HONG KONG singer Vincy Chan has this to say to Singaporean pop wannabes who want to make it big in the territory's pop-music scene: Raise your stylish quotient if you aren't extremely good-looking.

The 28-year-old spent 16 years here and studied at Dunman High and Nanyang Technological University.

She rose to fame in Hong Kong when she returned there five years ago to pursue a singing career with Emperor Entertainment Group, one of the biggest labels which has artists like Nicholas Tse and Joey Yung.

Incidentally, she made it to the top 24 in the Channel U talent show, Project Superstar, back in 2005, but her career took off in Hong Kong when she came in second at the New Talent Singing Awards.

Renamed the International Chinese New Talent Singing Championship, it is an annual contest organised by TVB to discover new singers.

"Hong Kong audiences expect a lot from their singers. They like American-born Chinese singers who are Westernised. They prefer imported stuff," Chan observed.

She was in town on Sunday as the guest performer and judge of KaraOK! K-Battle, a singing contest organised by StarHub and People's Association Active Ageing Council.

Looking suave in a black silky top and leather pants, complete with black, high-heeled boots, the singer is known for her melancholic songs and cool persona.

"You don't need to be pretty, but you must be stylish," she said, citing Singapore singer Stefanie Sun as her idol in terms of personal style and voice quality.

She went on to offer some image tips, such as to avoid over-accessorising with "branded stuff". Instead, budding stars should learn to "mix and match until you find your own style".

Chan definitely knows what she's talking about: She also bagged the Most Popular Image award at the contest that propelled her to fame five years ago.

The singer, whose debut 2006 album My Feelings was a chart-topper, is not resting on her laurels. For her upcoming Cantonese album, she is raising her game by venturing into something more upbeat.

She is using a dance track as her flagship single, as well as going for a sexier look.

But she was quick to add: "I'm not changing my image, just exploring new horizons."

While she might have performed a Jolin Tsai song when she competed in Project Superstar, she said that she's not after the come-hither, sensual look of the Taiwanese pop queen.

"I'm not the Tsai kind of sexy," she explained with a laugh, adding that her sexiness is more energetic and cool. At the same time, she acutely understands the need for constant transformation.

As she sees it, the Hong Kong market is "changing very fast, so audiences are expecting more from me".

It's small wonder that Chan said she comes back to Singapore frequently to take a break.

In fact, she was here just last month to celebrate her 28th birthday.

And while she is happy with her career so far, she admitted candidly to feeling a lot of pressure.

"The pace is very fast in Hong Kong. I enjoy coming back to Singapore to take a mental break from what I'm doing," she said.

She added, with a forlorn smile: "It brings back memories of my carefree school days when I meet up with my old friends."

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