From Today newpaper
Bite of the Spider-woman How Stefanie Sun made a grown man cry
by Christopher Toh 05:55 AM Jun 26, 2009CAN Stefanie Sun really make somebody cry?
She's so affable, amicable, and gosh-darn likeable, it's very difficult to picture everyone's favourite pop princess reducing a grown man to tears. However, she apparently did just that last month during her concert in Taipei.
"It's always a panic backstage to change costumes quickly," Sun told Today. "It was this ruffle outfit and I couldn't get out of it! The zip was stuck halfway down my back. And there were four or five people were trying to take it off, but it was so tight and fitted that it was impossible."
So Sun did what any woman who only had 30 seconds to change would do: "I said, 'Cut it'. And they were like, 'No, cannot, tomorrow there's another show'. But I was like, 'Just take a scissors and cut it'.
"So someone did that. And I quickly changed into the next costume and got onstage just in time to start the next song. It was such a close call.
"We told the stylist that we had to rip off the costume and they said there were tears in his eyes, because he spent a lot of effort on it!"
Hopefully, such wardrobe malfunctions won't happen when the 31-year-old pop star performs here at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on July 11 - her first concert here in three years. This tour, which will see her head to Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and Malaysia after the Singapore gig, will be markedly different from her other shows, mostly because of the futuristic stage sets and her song list.
"It's a bit avant-garde and the song list - most of it - is actually is more tailored towards the concept," she said.
"There will be the familiar hits, but you will get to hear more of the B-sides, which are very important to me, otherwise I wouldn't have recorded them!"
You've done all kinds of shows ...
I haven't done Cirque du Soleil-type shows yet!
This show seems more thematic than your previous concerts. Why the change?
The title of the concert is The Answer Is ... and, I know, it sounds a bit pretentious, but the point is I haven't been around for two years and people have been asking me questions like, "Why haven't you come up with another album?" or "Aren't you scared of being replaced?" And I've been asking myself questions like: "What's going to happen next in my life?" or "What am I doing this for?"
This concert, well, it's sort of an explanation to these questions.
How so?
It's about trying to find answers and trying to dabble with the concept of time. Because some of these answers you'll only know in the future. Which is why the theme is very futuristic and very avant-garde. I hope people will like it. You know, at least enjoy the show visually, even if they don't get it.
This concert also marks your 10th year in show business. How do you feel?
I feel a bit older! There was one time where this relative newbie to the scene came up to me and she called me "Yan Zi jie" (big sister). And I was like: "Hmm, I've got to get used to that now!" But I feel quite good.
So you weren't afraid of being replaced?
I don't think it's possible to replace me! (Laughs) But if you think of people like Anita Mui or Sammi Cheng - it's difficult to replace them because they had their own style and all that. And you kind of build a bond with the fans. And sure, some part of you wants to have new fans, but at the end of the day, you don't really crave it any more.
The younger people might not really know me, but that's okay.
Is it true that you weren't too pleased about the Taiwanese press asking about your boyfriend?
There are things you cannot control, but there are things that you needn't respond to. Like, everybody seems to be concerned about my ... certain private situations and ask all these questions. But I feel like, if you don't respond, just say, "It's private", they can't do much.
I think that's why I like to stay here in Singapore. It's okay to say "no" here. I mean they're fine over there, too, but they have this urge to, like, to know more, and do it furtively. The paparazzi there really just do things without your knowledge and that's intrusion. You don't get that here in Singapore.
You mentioned how fearless you are. What's the most fearless thing you've done?
To do this concert after two years! That's the ironic thing! You want to have the freedom to choose, but at the end of it, when you do have the freedom to that, it actually becomes a weight when you can choose. Because it's just you. You're the one who has to make the decisions; you are the one who's bearing the consequences.
Like in Spider-Man, they say, "With great power comes great responsibility" - and having that freedom of choice is power. So ... I'm, er, Spider-woman!
Stefanie Sun's The Answer Is ... tour lands Jul 11, 8pm at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tickets at $78 to $168 from Sistic. At last check, only $78, $148 and $168 priced seats were left. Call 6348 5555 for more details. |
