The creation of this record was prompted by a secret, but it is not meant to tell people about my private life. During the process of writing the album, there was a lot of unhappiness, pressure and some negative gossip about me. It was a dark period. At the same time, I felt a lot of love around me, which gave me the strength to get through that difficult time. I wrote all the lyrics and six of the tunes. The album is filled with a lot of my own feelings, thoughts and experiences. I hope listeners can draw strength from it.

You started composing at the age of five. What kind of songs did you write at that time?

I didn't like to read scores when playing the piano. As a child, after I had practised playing the pieces assigned by my teacher, I would throw away the scores and play what I liked. I came up with my own melodies, short musical phrases.

I wrote my first complete song at 13. Some senior students were performing their own songs at a school singing contest and I found it amazing. So I tried writing lyrics for melodies I had at home. That was how I started writing songs. Later I wrote a Chinese rendition of Sleeping Beauty and used it in the singing contest where I met my manager, who was a judge.

Have you aspired to be a pop singer since you were little?

I had wanted to do things related to music, but becoming a pop singer seemed too remote. So I thought about being a piano teacher and a songwriter.

Your family is very musical

Yes, my mother graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and my grandmother teaches singing and music. Both play the piano. My grandfather is a saxophonist for an orchestra and my uncle a violinist.

Our family activities are usually music-related. For instance, they will perform music at birthday parties.

Some family photographs show me holding a microphone and singing when I was very little. One of the most memorable moments is when I was about four: my mother played the piano while I stood by her side crying. I cannot remember what song she was playing. My family has influenced me a lot musically.

You quit studies at a young age because of your singing career. How did your parents react?

They are very supportive. I had signed to my company before taking the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination. My mother said I must take the exam in order to be a singer. I decided to enrol in the Academy for Performing Arts after the exam unless I got an offer under the Early Admission Scheme.

I studied part-time during my first year in the academy because I wanted to get a sense of what it was like to be a singer and see whether I was suitable. Despite having classes only three times a week, I skipped school most of the time because of work. The music department director said it would be hard for me to switch to full-time studies and asked me to think seriously about what I really wanted to do. I chose to focus on my career.

I'm still very young and need to learn more. The internet is a good learning platform. I'm reading a book about different music genres, such as rock, R&B and soul. I like Beyonce, Alicia Keys and Christina Aguilera. I learned from this book that they have a common idol, Aretha Franklin, and I'm now listening to her music.

Has fame had any negative impact on you?

I've just gone through a period when I felt numb towards everything. It started about nine months ago; I was kind of lost and didn't know what I was doing. My life had been really smooth and everything had come so easily. It got to the point where I couldn't feel anything even if I was offered a music award. I didn't treasure what I had. That was the darkest time of my life.

When in Taiwan promoting my music in April, I had fried chicken fillets every day, eating 15 pieces in 10 days. Nothing seemed right; I felt confused and lost control of myself.

On the new album is a song called The Voice Within, inspired by a friend's experience. But when I listened to it after recording, I cried and realised I had written it for myself. Suddenly, all my feelings returned. I feel lucky for the experience. Now, I really appreciate getting this album done and released. I'm not taking things for granted any more.

Will you stage a concert in the Coliseum soon?

My company says it will be held in March. The Coliseum is a bit intimidating to me, but I hope I won't be too tense and can really enjoy performing for the audience.