Actress Yang Mi's singing career is no mystery; debut album with Universal due out this year

Her name might not ring a bell yet, but mainland actress-turned-singer Yang Mi is on the rise. The starlet of horror film Mysterious Island was in town on Monday for a press conference at Harbour Grand Kowloon hotel, where she announced she was joining Universal Music.

Yang, who has lent her voice to the soundtracks of a string TV soaps that she has starred in, is determined to take her singing career more seriously.

The beauty showed up wearing Chopard jewellery worth more than HK$1 million and was joined by her fellow Universal Mando-pop star Jane Zhang Liangying.

'It's not easy to be a singer and an actress at the same time, but I'll definitely try the best I can,' said Yang.

Her debut studio album is set to come out this year. She's recruited some of the best names in the industry to produce her album. Canto-pop king Eason Chan Yik-shun also wrote a song for her.

'He's really my idol. So I can't imagine singing with him,' she said. 'Before I went into recording, Eason sent my producer a sound clip to encourage me. He's indeed a very nice guy. I really appreciated it.'