BRING it on, Taiwan.
For someone who confessed that speaking Mandarin was her "biggest obstacle", bossa nova chanteuse Olivia Ong looked surprisingly calm when she met up with the Singapore media – mere days before she kickstarts her promotional tour in Taipei.
The 24-year-old local songbird, famed for singing the theme song of last year's hit drama series The Little Nyonya, told The New Paper she was "all ready to combat" any challenge she might face when making appearances on Taiwanese TV.
Taiwanese variety shows are renowned for their over-the-top antics, aggressive approach and at times, quirky wordplay.
Olivia, who is half-Peranakan, would inevitably have to go on some of these shows to promote her latest self-titled album, out in stores this Friday.
She said: "Of course I'm a little worried, but I've spent a lot of time and effort improving my Mandarin, so I'm not too scared.
"I've been taking Chinese conversational lessons once a week for nearly a month."
She is aware of how other local singers, such as Kelly Poon, have faltered in the language department.
Kelly, 25, was blasted by netizens last February when she made a verbal boo-boo on popular Taiwanese programme Variety Big Brother.
Olivia is also confident that her management, HIM International, will aid her in selecting the variety shows that suit her.
Said the soft-spoken singer: "Personally, I will prefer the music-themed shows, where the focus is on my songs and there's a bit of chit-chat."
She has also prepared herself for the gossipy, intrusive nature of the Taiwanese paparazzi.
Fellow local singer Huang Jinglun, 26, got a taste of the Taiwanese media's aggressive questioning, when he unwittingly confessed to being a virgin and found himself being hounded incessantly on the topic thereafter.
Witty, fun
Should a similar situation happen to Olivia – who coyly revealed that she has "a very, very good guy friend at the moment" – she said she would "simply come up with a witty, fun answer".
"I will not answer the question directly, that's for sure," she said with a laugh.
To fans who have followed her career since 2002, it might seem a little odd that she is starting out as a rookie in Taiwan, despite having released seven bossa nova albums to date.
Previously signed to Japanese record label S2S, she was based in Tokyo for five years.
"Initially, I resisted the idea," she admitted, when asked if she found it uncomfortable going back to square one.
"But after talks with my current company (HIM International), I agree with them that previously, I didn't have a complete experience of how an artiste should be."
With S2S, she hardly did live performances. To promote her studio albums, she only did radio shows.
"It's entirely different now. I'm doing a lot of campus gigs and there is greater interaction with the audience."
Ironically, while she will officially make her debut in Taiwan come Friday, her latest album is in English.
It contains an original song, You And Me, composed by local musician Dick Lee, as well as classics such as Jackson 5's Never Say Goodbye and Simply Red's Stars.
Describing her album as "groovier and edgier" than her previous efforts, she feels that singing in English will not put her at a disadvantage in the Taiwan market.
She said: "The Taiwanese youngsters actually listen to many English songs. They will take to this album well, I feel it really reflects a youthful side of me."
