[February 2010 Modern Music] Show Lo Exclusive Interview : I Don’t Rely On Anyone

Interviewer : After the recording of your album, did you go through and listen to the entire album attentively? How do you feel about yourself?
Show : Yes, I listened very attentively, even more attentively that my previous albums. I should say that the recording of the album and its preparations took longer than my 6 previous albums. After listening to this album, I really felt that it was better made than the last album. I really like this album, every time I listen to it, I never get that feeling of wanting to hurry and listen to the next song.

Interviewer : Every one of your albums seems to have a song that depicts what you’re feeling at the time, is it purposely planned that way, or is it purely a coincidence?
Show : Actually, for every song in this album, I went and discussed with the lyricist. For example, “Xi Guan Jiu Hao (I’ll Get Used To It), that’s very “Show Lo,” it’s what I, Show Lo, am thinking and want to say, because after going through so many ups and downs, you’ll feel like, we’ll just have to get used to these things. (But the music video doesn’t seem to have been filmed that way?) Yeah, but it’s not like they can film Show Lo’s entire showbiz carrier, right? Hahaha~~so we could only use a concept that people would understand, could relate to, to film it; lovers breaking up is probably the thing that would give everyone this feeling, right? “Wei Xian De Nian Tou (Hazardous Idea)” is talking about all the different things that can happen in love, example : Being deceived, getting hurt....I like “Lao Shi Jiang (Truth)” because there are things you’ll miss if you don’t act fast. So to have me recommend a song that I favor more is hard, because a lot of the songs express what I’m feeling, my story. If I had to choose though, I’d pick “Xi Guan Jiu Hao (I’ll Get Used To It).”

Interviewer : For the ballads this time, did you purposely try a different way of interpreting the slow songs? (Because I feel that the way you sang the ballads this time is a little different from the past.)
Show : My voice is deeper, to be honest, for my previous albums, during the editing of the music, they’d touch-up my voice a little, but this time I told them to try and not do that, I want to use my most genuine voice to convey the expressive lyrics, that kind of feeling would be best. Everyone listens to music differently and their voices are recognized differently as well. I didn’t intentionally try to change anything. I just thought that since I had the opportunity, I could express my truest self to everyone.

Interviewer : Spending lots of money to go to the U.S., then hiring a choreographer, and then filming music videos, are you ecstatic on the inside?
Show : Very ecstatic. The music video for my main release is #1 in Taiwan right now, the expenditures were also the highest, a few million dollars. It really was a music video that money was splurged on to create. The music industry is in a recession right now, so in spending millions RMB on one music video, which is the amount of money for 4 music videos, it feels great. And something else that I take pride in is that I went to an opera house in the U.S. to film, lots and lots of artists want to visit, so being able to film a music video there is just exhilarating. (Are you more fluent in English now than you were before?) Haha. In that environment, in those circumstances, your English skills really will improve, and now that I’m not in that environment, then it’ll regress. I think that the environment is really important, because everyone is in the same environment, and you want to express your thoughts, so you just spew out and churn out things to say, and you realize, Hey, people actually understand what you’re saying.

Interviewer : When you make friends, it takes you a long time before you can open up your heart to them, right?
Show : Why do you ask that way? (Because Hu Die Jie Jie, who hosts with you, said that there’s a process to getting your phone number.) I’m not someone that likes to feign familiarity, act close, or purposely asking for phone numbers. If we talk on very general terms and just surface friendliness, I won’t give it(his phone number) to them. But if we share an interest and actually interact, then we’d say, “Okay, let’s exchange numbers then?”

Interviewer : Do you think your attitude/personality now, is largely due to your family’s influence and background?
Show : Of course, I really think that my personality was influenced by my family since I was young. Of course there are also factors that contribute to other feelings, you’re going to ask what kind of feelings right? It’s just that with age, you just feel more mature, and the way you look at things becomes different. (Then do you think that you’re mature now?) If you wanted me to talk to you in a really mature and composed way, I can do that too. I can be really serious too, you want that? (No.) Haha, see!

Interviewer : In these few years, do you think you’ve changed a lot?
Show : I don’t think I’m the one changing, it you guys! There are lots of reporters in Taiwan that would tell me, Show you’re different from before, and I’d say, I’m not the one changing, you guys are the ones changing. You know that feeling? Actually the feelings and attitudes you reporters have towards me are changing, because everyone is pragmatic. (But your popularity could be because of some factor or another?) No! It’s just persistence and effort, I don’t rely on anyone! I really don’t rely on anyone! Before I’d come to China to promote my album, and too many reporters would ask, Show, why do you always become friends with people that are more popular than you are? I felt so helpless, why do you guys have to feel that way? I’ve known these friends for a long time, and I even met some before they entered showbiz, at the time I was the one more popular! I was really sad, I felt......you know? (Yup, I know!) I really don’t want people to say that I became popular because of so and so, please everyone, think it over first and see if it’s true, or get to know me more.

