The humble superstar: HK singer Eason Chan once had to spell out his name to Madonna

SINGAPORE – As one of Asia’s most successful music acts, one might expect Hong Kong’s Eason Chan to have some airs about him.

But so unpretentious is the Cantopop singer-actor that when he was randomly pulled onstage by Madonna at her 2016 concert in Macau, he was happy to spell out his name to the American pop queen, who did not know who he was.

He wrote the letters in the air and, to make it easier for her, even explained: “‘Season’ without the ‘s’.”

Chan has been named Best Male Mandarin Singer at the Golden Melody Awards three times, and is famous for hits such as King Of Karaoke (2000) and Ten Years (2003). He grooved with the international icon to her song Unapologetic B***h (2015), busting out a dance solo in a get-up of white T-shirt and yellow pants.

In an e-mail interview ahead of his two concerts in Singapore this weekend, Chan, 48, reminisced that sharing the stage with Madonna, 64, was an unforgettable moment, and he felt surprised and lucky to be selected.

A big fan of hers, he revealed that he was so excited, he hurt himself executing his moves. “I knelt down and hit my knees on the floor, which gave Madonna and her dancers a few laughs.”

Expect the same casual demeanour and spontaneity at his upcoming gigs at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, as well as a rich repertoire of songs going back to the late 1990s. He last performed at the same venue in 2017 in support of his album C’mon In.

Part of his Fear And Dreams World Tour, Chan shared that he is already living his wildest dream, which is to sing and perform onstage. As for his greatest fear, however, it is leaving the world suddenly, without having done everything he is still eager to accomplish.

His upcoming shows will explore the big questions of life. Trailers show him in an astronaut-inspired costume against a space-themed segment. He said: “Just imagine we are going into space, where it is full of unknowns, uncertainties and possibilities.

“In this concert, I act like a narrator introducing these emotions, which I hope will inspire the audience.”

His tour kicked off with 27 performances at the Hong Kong Coliseum in December and January, with a set list featuring the likes of 700 Years Later (2009) and A Dance For Tomorrow (2020).

Chan, who is married with one daughter, said his Singapore shows’ structure will not be too different, but some Cantonese songs will be replaced by Mandarin tracks.

It is worth noting that Chan closed each night of his Hong Kong performances with a different encore number. He considers the finale an opportunity to celebrate his more than 25 years in the music industry, he said.

“I picked one song from each year and this presents a timeline to celebrate my 27th anniversary as a singer.”

Most importantly, he used each encore song’s original arrangement. “It brought me back to the initial feeling of each song, and this meant a lot to me.”

Eason Chan Fear And Dreams World Tour

Where: Singapore Indoor Stadium, 2 Stadium Walk
When: Saturday and Sunday, 8pm
Admission: $168 to $368 via Ticketmaster (call 3158-8588 or go to

ticketmaster.sg

) and at all SingPost outlets