Source: Modern Music Magazine
translated by
o_ost1nao_o @
love4show.forums1.net
Please credit when reposting.
Show Lo Exclusive Interview : I Don't Rely On Anyone
February 2010 Modern Music Issue #465
Up until now, I still don't know what kind of feeling
Zhu Ren(director) gives me. Sometimes I feel he's a little harsh,
seeing Xiao Gui getting bullied by him, I'm thinking, "Zhu ren, just
let him off, will you?" And then sometimes, I feel that he's a good
person, with another Xiao Gui story, one day he held a dozen of Xiao
Gui's albums in hand asking him to autograph them, "I said that I'd
support my bro, I always keep a promise, is that loyal enough?" Enough
it is! He is also extremely heartwarming, with 6,000 albums to sign at
a function, other artists would just want to hurry and finish
autographing and leave, but he said, "Everyone, one by one, take your
time, so I can see everybody's faces clearly, and remember to shake my
hand, I want to thank everyone!" Isn't that heartwarming? Extremely! He
said that he didn't want reporters asking if he was close to so and so,
because usually the line that follows would be, "Did you get popular
because of them?" This hurts him because he says that friends are for
moral support and care, not for utilizing, so he tells everyone, "I
don't rely on anyone!"
A Music Rashomon that Exclusively belongs to Show Lo
Interviewer : After
the recording of your album, did you go through and listen to the
entire album attentively? How do you feel about yourself?
Show :
Yes, I listened very attentively, even more attentively that my
previous albums. I should say that the recording of the album and its
preparations took longer than my 6 previous albums. After listening to
this album, I really felt that it was better made than the last album.
I really like this album, every time I listen to it, I never get that
feeling of wanting to hurry and listen to the next song.
Interviewer : Every
one of your albums seems to have a song that depicts what you're
feeling at the time, is it purposely planned that way, or is it purely
a coincidence?
Show :
Actually, for every song in this album, I went and discussed with the
lyricist. For example, "Xi Guan Jiu Hao (I'll Get Used To It), that's
very "Show Lo," it's what I, Show Lo, am thinking and want to say,
because after going through so many ups and downs, you'll feel like,
we'll just have to get used to these things. (But the music video doesn't seem to have been filmed that way?)
Yeah, but it's not like they can film Show Lo's entire showbiz carrier,
right? Hahaha~~so we could only use a concept that people would
understand, could relate to, to film it; lovers breaking up is probably
the thing that would give everyone this feeling, right? "Wei Xian De
Nian Tou (Hazardous Idea)" is talking about all the different things
that can happen in love, example : Being deceived, getting hurt....I
like "Lao Shi Jiang (Truth)" because there are things you'll miss if
you don't act fast. So to have me recommend a song that I favor more is
hard, because a lot of the songs express what I'm feeling, my story. If
I had to choose though, I'd pick "Xi Guan Jiu Hao (I'll Get Used To
It)."
Interviewer : For
the ballads this time, did you purposely try a different way of
interpreting the slow songs? (Because I feel that the way you sang the
ballads this time is a little different from the past.)
Show :
My voice is deeper, to be honest, for my previous albums, during the
editing of the music, they'd touch-up my voice a little, but this time
I told them to try and not do that, I want to use my most genuine voice
to convey the expressive lyrics, that kind of feeling would be best.
Everyone listens to music differently and their voices are recognized
differently as well. I didn't intentionally try to change anything. I
just thought that since I had the opportunity, I could express my
truest self to everyone.
Interviewer : Spending
lots of money to go to the U.S., then hiring a choreographer, and then
filming music videos, are you ecstatic on the inside?
Show :
Very ecstatic. The music video for my main release is #1 in Taiwan
right now, the expenditures were also the highest, a few million
dollars. It really was a music video that money was splurged on to
create. The music industry is in a recession right now, so in spending
millions RMB on one music video, which is the amount of money for 4
music videos, it feels great. And something else that I take pride in
is that I went to an opera house in the U.S. to film, lots and lots of
artists want to visit, so being able to film a music video there is
just exhilarating. (Are you more fluent in English now than you were before?) Haha.
In that environment, in those circumstances, your English skills really
will improve, and now that I'm not in that environment, then it'll
regress. I think that the environment is really important, because
everyone is in the same environment, and you want to express your
thoughts, so you just spew out and churn out things to say, and you
realize, Hey, people actually understand what you're saying.