Interviewer : Are you someone that holds a grudge?
Show : Yes! (Answered super quickly) Those people that had once looked down on me, I will hold a grudge. (Like those little things? ) Like what? (Show, you know in “Hi My Sweetheart” you were fat in the pink pants you wore?) Oh, that’s fine, but I wasn’t fat, all right? Everyone has a different viewpoint on things, like some people say I sound good when I sing, and others say I’m not very good. I remember when I participated in an event, and a reporter very earnestly said to me, “Show, your singing is awful.” And he told me that in front of a lot of people, but I said, “Perhaps my singing is awful, but I’m using my voice to touch people.”

Interviewer : Will you be proud for a long time when people compliment you?
Show : Yes! I’m easily satisfied. As long as someone says, “Show your performance today was so good, or your performance today was so spectacular,” I’d be proud of myself for a long time. (You’re that easily satisfied?) I am, I’m really someone who is easily satisfied. As long as I get a little bit of encouragement, I would be happy for a very, very long time, because before, no one wanted to watch me perform. And probably having experienced that, I’m especially easily satisfied. Like before, everyone would say that I was a tacky Tai Ke [Taiwan thug], but now some people would say, Show, you dress/accessorize so well, or Show, lots of people imitate your style now, and I’d truly be really happy, because people used to criticize me as “Tai” and criticized me for not dressing well, but now so many people would imitate my hairstyle or the way I dress, so I’m just really happy, and happier about this than most other things too. But at the same time, if I guest on TV shows, and if someone compliments me, I really don’t feel anything, because I feel that it’s probably just for TV. (Like Xiao S?) Yes, well, you know, when Xiao S talks, of 10 things she says, 11 of them are false.

Interviewer : Do you still remember how you reacted at the time when people suddenly started calling you “Asia’s Dance King?”
Show : “Jing Wu Men (Dance Gate)”? It should be “Yi Zhi Du Xiu.” I really asked my company’s publicity, why no one had noticed me before, even though I was dancing my heart out . He said that it’s because of all that I’ve accumulated, everyone gets to see a different Show Lo. Actually when I released my first album, I really worked really hard on it, I tried hard to dance my choreography, but no one paid any attention to me, but “Zhen Ming Tian Zi(Destined Guy)” and “Jing Wu Men(Dance Gate)” everyone noticed. “Jing Wu Men (Dance Gate)” was when people acknowledged me most, lots of competition shows perform my chair dance. And then “Yi Zhi Du Xiu” there were people that started calling me “Asia’s Dancing King.” My first reaction was, “Why is it like this?” (And Then?) I started getting a lot of pressure, because when people start calling you that, you’re going to have to accept lots of strange glances, and you’ll need to ask for the best in yourself. I felt like I wasn’t myself anymore, I can’t just dance however I wanted to. I’ve always felt that to dance, you just do it relaxingly, dance happily, just freely enjoying that kind of feeling, but now everyone is watching me dance. So when I’m dancing by myself, I’d think, they’re all off stage watching my every move, I can’t make a mistake, I can’t make it look bad, and I’d feel, why is there so much pressure? (How about now?) Now, I’m actually beginning to relax again. It’s probably because I’m still trying to get used to this whole process. I’m sure that everyone can dance, but not every can dance and capture that feeling, a dance is inanimate, but a person has life, so that’s why I always want to think of different things for each of my performances. I don’t want to go through a performance in a set format like a music video.

Interviewer : Honestly, do you think that you dance well?
Show : No, I still have lots of things I need to improve/emphasize. For example, sometimes I’d be too caught up by the lighting or how people are watching me in the audience, and so for that movement, I’d think, just play it safe, so I’d be a little withheld with the motions. (Does this title still make you shy?) Yes, I’ve always felt embarrassed.

Interviewer : Are you someone that cares a lot about his appearance?
Show : I care a lot.

Interviewer : This time you’re luggage disappeared, and you didn’t fix up yourself before the autograph session, at the time, were you troubled and thought to yourself about how you didn’t appear as handsome today?
Show : Probably not, I think fans probably like me even more that way. I think I was super handsome at the time, even more so than when I wear my promotional outfits. (Hahahaha) I think I’m more laid-back in my own clothes, I like dressing casually. If you want me to get all dressed up first before interacting with fans, I’d actually be a little not used to it. I feel that if we’re going to be interacting, then I’ll just dress simply and comfortably, this way my fans wouldn’t feel a distance between us. I’ve once read a letter from a fan, she said that when she watched the Show Lo on stage, she feels that there’s a distance, and when I change into casual clothing and interact with them, she realizes that Show Lo can get along with them just like a friend.

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