Jason Chan
Up-and-coming singer Jason Chan experienced a bizarre surge of fame last year when a video alleging that he had an erection while singing attracted over 100,000 hits on YouTube. He talks to June Ng about embracing free publicity and the bulge.
I was born in Hong Kong. My mom and I moved to Canada when I was seven. My parents got divorced when I was very little.
My first childhood dream was to be a Lego designer, then an architect. But later on I wanted to be a social worker, because I wanted to help people.
It’s more about the preaching and counseling bit. I really like reasoning with people.
In my head, I know which principles are right, but I’m not able to fully adhere to these principles myself. I want other people to be able to do the right thing though.
I studied social science in college. But I dropped out during the first year then came back to Hong Kong.
A few months later, my record company cast me. A friend of mine sent them my demos that I had recorded in Canada. My friend actually sings better than me. I don’t know why he didn’t send his in as well. Maybe it’s because he’s seven years older and has a son.
I always loved singing, but to be frank, I never thought that I was good enough to go professional.
I felt inadequate in all aspects, from technique to my appearance and height.
A YouTube video alleged that I had an erection on stage. It’s not true, but I can’t deny that it was a very effective form of promotion. Suddenly, I got invited to more functions.
It’s normal. The biggest news in newspapers about singers usually is not related to music. For a magazine to survive they do have to write about negative things. But when they don’t write about you, you complain. So I choose not to be bothered.
My colleague and I actually think that the clip was digitally edited to put in such an effect after a thorough study. That part in particular looks blurry.
My view on the year-end award ceremonies is that the results only reflect the approval by the organizing channels; they don’t reflect the actual size of your fan base.
It doesn’t matter if people only remember my songs but not my person. At least they remember something.
I practice singing whenever I have time. What singer isn’t afraid of singing out of tune when performing live? When singing is your career, you should always be prepared to sing because this is what you’re supposed to do well.
Even if you sing off-key, there are millions of contingency plans. First, many people wouldn’t be aware of the mistake because they’re outsiders. And if it really is bad, pretend you did it on purpose. Act.
Hong Kong hasn’t changed a bit. Change for me is not about having more high-rise buildings in the city; it’s about whether the city is still giving off the same vibe. And it still is: busy, crowded, densely populated. I like to be surrounded by people.
I’m optimistic, and my hatred doesn’t last overnight. I just need to have a sleep, then the next day I’ll think of an excuse for the people who have wronged me. This is the procedure to follow when you want to be a good person.
My universal rule to everyone is: stay calm. No matter what situation you’re in, just make sure you’re not doing evil to others and yourself—then everything will turn out just fine.
That doesn’t apply to shopping though. When I see things I like, I just get it. Money is an object and you can always earn it.
But the more money one possesses, the more calculating one becomes. Rich guys would never use 90 percent of their fortune to buy something even if it’s what they really like. I can, because I’m not that rich.
