asiaone
Diva
updated 18 Mar 2013, 13:05
Login password
Wed, Jan 27, 2010
The New Paper
Email Print Decrease text size Increase text size
A-mei turns rocker chick

IT WAS a bold decision for Taiwanese powerhouse diva A-mei last year, when she changed her image and stage persona drastically.

After more than 15 years of belting out karaoke-friendly ballads such as Hostage, Listen To The Sea and Remember, the 37-year-old decided to return to her aboriginal roots.

She cut her hair short, recorded an album of energetic rock songs, and even got her fans to call her by her ethnic Puyuma name, “Amit”.

The evolution from A-mei to Amit, said the singer, was borne out of her desire to try “something experimental for once”.

“I’ve been doing mainstream fare for so many years, it’s time I sing something I really feel strongly about,” she told U-Weekly.

“Ditching the usual love songs about heartbreak and misery, I opted to record songs that reflected on our society.

“Young people would be able to relate to the material, as it reflects problems in today’s world that are very close to their hearts.”

A-mei will be swinging into town at the end of the month for a two-night concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

World tour

The concert is part of her ongoing world tour, which has already taken her to cities like Macau, Beijing and Guangzhou.

“When I started the tour, I was a little worried that fans wouldn’t be ready to accept the changes I’d bring to my live performances.

“Unlike my previous live gigs, this tour would be louder and much heavier.

“However, after my first show in Foshan (a city in Guangdong province), I realised my worries were unfounded. All my fans have a rocker’s soul in them!”

As Amit, A-mei’s love life has blossomed as well.

She has been dating Taiwanese national basketballer He Shou-zheng, who is 11 years her junior, for more than two years.

The two became romantically involved after they collaborated on a beer advertisement in 2007.

While the couple have been relatively low-key and secretive about their relationship so far, there have been occasions when A-mei simply couldn’t resist sharing her bliss with the public.

Last June, when promoting her album, A-mei told the host of a television programme: “I’m someone who goes all out for love. Yes, I’m in love right now, but I’m not prepared for marriage.”

Indeed, according to industry sources, A-mei has never been one to rush to settle down and have babies.

Not even with her biological clock ticking away.

The paparazzi have been relentless in their pursuit of A-mei and Shou-zheng’s courtship.

In 2007, they photographed A-mei driving to Shou-zheng’s apartment at midnight.

On another occasion, the two were spotted having dinner and drinks at a restaurant in Taipei.

Shou-zheng, after spotting the paparazzi lurking around, used his 1.96m frame to shield his loved one from the cameras.

This article was first published in The New Paper.

readers' comments

asiaone
Copyright © 2013 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. Regn. No. 198402868E. All rights reserved.