Taiwan musician say rumours because of low-profile lifestyle
By Kor Kian Beng
HE'S a serious musician. And he would like people to think of him as such.
That explains why Taiwanese singer-composer Wang Lee-hom has been known to be reticent and tight-lipped about anything that's unrelated to his music.
Recently, he was spotted by Hong Kong daily Apply Daily allegedly taking a teenage girl to a gynaecologist, triggering talk that she's his new girlfriend.
She turned out to be just an acquaintance.
Two months ago, singer-friend Vivian Hsu had reportedly 'outed' the suave-looking singer when she dismissed any chance of romance between them.
She apparently told the Hong Kong media the reason was that 'he doesn't like women'.
During an interview here on Monday, the US-born singer clarified, in a half-stutter and half-mumble: 'No. I'm a heterosexual. That's all I have to say.'
The singer was in town to promote his latest album, Unbelievable.
But why are the Taiwanese tabloids awash with talk about his sexual inclination?
The swinging single, who was voted No 1 Sexual Fantasy by Taiwanese women in 2000, feels the talk resulted from his fierce efforts in keeping his personal life away from the public eye.
Said the 27-year-old, who has been romantically-linked to female stars like actress-singer Karen Mok and model-actress Rosemary Vandenbroucke: 'I've had relationships. But I just keep them low-profile.
'My personal life is low-profile. So is my love life.
'There're many artistes who deliberately bring their love life into the open.
'But I don't do that. So they (paparazzi) have focused on this instead.'
And, no, he's not in a hurry to get hitched just to get the news hounds off his back.
Asked if his parents have pressured him, Lee-hom said: 'No, thank God!
'Luckily, my elder brother is married and his wife's already pregnant. So I've got that covered.
But he does hope to get married and have kids one day.
'It's something that I really, really want.
'But now's not the time. I'm still young. We'll just let things happen naturally...'
*Unbelievable is available in stores now.
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'I try to be a trendsetter all the time'
GET Lee-hom talking about his first love and he'll go on and on.
Indeed, the love of his life is music.
His latest album, Unbelievable - his ninth - is a labour of love that's taken two years to produce.
Asked why he took so long, Lee-hom explained: 'I believe that the Chinese pop scene can get better and I want to contribute to that.
'That's why I want to ensure that this album will become a classic example that others can refer to for their future productions.'
But, surprise, the new album includes a jingle which is used in an ongoing McDonald's TV commercial in Taiwan - a move that's somewhat incongruent with his image.
The musician, after all, holds a master's from Berkley College Of Music in Boston.
And he prides himself on not bowing to commercial pressure and mainstream trends.
When quizzed on this, Lee-hom insisted he's not perturbed that there might be any adverse impact on the album.
Still, he appeared somewhat hesitant in his reply.
'Worried?' said Lee-hom, followed by a long pause.
'That was why I put it at the very end. It was either that or a separate single.
'I wanted people to have it because I thought it's a pretty cool song. And it turned out all right, I thought.'
He declined to say how much he was paid to have the jingle included in his album, but insisted that money wasn't an issue.
He said in a serious tone: 'It didn't matter either way if money was involved in the album.'
HIP-HOP INFLUENCES
The 14-track album is heavy with rhythm 'n blues and hip-hop influences, differing significantly from his 1995 first album, Love Rival Beethoven, which featured classical and jazz styles.
But don't ever suggest that the classically-trained singer has jumped on the R&B bandwagon raging in Taiwan now.
He said: 'What I do has very little to do with trends.
'I feel like if I can make something good, challenging and exciting, then I'll just make it.
'And I don't have to jump on the bandwagon. I try to be a trendsetter in my music all the time.'
Source:
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/hey/story/0,4136,44669-1071849540,00.html?
