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Leo Ku Kui-kei's image has always been one of youthful exuberance, an image no doubt derived from his usual style of dress: jeans, T-shirt and baseball cap.

 His new album, Weather Changing, has caught a few by surprise. Instead of the jeans and trainers, the jacket cover shows a more 'grown-up' Ku in a dark suit with a faint smile on his lips.

 'Weather Changing will be my last Cantonese album in the 20th century; it marks a new chapter in my music career,' Ku says. 'It's a result of what I've learned from my success and failures in the past few years.

 'I want to present to people a new Leo Ku - a young adult artist mature not just in the sense of appearance, but also in his music.'  When Ku signed with a new record company last autumn, he took things slowly for a little reflection and to observe the music scene. He took time to write his own songs. So while others were squeezing out two to three albums this year, Ku has only released Weather Changing.

 The 27-year-old says Weather Changing is special to him because of his greater involvement in the production process. He wants to style himself as a mature singer-songwriter.

 'My producer and I originally planned to finish the album in July, but I didn't want to rush things and postponed its release date several times.

 'I'm very happy to have had the chance to co-produce the album. I've helped in many aspects, from lyrics and songwriting to arrangement and mixing. It has been a stimulating learning experience. After eight years in show business I'm really in love with music now.'  The title track of Weather Changing is a touching ballad about a man's vow to his love that, unlike the fickle weather, he will always stay the same. And Ku's latest single, A Holiday In Rome, an uplifting, mid-tempo pop song, is climbing various music charts.

 He had a hand in penning three of the songs - the most he has ever done for his albums - and gone is the meekness that typified Ku of the past.

 Fans may notice a shift in pace. Several numbers on Weather Changing, such as Take Me Higher and Crying Aloud, push the limits of Canto-pop with the inclusion of a heavy band sound. The album reflects Ku's desire to be a versatile singer.

 'Take Me Higher is an evolution of Blue Sky And White Clouds, a song from my first album, Explanation Of Love. They convey a similar message, both urging people to adopt a positive attitude towards life. But the new one is a more elaborate, more complete creation than the old one,' the singer says.

 'I've also sung different genres to give the listeners an exciting musical journey.'  And Ku's hard work seems to be paying off. Weather Changing has been well received by both fans and critics. It hit record stores last Monday and reached number three on the sales chart.

 According to Ku, he had an 'uneventful adolescence'. He was interested in drawing and was a big television fan. He remembers how he used to learn by heart TV theme songs. He was fascinated by the celluloid world and wanted to try his luck in it.

 Ku also enjoyed listening to his cousin playing Beatles songs with the acoustic guitar. This is a reason why he loves rock ballads, Ku says. His producer, Clayton Cheung Kai-tim, the frontman of indie band Black Box, is also a fan. Sometimes, Ku would join the band to write Beatles-esque melodies, a recent example being The Seventh Sense on Weather Changing. After he graduated from secondary school, Ku did not pursue a singing career immediately. He opted for TVB's artist training class instead of the New Talent Singing Contest simply because 'it had started to take in applicants earlier than the singing contest'.

 Five years have passed since Ku released his debut, Explanation Of Love. Prior to that, he was a shy and clumsy reporter for Hot Gossips, a local version of the American Entertainment Tonight. Almost three years later, his singing talent was spotted by a record company.

 Ku has been dubbed the 'prince of falsetto' for his beautiful voice. And together with Daniel Chan Hiu-tong, Stephen Fung Tak-lun and Nicholas Tse Ting-fung, Ku has been crowned one of the 'Four Young Kings' of Canto-pop.

 He reminisces: 'When I was working for Hot Gossips, I asked the original 'Four Big Kings' [Jacky Cheung Hok-yau, Aaron Kwok Fu-shing, Andy Lau Tak-wah, Leon Lai Ming] to comment on the title. They would say: 'Thanks for the compliment. I'll do my best to make good music, but please don't give us too much pressure.' Now, I share a similar point of view.'  To the cynics, however, Ku may sound nothing more than another teenybopper idol, wooing fans with identical, romantic songs. And indeed, if you pick up one of Ku's greatest-hit albums, you will find it is usually compiled with slow- or mid-tempo songs, such as Enjoy Yourself Tonight (1997) and The Second Love (1998). Ku never seemed bold enough to promote his wilder tracks, something which might have fostered the impression that he had limited his development as a singer.

 'Actually I've been working to shrug off my boy-next-door image ever since I left Hot Gossips. But it's never easy to wipe out the influence of television,' he says. 'I'm going to plug a rock song next, a song of high energy, to give you all a little surprise.'  But having said that, Ku is convinced slow songs do not have to be dull: 'It all depends on the quality of the music. If a dance mix is not done properly, it also can become boring and grate on the ears.'  This year, Ku has received many offers to participate in other projects because of his positive image. He was appointed by several companies and organisations to be their spokesperson and has appeared in commercials for a soft drink, credit card and an anti-drug campaign. He is also enjoying an increasing fan base in other Asian countries.

 The clean-cut Ku is almost a perfect role model for today's generation.

 He may be successful now, but it has not all been a bed of roses. Last year, Ku was torn between many demands and he wanted to take a break from working on drama series. This upset the television company and resulted in him being banned from TV appearances for nearly a year.

 'I was very depressed at that time and thought my career was over. But thanks to support from family and friends, I managed to collect myself and stay hopeful.

 'I've learned that one should be persistent; always stick to your goal and never give up. The Canto-pop world, like adulthood, is never an easy path,' he adds.

 'But now, when I look back and see how far I've come, it's been worth waiting for.' The entertainment pages are edited by Winnie Chung. Tel: 2565 2216. Fax: 2562 2485. E-mail: wchung@scmp.com  'I want to present to people a new Leo Ku - a young adult artist mature not just in the sense of appearance, but also in his music' 



From prince to king