Cover Wendy Ong of TaP Music
Wendy Ong of TaP Music
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With a career spanning hip-hop, opera, and pop royalty, Wendy Ong has steered the rise of global icons—and now, she’s paving the way for greater Asian representation in music’s biggest rooms
It is not everyday you hear about Singaporeans making waves in the music industry, let alone in Hollywood. Yet Wendy Ong, the global co-president and chief marketing officer of TaP Music, is transforming that narrative with a career spanning some of the industry’s most prestigious record labels and artist management firms.
To paint you a picture of her weight in the industry, she oversees a diverse roster of globally renowned artists, including Lana Del Rey, Ellie Goulding and Noah Cyrus, and was instrumental in Dua Lipa’s rise to global pop stardom. Earlier in her career at Capitol Music, she was fundamental in launching Sam Smith’s career in the US.
Ong attended Ngee Ann Polytechnic to study mass communications, and it was through a stint at the campus radio station that she uncovered a deep appreciation for the music industry. This early passion paved the way for her career, which began at BMG Singapore. She later moved to Hong Kong, and eventually to New York, where she joined Clive Davis’ Arista Records. There, she launched the hip-hop duo OutKast worldwide and bolstered the careers of artists such as Alicia Keys and The Strokes.
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Wendy Ong
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After a layoff during the 2008 recession, Ong took a substantial pay cut to join The Metropolitan Opera, a stark shift from popular music that opened doors to a role as head of classical music at British record label EMI. She found her skills from popular music translated well to this new role. “You’re not going to meet many people who work in both hip-hop and opera,” she says. She continued to refine her marketing skills at Capitol Music and later moved to Roc Nation, where she led successful campaigns for Jay-Z, Rihanna and Jaden Smith.
By 2018, Ong shifted to artist management at TaP Music, discovering it was a better fit for her values. “I’ve always been artist-first,” she explains. This focus is not always a priority elsewhere in the music industry. “Many prioritise business profitability,” she adds, “especially with the need to answer to shareholders.” For Ong, this approach is ideal. “[This is] why I got into the business in the first place.”
The values she holds as an artist manager are rooted in her own experiences, shaped by struggles early in her career. “I experienced prejudice on multiple accounts: as a woman, as an Asian woman, as an Asian woman from Asia, not even an Asian American woman. I had to fight twice as hard,” she recalls. Over time, Ong recognised how expectations for her behaviour were anchored in her identity as an Asian woman—expectations she didn’t always meet. She describes herself as outspoken and confident, traits that often defied these assumptions.
She developed a more measured approach, realising that “timing is everything” when speaking up. She also came to understand that it is sometimes wiser to let those in control believe they are getting what they want. “When I leave the room,” she says, “I’ll figure out how to turn the situation into what I need to happen.” This strategic thinking draws heavily from her years in international marketing. “[What] doesn’t get listed in the job requirements is diplomacy. You have to be smart and a little crafty when negotiating to get what you want.”
Ong also brings such insights to her role in Gold House, a community of Asia-Pacific entrepreneurs, creatives and other leaders, where she is a judge on its Music Accelerator programme that provides platform promotion, mentorship and masterclasses for three emerging music artists.
Alongside other industry leaders, she is working to secure greater recognition for Asian talent at major institutions like the Grammys. “We’re focused on lifting up artists or executives so that everybody can recognise and celebrate them,” she shares. She sees potential in new Grammy categories specifically for Asian musicians, which could broaden the stage for their work.
She emphasises that recognition requires active representation within the Recording Academy. “Asian artists need to be a member of the Recording Academy, and that’s not bound geographically,” she explains, noting that this inclusive policy is essential for broadening the reach of Asian voices in the industry. Ong’s commitment to representation extends beyond the global stage; she also feels a strong pull to give back to her roots in Singapore. “I’d love to do more to give back to the community, even to a place like Ngee Ann [Polytechnic]. I’m at the place in my life where I have a lot more that I want to share.”
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Nafeesa Saini is the Features Editor at Tatler Singapore, where she shapes long-form stories on culture, business, philanthropy, wellness, and the people driving change in Asia. With a deep interest in storytelling that intersects meaningfully with identity and impact, she has profiled a diverse range of visionaries, from scientific pioneers in AI and health to creative trailblazers and literary minds.
Nafeesa’s writing includes cover stories and profiles that spotlight influential voices, alongside commentary on the trends reshaping our world.
Off the clock, Nafeesa unwinds with fiction, a good thrift hunt, and ‘brainrot’ TikTok scroll—while always keeping one eye on her next cultural getaway, usually to Indonesia.
