Elizabeth Tan is always on the lookout for fresh ideas on how she can tap her talents. Tahir Alhamzah has a chat with the singer and actress
ONE of the most productive ways to fill time in a traffic jam is to dream. That’s how singer and actress Elizabeth Tan, who became popular because of the song Knock Knock, came up with her latest single, Tabah.
“I got the idea for the melody and lyrics some time last year during a massive traffic jam. It was also raining then. These elements must have triggered my creative juices,” explains the 22-year-old.
Later, she presented the idea to award-winning composer and music producer Audi Mok.
Mok says: “When she first proposed it, I found it to be a typical classic Malay tune. I tweaked it a bit and gave a new interpretation to an otherwise original song, says Mok of Tan’s third single under the Faithful Music label.
The lyrics may sound like a song about someone suffering a broken heart but Tan says it is not about a failed relationship but about comparing the old and the current Elizabeth Tan.
“It’s about how I’ve grown as a singer, and how I look at my past experiences and use them as a gauge to improve as an artiste.”
Tan, who burst onto the local music scene in 2013 as a YouTube artiste, also reads comments about her on social media but is not perturbed about the nasty ones.
“I do not take the negative comments too personally, seeing them instead as feedback on how to improve my skills,” she says.
Having had her acting debut in last year’s Usop Wilcha Mengongjang Makhluk Muzium, a horror comedy by Mamat Khalid, Tan is eager to pursue acting further. She is slated to star in a TV drama series and a film.
Besides attending vocal and acting classes, she is involved in two productions until February next year. In both productions, Tan plays a supporting role.
“Coincidentally, I play the character of a psychotic girlfriend for both productions,” she says.
“I’ve always loved acting. I remember how I use to memorise lines from my favourite movies. Sometimes when I’m bored and alone, I’ll re-enact some of the more memorable scenes.”
“Sometimes I do that even when I’m stuck in traffic, just to break the boredom.”
The Tabah music video sees Tan dancing to urban beats. Directed and conceptualised by dance choreographer Kurisu, the music video was wrapped up within a day, stretching 18 hours from 7am.
For some, working non-stop for so many hours can be a daunting experience but Tan enjoyed every minute of it. “I don’t remember feeling tired at all. It must be all the excitement being in front of the camera.
“It’s liberating,” says Tan.
Recently, Tan sat as one of the judges on Indonesia’s reality TV programme Just Duet. The others were Once Mekel and the late Mike Mohede.
“I’ve made some contacts while being a judge on the show, and I hope to have my presence felt in the republic.”
“After my appearance on Just Duet, I’ve received invitations to be on talk shows there but since language is a problem for me, I had to decline.”
Tan, who is also currently taking Bahasa Indonesia classes, hopes that she will be able to master the language soon. There are also plans for collaboration with an Indonesian signer. As nothing has been inked, Tan doesn’t want to reveal the artiste. “You’ll have to wait and see,” teases Tan.