Just what kind of person is Show Lo?
Part 1 : I'm a matted person!
Interviewer : When you make friends, it takes you a long time before you can open up your heart to them, right?
Show : Why do you ask that way? (Because Hu Die Jie Jie, who hosts with you, said that there's a process to getting your phone number.)
I'm not someone that likes to feign familiarity, act close, or
purposely asking for phone numbers. If we talk on very general terms
and just surface friendliness, I won't give it(his phone number) to
them. But if we share an interest and actually interact, then we'd say,
"Okay, let's exchange numbers then?"
Interviewer : Do you think your attitude/personality now, is largely due to your family's influence and background?
Show :
Of course, I really think that my personality was influenced by my
family since I was young. Of course there are also factors that
contribute to other feelings, you're going to ask what kind of feelings
right? It's just that with age, you just feel more mature, and the way
you look at things becomes different. (Then do you think that you're mature now?)
If you wanted me to talk to you in a really mature and composed way, I
can do that too. I can be really serious too, you want that? (No.) Haha, see!
Interviewer : In these few years, do you think you've changed a lot?
Show :
I don't think I'm the one changing, it you guys! There are lots of
reporters in Taiwan that would tell me, Show you're different from
before, and I'd say, I'm not the one changing, you guys are the ones
changing. You know that feeling? Actually the feelings and attitudes
you reporters have towards me are changing, because everyone is
pragmatic. (But your popularity could be because of some factor or another?)
No! It's just persistence and effort, I don't rely on anyone! I really
don't rely on anyone! Before I'd come to China to promote my album, and
too many reporters would ask, Show, why do you always become friends
with people that are more popular than you are? I felt so helpless, why
do you guys have to feel that way? I've known these friends for a long
time, and I even met some before they entered showbiz, at the time I
was the one more popular! I was really sad, I felt......you know? (Yup, I know!)
I really don't want people to say that I became popular because of so
and so, please everyone, think it over first and see if it's true, or
get to know me more.
Part 2 : I'm a candid person!
Interviewer : Are you someone that holds a grudge?
Show : Yes! (Answered super quickly) Those people that had once looked down on me, I will hold a grudge. (Like those little things? ) Like what? (Show, you know in "Hi My Sweetheart" you were fat in the pink pants you wore?)
Oh, that's fine, but I wasn't fat, all right? Everyone has a different
viewpoint on things, like some people say I sound good when I sing, and
others say I'm not very good. I remember when I participated in an
event, and a reporter very earnestly said to me, "Show, your singing is
awful." And he told me that in front of a lot of people, but I said,
"Perhaps my singing is awful, but I'm using my voice to touch people."
Interviewer : Will you be proud for a long time when people compliment you?
Show :
Yes! I'm easily satisfied. As long as someone says, "Show your
performance today was so good, or your performance today was so
spectacular," I'd be proud of myself for a long time. (You're that easily satisfied?)
I am, I'm really someone who is easily satisfied. As long as I get a
little bit of encouragement, I would be happy for a very, very long
time, because before, no one wanted to watch me perform. And probably
having experienced that, I'm especially easily satisfied. Like before,
everyone would say that I was a tacky Tai Ke [Taiwan thug], but now
some people would say, Show, you dress/accessorize so well, or Show,
lots of people imitate your style now, and I'd truly be really happy,
because people used to criticize me as "Tai" and criticized me for not
dressing well, but now so many people would imitate my hairstyle or the
way I dress, so I'm just really happy, and happier about this than most
other things too. But at the same time, if I guest on TV shows, and if
someone compliments me, I really don't feel anything, because I feel
that it's probably just for TV. (Like Xiao S?) Yes, well, you know, when Xiao S talks, of 10 things she says, 11 of them are false.
Interviewer : Do you still remember how you reacted at the time when people suddenly started calling you "Asia's Dance King?"
Show :
"Jing Wu Men (Dance Gate)"? It should be "Yi Zhi Du Xiu." I really
asked my company's publicity, why no one had noticed me before, even
though I was dancing my heart out . He said that it's because of all
that I've accumulated, everyone gets to see a different Show Lo.
