Best Album win only a start for Taiwanese-Korean singer Sun Shengxi

Sun Shengxi says she is often not satisfied with the status quo. PHOTO: ROCK RECORDS

SINGAPORE - For Taiwanese-Korean singer-songwriter Sun Shengxi, winning the Best Mandarin Album accolade at the 2019 Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan was great, but it is not an end point in itself.

In her latest album Where Is Shi?, released last month (December), the musician, who is also known as Shi Shi, sings about her never-ending quest to achieve more.

Speaking to Singapore media in Mandarin recently, she said she is often not satisfied with the status quo, be it how much money she makes or how successful her music is.

"I tell myself to be content, but whenever I get some results, I feel I want to do better. It is a contradiction, but not being satisfied pushes me to move forward."

Sun shot to fame after coming in sixth in the second season of Taiwanese singing reality competition Chinese Million Star in 2013.

Since her fourth album, Shi's Journey, nabbed the prestigious award in 2019, expectations are high, she acknowledged.

"Every action I take - be it writing a melody or deciding how a song is developed - I think about how to do better than last time. The stress is there."

With her new work, she is going all out for this year's Golden Melody Awards, described as the Grammys of Taiwan.

She put it out there that she was eyeing the Best Female Vocalist category but added that "getting nominated in any category is a great form of affirmation".

There is a distinct R&B sound in Sun's new album, a nod to the influence of R&B musicians she has listened to from young, such as Alicia Keys, Beyonce and Usher.

The track Not Enough is in the style of 2000s R&B, featuring a groovy guitar, and is co-produced by Taiwanese rapper Razor Chiang.

Another song, Infected, which likens love to a disease spreading in one's body, has a smooth, undulating melody accompanied by soulful strings.

Sun said: "I have always known my singing style leans towards R&B, from my vibrato to the way my voice changes between registers. But I have not been able to do a proper R&B album until now. So in this album, I feel especially like myself."

Sun sings about her never-ending quest to achieve more in Where Is Shi?. PHOTO: ROCK RECORDS

Sun, who is single, turned 30 last November. In the new year, she hopes to do more music arrangement, and take better care of herself and maybe keep fewer late nights.

A longer-term goal, which she talked about in a recent interview, is to be married, with two or three children. But first, the right person has to come along.

She said: "I am the sort who will be the first to make my intentions known, but this might frighten the other party off."

She might have a long to-do list, but Sun is taking it all in her stride. As she put it: "Actually, I don't need to be in such a hurry to accomplish everything. After all, my 30s have just started."

Where Is Shi? is available on music-streaming platforms such as KKBox, Spotify and Apple Music.

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