Fish Leong - The queen of love ballads It has been ten long years for Fish Leong. The 31-year-old Malaysian singer, famous for her love-themed ballads, never fails to release an album every year. While each album records her growth in the industry, fans also carved their own memories through these songs as they follow her through the journey. Leong did not have a good start. The Taiwan 921 earthquake in 1999 happened on the very day she is promoting her debut album for the first time, bringing gloominess to the entire Taiwan entertainment scene. Leong, who was supposed to be excited and all dressed to promote her debut album on a TV show, could only pathetically hold her album and said without a bright smile: "Hello everyone, I'm newcomer Fish Leong. This is my new album." Till date, Leong still remembered those lines vividly. Ten years down the road now, Leong launches her tenth album "Fall in Love & Songs". This time round, she is all dolled up and only confidence can be heard in every answer to all questions. Most importantly, the Queen of Love Ballads has also secured a stable love relationship. The year Leong first stepped into the industry was also the year many female singers emerged; like her, these singers of her era, Jolin Tsai, Elva Hsiao and Stefanie Sun, started off with love ballads too. However, she is the only one who stayed true to the genre all these years. Leong said she was taken aback too during the preparation phase of this album: It's been ten years! A Gemini, an adventurer who likes to explore new arenas, Leong, however, found life playing pranks on her as she constantly misses out on opportunities to new challenges. And because chances keep slipping, Leong finds herself treasuring subsequent opportunities even more. For the past ten years, she has been very seriously about every assignment given to her and puts in her very best. In Leong's latest album, veteran lyricist Lin Xi specially penned for her the song "Dare Not", whose lyrics were a testimony of her feelings. She felt that this album has recovered the initial purity and simplicity she had for singing and music. "This song came at the right time; not too early nor too late," she said. In her album is also the duet "PK" which featured fellow Malaysian singer Gary Chaw. The lyrics described the little unserious "competitions" which couples have among themselves; Leong sees these "PKs" as sentimentalism between couples. "Sometimes I would act like a spoilt brat too, but we should never overdo it. Guy's magnanimity should not be taken for granted. A balance needs to be struck and slowly integrate them into our lives. Also, one cannot be too willful," she explained. Leong, who has always kept her love life in low profile, openly declared love for her boyfriend on the Shanghai concert on Valentine's Day this year. She explained that it was an emotion she felt there and then and decided to express it. "I felt a sense of security and blissfulness. I wanted to share my feelings with the people who love me," she said. Just like her song from the earlier days, "Love Really Needs Courage", Leong does not resent paparazzi secretly taking photos of her or answering questions on her relationship; however, she joked and said that she minded if the photos do not turn out great. The earthquake made Leong, who was just a newcomer back then, grow up overnight; the ten years of experiences have indeed shaped and made her grow.
