'Bathroom singer' makes final 12 in Project Superstar 2014
Chinese reality TV singing competition contestant Tan Yanhua says:
Her purple hair screams for attention. And so does her voice.
Miss Tan Yanhua was a breath of fresh air as she ripped through covers of Jam Hsiao's Survive and Xiao Huang Qi's The Last Train with emotive power in her signature lower register.
The Nanyang Academy Of Fine Arts student was one of the standouts in the final audition of Project Superstar 2014, the Chinese reality TV singing competition that made a comeback last Saturday after a hiatus of eight years.
Miss Tan, 22, told The New Paper: "I was a bathroom singer who realised that singing is my passion.
"Waiting eight years for this is a long time and I hope people like my voice because I feel it's unique."
She added: "It's really difficult to enter the music industry in Singapore."
This is her first TV singing competition.
Miss Tan, who also hopes to be a fashion designer with her own brand, feels that many Singaporeans are wary of bright colours. And if she has her way, she would love to liven up their lives with radiant hues.
"Don't be afraid of matching things like stripes with polka dots," she said.
"For me, I like to wear a bright top with a dull bottom, which is my style of streetwear.
'I MAY LOOK FIERCE, BUT...'
"With the clothes I wear and my make-up, I may look fierce, but I hope people can take me for who I am. I'm actually a very cheerful person who likes making friends."
Unlike Miss Tan, another finalist, Miss Abigail Yeo, 18, is a veteran of singing contests.
Project Superstar 2014 marks her 10th such competition in the last five years.
Her previous outings include Youth Box Stars, Kovan Superstar, K-duet, Stardust and two contests organised by local Chinese radio stations UFM 100.3 and Y.E.S 93.3.
She is determined to do all that it takes to become a full-fledged Mandopop artist. The Temasek Polytechnic student gained exposure in March when Razor TV featured her singing in a video clip and said that she could be the next Stefanie Sun.
The baby-faced singer has released an EP with three Mandopop songs - OOTD, If I'm Not That Kind Of Girl and Rebound.
Miss Yeo, who is studying veterinary technology, said: "I'm the kind of person who won't say anything if I'm upset with someone. So I find that when I sing, I can let all of these feelings out.
"When I'm fatigued from school, I turn to singing and it lifts me."
She said she was surprised to make the final 12, adding: "The contestants were all really good."
PROJECT SUPERSTAR IS BACK
For Mandopop wannabes hoping for a showcase of their singing talent, the eight-year wait is finally over.
Channel U's Chinese reality TV singing competition, Project Superstar, is back for its third season.
The contest, which debuted in 2005, is open to contestants of all ages and nationalities. Unlike the previous two seasons, groups were allowed to audition for the first time this year.
Last Saturday at the UE Convention Centre, the 12 finalists - six women and six men - were chosen from the initial 200 who auditioned.
Project Superstar 2014 will premiere on Channel U on Aug 18 and will be shown every Monday at 8pm.
It is hosted by Dasmond Koh, Shane Pow and Jeremy Chan. The judges this season are former singer Dawn Yip, and composer-producers Roy Loi and Eric Ng.
The winner of the contest will be offered a MediaCorp contract and cash prize of an amount yet to be finalised.
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