IF YOU had watched the music videos of Landy Wen’s heart-wrenching ballads back to back, you’d probably think she is one unrepentant masochist.

In Fool, her most popular karaoke-friendly hit to date, the bosomy 30-year-old Taiwanese singer plays a poor lass tormented to tears by a cheating boyfriend.

For her latest album, Dancing Queen, she pushes the boundaries further by portraying the victim in a physically abusive relationship.

In the music video for her new song I Believe You Totally, there are scenes of her being slapped, dragged around and almost buried alive by her violent other half.

Message

Just as it was painful for the audience to watch, it was “hard and torturous” filming it, said Landy in an interview with local reporters while in town to promote Dancing Queen.

Sporting a crop of shocking red hair, she said: “With the video, I wanted to send a message to all women out there; be kind to yourselves, don’t wallow in silence when your boyfriend or husband has violent tendencies.

“There is no reason to constantly live in fear and put up with unreasonable behaviour.”

She added that though she hasn’t been in an abusive relationship, she has “relatives and friends who have endured such bad experiences”.

Landy hopes that through her music, she can be a strong voice for girl power.

“You’d notice that most of my songs are dedicated to the fairer sex,” she said with a wide grin.

“My fast dance numbers encourage ladies to let their hair down and party.

“Sometimes, it’s okay to have fun with girlfriends and be happy.”

Currently single, she laughed and said that she would be “careful” when choosing a boyfriend.

Landy is all for “going on dates with his family and friends”.

“I would definitely want to meet his parents and know his family members well,” she said.

“It’s important to befriend his pals too, to know how they feel about him, and at the same time, observe how he interacts with them.”

During our interview, Landy also leapt to the defence of her good friend, rising Taiwanese starlet Yao Yao.

Weak vocals

The 19-year-old cutie pie singer, who belongs to the same record company as Landy, made headlines in Taiwan’s entertainment scene with her 32E bust.

Yao Yao was also in town recently for a meet-and-greet session which saw her hugging fans.

However, she has been criticised for her weak vocals.

As Yao Yao’s senior, Landy begged to differ.

“Seriously, I don’t think she has a bad voice,” she said.

“But because she first started out as a model and television personality, now that she has made the transition to singing, some audiences might find it hard to accept the change.”

Landy said that when she looks at Yao Yao, “she sees a reflection of her younger self”, which explains why they click and have since become close.

“We are so similar in many aspects,” she said.

“She’s 19, the age when I first became a recording artiste. Both of us are Cancerians, as well as the oldest girls in our families.

“And I dare say, we are both very filial daughters!”

This article was first published in The New Paper.