KUALA LUMPUR: The country's number one singer, Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza has never regretted "losing" her teenage years because she chose to forge a name for herself in the music industry.
In the recent episode of the podcast Apa Cerita? Siti said that she went through a "different" childhood due to the demands of her singing career.
"I went through teenage years that were very different from most of us. I did not have time to hang out with friends and enjoy myself.
"At the age of 17, I had to stay away from the discos and fully focus on singing," said Siti, who added that she had no regrets about missing "teenage partying".
Siti was also grateful to be surrounded by people who gave her a lot of useful advice.
"Alhamdulillah, I am very grateful for being cared for by the people around me.
"However, I also admit that there were times that I wanted to take a break from my hectic schedule."
Siti admitted that when she had to visit Indonesia to promote her hit single Aku Cinta Padamu, she told her mother that she felt exhausted.
"My mother successfully persuaded me to change my mind. She told me to complete my job as it would not take long, and after that I could have a break and spend more time with my family."
Siti said that every successful singer had to face hardships and make sacrifices to become a success story.
"The journey to the top requires lots of sacrifices. This doesn't only apply to artistes but all successful professionals."