Singer Stella Chang on living her ‘sequel’ post-divorce: ‘Everyone can have a new beginning’

In recent years, Stella Chang has found herself, whether through navigating a divorce or recording the aptly titled single The Sequel.

And fans can expect the Taiwan-born singer to celebrate this sense of confidence and independence at her upcoming concert at Resorts World Ballroom on July 11.

The Singapore show will be her fourth here, and is slated to feature Malaysian singer-songwriter Eric Moo as a guest performer.

Chang previously took the stage at The Star Theatre in 2024, the Singapore Indoor Stadium in 2016 and the former World Trade Centre Harbour Pavilion in 1995.

She will spend three days here for her upcoming gig, giving her enough time to tuck into her favourite local cuisine such as Hainanese chicken rice and black pepper crab.

Singapore, she said, feels like her “second home”. Her first time overseas was to the Lion City.

The 59-year-old told The Straits Times over a Zoom interview from Taipei, where she was raised, on June 25: “I was still a student then, and felt so proud when applying for leave from my classes to go overseas and promote my album. That is why Singapore is so special to me.”

While Chang has been active since the 1980s, she stepped back for a decade or so owing to family commitments. She has not released a studio album since 2004.

From 2005 to 2020, she was married to Taiwan-born banker Sung Hsueh-jen. They have two sons, aged 20 and 19. Reports say the divorce was due to Sung’s strict and controlling behaviour. Chang reportedly felt she had lost her identity in her marriage and felt like an outsider in her own home.

When asked about the split, Chang said: “Let’s not talk about it. Everyone goes through things. It is not as if it is happening only to (me). Every family is the same.”

She has always made her own decisions freely, she qualified, but took on “different roles at different phases of life”.

That said, there was a period when she was bound by family commitments, such as her sons’ schedules, she added. For example, during their vacations, she focused on spending time travelling with them.

Even then, she made it a point to hold concerts in Taiwan in 2010 and in 2015.

She said: “Outside my family life, I felt I should interact with my fans (at least) once every five years. And now, my children have grown; they have their own plans. So I can really relax and perform to my heart’s content.”

Chang’s latest song, The Sequel, released in June 2025, also hints at her more mature era. The contemplative ballad is about pushing ahead and not allowing the past to become a burden in one’s life.

She said the lyrics were tailor-made for her. And the line “One can live without love / but not without oneself”, reflects her current attitude not only towards love, but also “everything”.

For example, regarding charity work, which she feels a calling for, she said: “I can do it and not (need to) discuss it with anybody. I can decide on my own.”

At work, she calls the shots. “Whether I perform in Singapore, Malaysia, China or the United States, I can decide whether I want to do it or not – what details to include, what songs to sing. I can decide to say yes or no.”

She added: “Through The Sequel, I want to tell others that everyone can have a new beginning, as long as you own your voice.”

As for her career’s “sequel”, Chang hopes it will be filled with charity work and connecting with old and new fans.

“It is not as if I am trying to become more famous. I just hope to use my voice to help others reminisce about their past.”

That said, she feels honoured and blessed because of long-time fans who return time and again to watch her shows, which she describes as massive karaoke sessions. “Every time I step on stage, I feel very moved.”

In recent years, she has noticed younger fans taking a liking to some of her older hits, such as Burning In An Instant (1994) and Stormy Night (1995). At her Shanghai concert in 2024, for example, she was surprised at the number of 30-somethings who showed up. “I think good music can transcend generations.”

Asked whether she might find love again, she laughed and said she does not think too far ahead, and that the future is unpredictable. Rather, she wants to go with the flow and cherish the opportunities she has to perform.

She added: “What I hope for now is to reach Singapore safely and have a well-attended concert where everyone enjoys himself or herself. I am glad my music and I have always had a place in people’s hearts.”

Stella Chang Timeless Concert 2026

Where: Resorts World Ballroom, Resorts World Convention Centre, 8 Sentosa Gateway
When: July 11, 8pm
Admission: $88 to $288 via BookMyShow (go to bookmyshow.sg or call 6591-8871) and Ticketmaster (go to ticketmaster.sg or call 6018-7645)