Joey Yung shakes off foot injury to dazzle at S'pore show

If there were any lingering pain from her recent foot injury, Hong Kong pop singer Joey Yung showed no sign of it on Sunday night (Oct 9) in front of a 5,000-strong crowd.

The 36-year-old Cantopop diva was in town with fellow Hong Kong veteran Hacken Lee, 48, for their first double-bill concert at the Resorts World Ballroom in the Resorts World Convention Centre.

Great friends in real life, the duo were on fire from the get-go, performing a string of upbeat, energetic numbers like Sleep Early and Escape, and even doing a sexy tango dance to the track Bewitched.

At their previous concert stop two weeks ago in Huizhou, China, Yung told Hong Kong reporters that she had accidentally broken a drinking glass at home and stepped on the glass shards and splinters.

"It happened just before our Huizhou show and I was in severe pain up till the start of the concert," she said.

"Backstage, my crew members did everything they could to help me. Some held my leg, some used a magnifying glass and needle to check for leftover splinters.

"After some poking here and there, they finally managed to pop a small piece of glass out from my foot."

The New Paper spoke to local diehard fans of Yung, who said she is one who "always displays incredible professionalism" in the event of freak accidents or mishaps.

Singaporeans Ms Wing Wong (left) and Ms Lily Foong (right) are longtime fans of Hong Kong pop singer Joey Yung. TNP PHOTO:  PHYLLICIA WANG

Ms Wing Wong, 40, who works in logistics and is the leader of the Singapore contingent of Yung's international fan club, said: "I've watched every concert of Joey's and there were times when she managed to pull off concerts with minor injuries, or when she lost her voice."

SCARY

The most serious incident, recalled Ms Wong, was during Yung's 2010 concert in Hong Kong, when she tripped and fell while singing on an elevated platform.

"At that moment, everyone in the audience went silent. It was quite scary. But Joey immediately stood up and told her fans: 'Where I fall is where I'll stand up on my own.'"

In April, Yung and Lee took part in the hit Chinese reality TV singing competition I Am A Singer 4, which pits professional singers against one another.

Yung came in seventh out of 14 contestants and Lee, who was also the host of the show, came in fourth.

Another local fan, healthcare worker Lily Foong, who is in her early 40s, pointed out that despite Yung's middle-of-the-table placing, she was already a winner to all of her fans as she showed she was "the type to give it her all".

"Joey twisted her ankle on I Am A Singer 4 and while it would have been better for her to rest, she continued to dance," said Ms Foong.

During their concert yesterday, Yung and Lee entertained fans with humorous Cantonese banter.

No surprises that a huge part of the night's focus was on their experiences on I Am A Singer 4.

Yung took friendly digs at Lee's unimpressive command of Mandarin.

Hong Kong veteran crooner Hacken Lee (left) and Cantopop diva Joey Yung (right) at their double-bill concert in Singapore. TNP PHOTO:  PHYLLICIA WANG

"For me, the best part about I Am A Singer 4 was seeing Hacken use all the Mandarin he learnt in his entire lifetime to host the show," she joked.

To that, Lee replied: "Yup, I know around 300 Mandarin words. If anyone dares to challenge my Mandarin, I'll tell them I hosted a Mandarin TV programme before and it was a ratings hit."

Lee told the crowd that earlier this year, once he had received the official invite to go on I Am A Singer 4, he gave Yung a call immediately to tell her that she should consider giving the show a shot too.

"Joey told me she'd come as my guest duet partner," he said.

"Little did I know, when we started filming I Am A Singer 4 proper, she came on as my rival."

Yung laughed and quipped: "In this world, you have to beware of women."