Jocie Guo uses hard times as inspiration for new record

SINGAPORE — Mandopop singer Jocie Guo has had a bit of a rough patch. A case of mistaken identity, as well as health issues, led to the former rising star to drop out of the entertainment scene, despite early success in 2006 with catchy songs like Mouse Loves Rice and No More Panic — songs that had played repeatedly on the radio and in shopping malls.

But now, Guo is back with an album of new songs. Two new singles, I Will Always Miss You and One Hundred Reasons for Loneliness, have been released on digital outlets that include iTunes and Spotify. A full-length record, Your Name, will be released digitally later this month.

Instead of catchy pop tunes, the songs are more sombre, and are based on the tough times that she has faced in the past six years.

“This album is a reflection what I have been through. You can listen to my new songs and feel the emotions I have experienced,” Guo, 34, told TODAY in a phone interview.

She hopes that the music will encourage those facing obstacles in their own lives to find the courage to go on.

“Music is ... like my best friend. Whenever I feel low, I sing, and I hope that those who like me, and my fans — if I still have them — will understand what I have been through and ... (I hope) that they will see I have grown up.”

She added: “Through song, I want to tell all the people out there who might be feeling the same, who are unhappy with life, that they are not alone. I have been through a hard time, but here I am still singing. As long as it is your dream, don’t give up.”

THE FALL OF A RISING STAR

Once, it looked like Guo had the potential to become one of Singapore’s biggest pop acts and was being groomed to follow in the footsteps of those like Stefanie Sun. Guo’s debut album, No More Panic (2006), topped album sales charts in Singapore and went Platinum in Taiwan. She was also awarded Most Popular Female Newcomer at the prestigious Global Chinese Music Awards, and went on to release two more albums in 2007 and 2010.

Then, disaster struck.

Netizens mistook the singer, whose Chinese name is Guo Mei Mei, for a Chinese social media star of the same name. That “celebrity”, who went by the name Guo Meimei Baby, rose to notoriety in 2011 thanks to social media posts of her fancy cars and handbags, and was later arrested for illegal gambling.

But the damage had been done — the Singaporean singer was inundated with nasty comments online, and was even forced to cancel several gigs at the last minute.

At the same time, she was diagnosed with endometriosis — a painful and chronic disorder that occurs when the tissue that forms the lining of a woman’s uterus is found outside her uterine cavity. And although she wanted to continue singing, Guo decided to take a break.

At first, said Guo, doctors were worried that she had a tumour.

“The one thing that flashed through my mind was that maybe it was a good time to hold a concert, (because) I thought (that perhaps) everybody would come. Maybe they would pity me and give me a place to sing before I moved on,” she said.

“(That was when) I realized how much I loved to sing. Even at that moment, I could think of something like this.”

She didn’t act upon her instincts but rather chose to rest and heal.

Guo, whose condition is now under control, wasn’t entirely inactive. She participated in Taiwanese and Chinese reality singing competitions Super Star and Chinese Idol as a contestant in 2013 and 2014 respectively, and performed at several gigs in various parts of China. She also tried her hand at acting, but discovered that she prefers to sing.

During this time, she was still able to support herself financially despite her reduced workload, thanks to the royalties from her earlier hits.

But the lack of opportunities and the sudden halt in her career made her feel extremely low, said Guo, a former Singapore Polytechnic student.

Things began looking up last year, after an ex-colleague put her in touch with Chinese label Taihe Music, whose roster of artistes include Kit Chan, BY2, Khalil Fong, Z-Chen and Angela Zhang. After about half a year of negotiations, the company signed a record deal with Guo. The result is Your Name.

Asked if she hopes that the album will put her back on the same superstar trajectory, and Guo says that in the past, she would have set targets and goals for herself. Now, she says that she is no longer so ambitious.

“I think (it is good to lead a simple life), and I’m happy as long as I still get to sing.”

The singles I Will Always Miss You and One Hundred Reasons for Loneliness are now out on digital platforms including iTunes, Spotify and KKBOX. Jocie Guo’s fourth studio album, Your Name, will be released on digital platforms on Feb 24.