To most Singaporeans, the distinct cries of the Asian Koel, more commonly known as the uwu bird, is a sound as familiar as it is annoying.

Yet one composer took the call of the Koel and turned it into music.

In an ode to the bird, Singaporean pianist and composer Nicholas Ho wrote a piece titled "The Uwu Bird" and posted clips of it on TikTok.

He also posted clips of another song, from the same Singapore-themed song cycle, titled "Chicken Rice".

Speaking to Mothership, Ho said that the rough theme of the song cycle was the "sights and smells" of Singapore.

"I lived in the United States for eight years and often missed Singapore, where I spent so much of my formative years.

Since this was just a small cycle, I wanted my audiences in the States to be able to savour different facets of Singaporean life," he shared.

"The Uwu Bird"

In his video, Ho noted that the Koel is a creature that Singaporeans both love and hate.

"The 'uwu' cry is adorable when we childishly mimic it, but these bird may start their mating calls at 5am in the morning!" he wrote.

The lyrics, written and sung by his colleague Janani Sridhar, paid further tribute to the bird.

"Dear little uwu bird, I hear you calling me," the song goes.

"Dressed in black, with ruby red eyes. They say you call, you call for love."

@piano_nicholas “The Uwu Bird” is the second song of my song cycle, SingBites. Do you love or hate the uwu bird, or both? 🤪 Comment below! Stay tuned for pt. 2 :-) ______ #pianist #pianoplayer #classicalpiano #opera #soprano #artsong #asiankoel #uwu #uwubird #virtuoso #sgcultureanywhere ♬ original sound - Nicholas Ho • Pianist 🎹

@piano_nicholas The Uwu Bird, pt. 2. Watch the whole reel to see what the pianist @ykdomusic actually thinks of the Uwu bird!! Featuring smol keyboard smash Do you love the Uwu bird like @jsopera does? Comment below!! Stay tuned for The Bus Stop! ______ #pianist #pianoplayer #classicalpiano #artsong #opera #soprano #asiankoel #uwubird #uwu #virtuoso #sgcultureanywhere ♬ original sound - Nicholas Ho • Pianist 🎹

Many in the comments praised Ho's creativity, with some even sharing their own experiences with Koel birds.

"Chicken Rice" song

Other than "The Uwu Bird", Ho has also composed a piece about chicken rice, which depicts someone ordering chicken rice from a hawker at a stall.

The lyrics by Janani conveyed the experience and feeling of ordering chicken rice and described eating it as "one big, warm bite of home, of home sweet home".

@piano_nicholas Chicken rice is one of Singapore’s National dishes. Now let’s hear it … as an art song for soprano and piano. EDIT: pt. 2 also in my profile! Featuring @jsopera as soprano and lyricist, and @ykdomusic as pianist! (part 2 incoming) ______ #pianist #pianoplayer #classicalpiano #opera #soprano #virtuoso #piano #artsong #chickenrice #singapore #hawkerfood ♬ original sound - Nicholas Ho • Pianist 🎹

@piano_nicholas Chicken Rice x Art Song pt. 2 Chicken rice is one of Singapore’s National dishes. Check out pt. 1 in my profile! Watch to the very end for disclaimer 😅😅 Featuring @jsopera as soprano and lyricist, and @ykdomusic as pianist! Roasted Hainanese Chicken Rice photo by Moris Monte on Pinterest. ______ #p#pianistp#pianoplayerc#classicalpianoo#operas#sopranov#virtuosop#pianoa#artsongc#chickenrices#singaporehawkerfood ♬ original sound - Nicholas Ho • Pianist 🎹

This piece was similarly met with much praise, with one user even deeming it Singapore's "new national anthem".

Ho has also come up with two other songs in the cycle called "The Bus Stop" and "Singapore River".

Proud of how the songs turned out

The project began when a colleague, the pianist Yeon-Kyung Kim, commissioned Ho to write a small Singaporean song cycle.

Ho initially intended to go solo and write his own lyrics, but "failed miserably".

As such, he was introduced to Janani, who stepped in to provide the words.

Calling their meeting "serendipitous", Janani shared that it was a passion project of hers to write original poetry and piece together a collection of Singaporean-themed songs to be performed on a classical stage.

"It was a truly joyful time to be able to collaborate with him, a fellow Singaporean, on pieces that are uniquely home-grown," she said.

For all the effort they put in, the songs' virality was still a surprise, Ho said.

"Going viral on both TikTok and Instagram had never crossed my mind.

In that sense, I’m heartened of the positive reactions of the public at large — that also means that my music has also touched many Singaporeans who are not usually interested in classical music!"

Top photos via piano_nicholas/TikTok and Instagram