Coco Channels her inner vamp
By Carlomar Arcangel Daoana
Thursday, 06 30, 2005
Coco Lee skyrocketed to fame in this country with the romantic ditty, Before
I Fall in Love,?the theme song to the Julia Roberts-Richard Gere reunion
movie, Runaway Bride (the first one being the blockbuster romance Pretty
Woman). In the music video, Coco, a vision of sweetness and light, looked
imploringly at the camera as rain dribbled on glass windows, with snatches of
the film stealing into scene.
That was in 1999, the year Coco launched her first English album, No Other
Way, which would become one of the bestselling albums by an Asian artist. But
it was not a quick, blind jump into the mainstream. To get to that point, Coco
had to wait five years and make 11 albums in Cantonese to prove that aside
from a disarmingly innocent face, an admiringly petite frame, she sure got
the pipes to move millions of people all over the planet with her music.
But after that, it seemed that everything was in the bag. Soon, Coco was being
voted as one of the sexiest celebrities by FHM and Maxim readers yearly. An
unexpected award, but well-deserved, was bestowed on her by Harvard University
, honoring her as Most Outstanding Asian-American performer for 2000. Of
course, there were the sold-out concerts, the MTV awards, the endorsements (
she was a celebrity ambassador of the fashion house Chanel). What may be
considered her golden moment was her performance at the Oscars when she sang
the Academy Award-nominated song, A Love Before Time?watched by about 1.5
billion people worldwide.
Still, Coco bid her time in coming out with another English album. Exposed,
released by Sony BMG just this year, contains songs influenced by a host of
genres (R&B, hip-hop, techno, even a bit of reggae) and some which she
personally wrote, with the music savant Ric Wake (responsible for some of the
Jlo, Celine Dion and Mariah Carey hits) at the helm.
Sizzling at 29, and flirtatious and daring than ever, Coco sheds her
sweetheart image and leaves nothing except for her neutral-colored bikini in
the video, So Good,?which is the album's carrier single. No more the goody
two shoes, Coco is a woman both confident and defiant, in touch with the
rhythm of her sexuality, expressed in gyrating moves, delicious spins and
oh-so sultry poses. But with her vibrant, twinkling eyes and tooth-aching
smile, Coco is still an Asian doll, no doubt.
Coco was here last week and made a couple of TV appearances to promote her
album to her Pinoy fans that just so missed her. Her visit to Robinson's Place
Manila was perhaps the craziest the mall had ever seen, what with the
screaming and scampering fans who wanted a glimpse or an autograph. Amid her
schedule spinning out of place, Coco took some time to chat with local
lifestyle and entertainment journalists. From her lovelife to her superstar
fame, from her Oscar experience to her duet with Ricky Martin, from what she
finds sexy in a man to what will make her pose for Playboy, Coco made some
revelations, and more.
How much has Coco changed?
I'm all grown, how's that? Back then, I was a little girl, still wondering
about life and what love really is, and I can see I found true love and I met
this wonderful guy and he inspires me. But I think that love inspires us all.
Why do you think it has been easy for you (to do the crossover from a Chinese
popstar to an international superstar)?
It's not easy. No, it's never easy. The only reason why I wanted to do it,
when I became a singer myself, I had the chance to go around different places
in Asia and I realized there are so many talented singers, musicians out here
轴ike in the Philippines. And I was thinking, how come I don't see an Asian
singer in the international scene? I don't understand, we're very talented
people.
When I told Sony I would love to get a crack at it and see if I can do it,
they gave the confidence and the support and they gave me the opportunity.
For me, it was trying to open the door and hopefully, many people will be
aware that Asian people are very talented musically also.
It was difficult because the first to do anything will get the most criticism,
hardship because you don't have someone's footsteps to follow. You are not
sure what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong. I have to say that
I gained a lot from that experience. That nothing comes easy but I have a lot
of supportive fans out there in Asia who are just rooting for me. They want
me to do well because they want to hear their own voice.
How different is the music you're doing now compared with your previous
Chinese albums?
