soo and SNSD's Yuri Autographed Photos Of Herself". CNA Lifestyle. Archived from the original on 19 June 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  16. 1 2 3 Ching, Shi Jie (16 April 2022). "Annette Lee pronounces English names in 'auntie Hokkien accent', cracks Joanne Peh up". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 14 July 2025. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  17. ↑ Yeo, Ruth (12 October 2023). "#trending: 'Mom math' is latest 'girl math' spin-off that casts spotlight on mothers' mental load and thrift tactics". CNA. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
  18. ↑ Lee, Joshua (4 January 2022). "Annette Lee on life after Sue-Ann & why she used to practise singing in her HDB lift". mothership.sg. Archived from the original on 28 May 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  19. ↑ Chua, Kristy (9 October 2025). "Annette Lee directs and plays lead role in her first feature film, unveils Ya Hui and Adrian Pang's son Xander as part of cast". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 22 May 2026. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Ang, Benson (6 June 2026). "Why this man wanted a refund from Annette Lee after watching her debut movie – and got it". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Archived from the original on 6 June 2026. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  21. 1 2 3 Wong, Bryan (29 May 2026). "Annette Lee says she'll refund moviegoers if her new film Dream Stall 'wasted their time'". CNA Lifestyle. Archived from the original on 15 June 2026. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  22. 1 2 3 4 Tseng, Douglas (5 June 2026). "Annette Lee On Dream Stall, Jack Neo's Cameo, And The 8days Easter Egg You Probably Missed". 8days. Archived from the original on 17 June 2026. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Toh, Ziyi (20 September 2021). "Benjamin Kheng and Annette Lee's 'The Caifan Song' Is The Anthem We Never Knew We Needed". CNA Lifestyle. Archived from the original on 16 June 2026. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  24. 1 2 Abdul Hadi, Eddino (4 November 2020). "Singapore Scene: New music from Charlie Lim, Annette Lee, Myrne and more". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Archived from the original on 15 April 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  25. ↑ Whitmore, Laura B. (5 March 2020). "Annette Lee's 'Gold' Inspires Us to Find the Gold In Ourselves". Parade. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
  26. ↑ "Gardens by the Bay and Mediacorp National Day Concert returns to the Gardens' grounds". Mediacorp. 25 July 2022. Archived from the original on 16 June 2026. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
  27. 1 2 "Uncovering the Asian Kid Experience: Discovering love for Singapore through The Ann & Ben Show". National Arts Council. Archived from the original on 2 March 2024. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
  28. ↑ 李, 志扬 (24 October 2021). "李志扬：这个那个". www.zaobao.com.sg (in Simplified Chinese). Archived from the original on 16 June 2026. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  29. ↑ Lim, Ainslyn (14 November 2022). "Annette Lee, Whose Husband Is Her First Boyfriend, Had Concerns About Marriage 'Cos Her Parents Used To Quarrel A Lot". 8 Days. Archived from the original on 15 November 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  30. ↑ Teo, Melissa (21 November 2023). "'No one talks about what happens after childbirth': Annette Lee opens up about her postpartum story". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 26 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.

Primary sources

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In the text, these references are preceded by a double dagger (‡):

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Bio". Annette Lee. Archived from the original on 6 December 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  2. ↑ Neo, Zermatt (28 April 2025). TOP 3 Peranakan Spots in Singapore Ft. Jeanette Aw! | Adventure Of The Day Episode 27! (Video). Event occurs at 1:02. Archived from the original on 18 June 2026. Retrieved 18 June 2026 – via YouTube. I just want to say also that I'm actual Peranakan. [sic] That's why I have also been very excited to try Peranakan food.
  3. 1 2 Lee, Annette (10 July 2024). "Annette Lee's post". Facebook. Archived from the original on 18 June 2026. Retrieved 18 June 2026. couldn't have imagined a better place to spend my birthday this year than back at my alma mater, thank u St Andrew's Junior College for celebrating with me 🎂
  4. ↑ Lee, Annette (16 April 2024). "Annette Lee's post". Facebook. Archived from the original on 18 June 2026. Retrieved 18 June 2026. i recently went back to my secondary school Cedar Girls' Secondary School to share about my journey as a creative!
  5. 1 2 3 4 Lee, Annette. "About". ifonlywefartflowers. Archived from the original on 6 December 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  6. ↑ "Adventure Of The Day". Annette Lee. Archived from the original on 31 May 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  7. ↑ "Short Form Video Series". Annette Lee. Archived from the original on 16 June 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Filmmaker". Annette Lee. Archived from the original on 6 December 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
  9. ↑ "Dream Stall". Annette Lee. Archived from the original on 20 June 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  10. ↑ "Asian Billionaires". Annette Lee. Archived from the original on 31 May 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  11. ↑ "Annette Lee". Annette Lee. Archived from the original on 6 December 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  12. 1 2 "send u memes". Annette Lee. 25 August 2023. Archived from the original on 18 June 2026. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  13. ↑ Lee, Annette (7 April 2023). why i chose to keep my faith | Glowing Up Ep 18 (Video). Archived from the original on 26 June 2026. Retrieved 26 June 2026 – via YouTube. Happy Easter Weekend everyone! In the spirit of the occasion I thought I'd make a video that's slightly different from the usual: why i'm still a christian despite having considered leaving the faith.
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