Actually when I released my first album, I really worked really hard on
it, I tried hard to dance my choreography, but no one paid any
attention to me, but "Zhen Ming Tian Zi(Destined Guy)" and "Jing Wu
Men(Dance Gate)" everyone noticed. "Jing Wu Men (Dance Gate)" was when
people acknowledged me most, lots of competition shows perform my chair
dance. And then "Yi Zhi Du Xiu" there were people that started calling
me "Asia's Dancing King." My first reaction was, "Why is it like this?"
(And Then?) I
started getting a lot of pressure, because when people start calling
you that, you're going to have to accept lots of strange glances, and
you'll need to ask for the best in yourself. I felt like I wasn't
myself anymore, I can't just dance however I wanted to. I've always
felt that to dance, you just do it relaxingly, dance happily, just
freely enjoying that kind of feeling, but now everyone is watching me
dance. So when I'm dancing by myself, I'd think, they're all off stage
watching my every move, I can't make a mistake, I can't make it look
bad, and I'd feel, why is there so much pressure? (How about now?)
Now, I'm actually beginning to relax again. It's probably because I'm
still trying to get used to this whole process. I'm sure that everyone
can dance, but not every can dance and capture that feeling, a dance is
inanimate, but a person has life, so that's why I always want to think
of different things for each of my performances. I don't want to go
through a performance in a set format like a music video.
Interviewer : Honestly, do you think that you dance well?
Show :
No, I still have lots of things I need to improve/emphasize. For
example, sometimes I'd be too caught up by the lighting or how people
are watching me in the audience, and so for that movement, I'd think,
just play it safe, so I'd be a little withheld with the motions. (Does this title still make you shy?) Yes, I've always felt embarrassed.
Part 3 : I'm someone would likes pampering (beauty-wise) myself!
Interviewer : Are you someone that cares a lot about his appearance?
Show : I care a lot.
Interviewer : This
time you're luggage disappeared, and you didn't fix up yourself before
the autograph session, at the time, were you troubled and thought to
yourself about how you didn't appear as handsome today?
Show :
Probably not, I think fans probably like me even more that way. I think
I was super handsome at the time, even more so than when I wear my
promotional outfits. (Hahahaha)
I think I'm more laid-back in my own clothes, I like dressing casually.
If you want me to get all dressed up first before interacting with
fans, I'd actually be a little not used to it. I feel that if we're
going to be interacting, then I'll just dress simply and comfortably,
this way my fans wouldn't feel a distance between us. I've once read a
letter from a fan, she said that when she watched the Show Lo on stage,
she feels that there's a distance, and when I change into casual
clothing and interact with them, she realizes that Show Lo can get
along with them just like a friend.
Interviewer's Notes :
Zhu Ren's entanglement : I'm actually skinny.
A little into the interview, I very daringly told Zhu
ren, "Someone said that in 'Hi My Sweetheart' you were fat. Especially
when you wore the bright colored pants, you were really fat!" Zhu ren
suddenly said, "You're crazy!" How am I crazy? "I was the skinniest at
that time." Really? It seemed as if Zhu ren saw the doubt in my eyes,
and from afar he called, "Xiao Shuang! (his manager) Tell her, wasn't I
really skinny at that time?" In exchange for a hush of silence from
Xiao Shuang, thus Zhu ren cried out, "How could you lie?" Fine,
afterwards, the record publicity came out to settle things, "On TV is
was widescreen, so you looked fatter." I could only nod vigorously in
agreement, I sure didn't want to make Zhu ren mad, then wouldn't my
interview be doomed? Who knew that after the interview was over, while
waiting for our cameramen to prop up the lights, Zhu ren very seriously
said, "In 'Hi My Sweetheart' I really wasn't fat, that was when I was
skinniest." "Yes, not fat, not fat!"
Zhu Ren's entanglement : I don't rely on anyone for becoming popular
I said that Zhu ren's popularity could be due to
outside factors, but I didn't mean that to be degrading at all. I just
wanted to express his turning a new leaf during the most prime of
times, with his dominating coexistence. Zhu ren very genuinely
rebutted, "I don't rely on anyone for becoming popular!" He felt that
he hadn't made his point, so he talked into our recorder and repeated
it twice more, thus I jokingly said, "All right, when I go back, I'm
going to title [this interview] as 'I don't rely on anyone.'" Zhu ren
happily laughed . Zhu ren, I kept my promise, how loyal was that?
More
lindsay lohan