Yen-j aspires to be the next Stevie Wonder
August 12th, 2010
Posted in Chinese Entertainment, newsfeed by spcnet.tv | No Comments »
Lee Hom recommended his music on Facebook.
Mayday ‘begged’ him not to snatch their rice-bowl from them.
So who is this new contender?
Singer-songwriter Yen-j is the latest pop sensation out to make his mark.
The 22-year-old newcomer is well-versed in jazz piano, drums, guitar and many other instruments, writes his own songs and is even the producer for his own album.
No wonder all the big names in showbiz are all-eyes on him.
Yen-j was in Singapore recently to promote his new album, Xie Xie Ni De Mei Hao and held a press conference to meet the press.
Before releasing his album, Yen-j’s company made him do over 40 pub performances in three months after debuting with his single Stuck in Taiwan.
In an interview with xinmsn, we asked if it was difficult for Yen-j to face the pub audience.
Yen-j laughed and confessed that he is not good at crowd-pleasing and even when he made preparations, the only things he remembered to say are introductions to his next songs.
During his very first pub performance, he finished his performance in half an hour when he was supposed to perform for one hour!
Yen-j also shared an anecdote which happened when he was performing at a concert in Taiwan.
“I did not know at that time that the ear monitor I was wearing could pick up the sound crew’s voice. So when he talked to me over the ear monitor, it felt as if a divine voice is speaking to me!”
The blur singer even blurted out whatever the sound crew had said to him over the microphone to the audience below.
Growing up in the States and majoring in jazz music in college, Yen-j’s composition carries a jazzy feel and a westernized influence which sets him apart from other Chinese singers.
However, he said that at the beginning, this point of difference was also a cause for worry.
“Before releasing the album, my company and I were worried if the music might be too ‘westernized’ for the Taiwanese listeners’ taste; it was a relief to see the reaction when I finally released the album.
The self-professed perfectionist told xinmsn that his schedule is always packed to the fullest and he is always keen on learning new things.
“Life is too short. Time is always running out, I don’t want to waste my life doing nothing.”
While his peers were eager to start university life, Yen-j likens the relaxed lifestyle in university as a four-year jail sentence which he needs to get away from.
So, Yen-j made a video to convince his father to give him a chance to try and carve out a niche for himself in showbiz. His relationship with her father also improved due to his choice, since his father is based in Taiwan.
Yen-j revealed that singing was never his aspiration. He started composing at 10 years old and had aspired to work on a movie soundtrack or become an architect.
He only thought of becoming a singer when he went to Taiwan during his summer break and interned at a record label.
Yen-j also confessed that he feels that he is better at composing than singing, and he plans to work on that.
“I hope that my singing will be able to improve till it become my number one, instead of just my composing.”
The star even aims to be able to sing like the legendary Stevie Wonder in five years.
“I set a very difficult goal for myself. I might fail but I’m not going to worry about that yet. Even if I eventually fail, I will still be improving myself.”
