KUALA LUMPUR: She may not have clinched the top spot in Sing! China but Penang-born singing sensation Lee Pei Ling said this will not stop her from going after her number one passion, music.
“I've been singing since young and I can’t think of doing anything that’s not music-related. Music is my life,” said Lee in an interview with the New Straits Times.
The 16-year-old will soon leave for China again for a performance. However, she did not divulge further details on her new project.
Taking on the world alone during Sing! China for three months, Lee said it troubled her mum. “The fact that I was all alone and that I wouldn’t be able to handle all the stress worried her,” she explained.
However, all the worries proved unfounded when the teenager outdid herself, emerging as one of the top singers in the competition and continuously wowing the judges – Jay Chou, Wang Feng, Harlem Yu and her mentor Na Ying – with her consistent performances.
“I’m also friends with the rest of the contestants. We played music together during our free time and we still keep in touch,” she said.
“I had little expectation of myself when I entered the competition. I just wanted to go for the experience, that’s all. I never thought about making it into the finals. I’m a little disappointed though for letting Malaysians down,” she said.
Lee took the sixth spot in the competition where China’s Jiang Dun Gao emerged as champion. Singaporean Nathan Hartono came in second.
She performed a special arrangement of ‘Let It Go’ from the animated film, Frozen but sadly, she was voted out even before she had the chance to perform in the second set.
When asked about her most memorable moment from the competition, Lee said it had to be the final showdown.
“My parents had flown in to see me sing on stage.
“It was definitely a precious moment seeing them there. My dad is getting old and it was also his first time travelling out of the country. I’d like to take them on holidays soon,” she said.
Lee, who also calls herself Jeryl, said her priority right now is to get back on track with her studies.
“I’ve been missing out a lot in school but I am grateful to my teachers who have been so accommodating and supportive of my music so far,” she said.
The soft-spoken Penangite also plans to take a music course after she finishes high school.
“My plan is to enrol myself in a music course and graduate with a degree in music. I want to develop my singing skills and make a career of it,” she said.
The sweet young thing names her Xu Weizhou, one of China’s top singer and actor as her idol.
“I think he's cute,” she said, smiling shyly. “He’s also very funny and talented. I’d like to work with him in the future.”