Singer Joey Yung Cho-yee turned 29 this month and she's already matched, or even surpassed, the achievements of some of Hong Kong's top artists. And she's hungry for more.
Yung never imagined she would be so successful. Raised in a single parent family, with dreams of becoming a singer, she found her life changed after she won a karaoke contest at age 15. The release of her debut EP, Joey, followed soon after in 1999. It featured the hit singles Unknown and Avoiding You, which sold more than 130,000 copies, surpassing many big names at the time and establishing her on the music scene.
This September will mark Yung's 10th anniversary in showbiz and she tells us how she went from unknown office girl to the pride of the local music industry.
What do you say when people say that your career has always been smooth?
I always ask myself this question: what if the Joey 10 years ago saw the Joey today, what would she do? People see my career path as having been stable, but it hasn't been. First, I wasn't born into a rich family - my first summer job was as an office clerk. After winning the singing contest, I signed two record deals, but both turned out to be setbacks [one company terminated Yung's contract, saying she wasn't attractive enough, and another folded shortly after she joined]. Even after signing with Emperor Entertainment Group [EEG], a producer told me I couldn't sing and should quit. Gradually, I learned that being a singer is like running a long-distance race: if you are ahead of others at one moment, that doesn't mean you won't be overtaken. I was lucky to have some songs that audiences loved early on. But I worked hard for them and grabbed every opportunity.
When did you first taste success and how did it make you feel?