Over all, the whole album has no sad songs. Everything's uplifting,
everything's pretty positive. If I am talking about, I think my boyfriend is
cheating, I put it in way that's very sassy, fun and cute way instead of
being angry. I wasn't angry but I'm going out there playing detective, I'm
gonna find out he's doing some bad (things), so when he is, I'm gone. I'm
using a very fun way to write about that评he attitude is very chill, very
cool. The whole bulk of the album is very funky, very edgy, very young.
In your latest album, what song best describes your present state of career and life?
Magic Words.?That time, we were almost done with the whole album. And I felt,
you know there's a song that's missing. It's missing that power ballad. The
producer (Henrik Ahlgren) that I was working with during that time said, 装ou
know I have this track for you and I want you to listen to it.?And I listened
to it and I wanted to cry when I listened to the lyrics, because I had just
met this wonderful guy, and I was feeling the words. Because in a relationship
, there is so much ups and downs, and not every day is beautiful. The moment
your lover says the magic word, whatever it is, you think everything's okay.
Whatever worries you have, it just goes away
How important is imaging to your career these days?
I believe in the whole package. Other than audio隝hat you hear, great mixing,
great songs, blah blah blah陦isually it has to be quite stimulating also. A
lot of popstars you see are quite very sexy, every single one of them. For me,
just to make it a bit sexier doesn't bother me. I think growing up in the
States also helped me to be open-minded with my sense of style.
I remember the music video director of So Good.?He wanted to have that nude
feel (in the video), that's why (I was wearing) a nude bikini. Originally, he
only wanted me to use a nipple tape and that's it. I was like, 選o, I can't do
that.?That's why they created a nude-colored bikini and probably that's the
most risqu?I've ever done.
Have you ever performed with any international artist?
Ricky Martin绚 was his special guest four times. I went to Japan, Korea, Hong
Kong, Singapore绚 swear every time I sing, I'm so nervous, something really
bad happens. I know the song so well but the moment it's my turn to go to the
stage and sing my first line and I look at him, oh my god, I forget the second
line. So I just repeat the first line (singing), 巣hen the night is young,
and the night is young, oh the night is so young, and the night is young.?
Keep on going because people don't care. They're just so excited to see you.
They won't notice that I'm just repeating that one line.
Maybe my next album is, Coco's Amazing Boo Boos (laughter). I can write about
all these embarrassing moments. The Ricky Martin (incident) was really
unforgettable.
(Also) Julio Iglesias who's like the king of Spain. My goodness, you see all
these women. I swear they are on their knees when they talk to him. He's a
very sweet guy, very affectionate.
Yoyo Mo's the most unforgettable experience because that was for the Oscar
song, for the Academy Awards. I swear that day I was so nervous, I couldn't
hear the music. I thought I must be like a tomato because when you're nervous,
the blood gushes to your head and I felt my head was swelling. I was thinking
, I must look so red right now. They said no, that I looked fine, that I sang
great.
I still don't want to watch the playback of the Oscars because my memory of it
is I see Russell Crowe, I see Julia Roberts and that's it. I don't want to
watch myself. I want that vision of me looking at them, I own the stage and
they are watching me. That's the best thing in the world.
What do you think makes a man sexy?
Confidence. The guy has to know what he's doing. Intelligence is very, very
sexy to me. There's quite a lot of sexy (Filipino) men out there.
How can Filipino men, in your opinion, become sexier?
I think they are sexy the way they are. I think it's important to have your
own identity and style. Individualism makes you cool and makes you sexy. The
most important thing is always know what you are saying, what you are talking
about. A girl finds a guy attractive if he knows his stuff.
What will convince you to pose for Playboy?
Oh my (nervous laughter). Never considered it. I don't think I would. But I
understand women who do and did. It's because they may be feeling proud of
their body at that moment and they want to remember it. For some of us ladies,
we're more shy. We're very happy with our bodies in the bathroom and we don't
need the whole world to see it.
轉自：http://www.tribune.net.ph/life/20050630.lif01.html
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