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Huang Qiming: ‘I miss being a singer’

SINGAPORE — Local TV audiences might recognise Malaysian artiste Huang Qi Ming from MediaCorp TV Channel 8 dramas and co-productions such as Kampong Ties, Unriddle 2 and Spice Up. But being an actor, he said, has been his “undercover identity”.

SINGAPORE — Local TV audiences might recognise Malaysian artiste Huang Qi Ming from MediaCorp TV Channel 8 dramas and co-productions such as Kampong Ties, Unriddle 2 and Spice Up. But being an actor, he said, has been his “undercover identity”.

Even though he started acting seven years ago, he still harbours dreams of recording his own solo album.

“I did not expect to do so many dramas with MediaCorp,” he said. “As my roles got bigger, I grew more serious about immersing myself in those roles.”

But all that time, he said, he “missed the feeling of being a singer”. “I felt like an undercover agent: When could I reassume my singer identity?” he added.

Now, Huang, 40, has done just that. He recently released his first solo album under the moniker Ming. Titled Love Is Not Around, it contains a mix of ballads and more upbeat tracks. The album is his long-awaited return to music: He was one-half of the two-man boyband Island, which released an album in 2000.

Although he treasured the opportunity to release a solo album, which was so long in coming, that also caused him to put undue stress on himself. In the two weeks he had to record the album, he fell ill and lost his voice.

“I gave myself too much pressure — I really wanted to bring out a different side of me — and that backfired. I was quite frustrated,” he said. “The doctor said there was nothing wrong — no infection or virus. It was actually a psychosomatic problem. So I relaxed, went to the movies and chatted with friends. I put work schedules out of my mind. The day after, my voice returned.”

Having surmounted that obstacle, he hopes his songs will touch people. The most personal song on the album for him is the title track.

“It’s about how a deeply sentimental guy quietly watches over and protects the girl he loves. Even though the girl doesn’t notice, he doesn’t give up,” Huang said. “I am the sort of person who finds it difficult to express himself, but I am willing to give of myself. A lot of the time, you have to express yourself bravely in order to love. The song’s message is that if you don’t treasure a relationship, it might not last. And if you have a lot of love from friends or family but don’t appreciate it, it’s invisible love.”

Although Huang’s first love is music, he hopes to strike a balance between singing and acting. “I would like to do a musical drama or film. That would be fun,” he said.

Which of the leading ladies he has acted with — including Jeanette Aw, Joanne Peh, Kate Pang and Rui En — would he most like to star in a musical with?

“I’ve worked with Rui En and she is quite a cool kind of girl. I’d like to be able to work with her on a musical, since she has a background in music,” Huang mused. “I knew she had released albums before, so a couple of times, when I was looking for a conversation topic, I asked her, ‘Do you like music?’ But she quickly cut me short and said, ‘Yeah, it’s okay.’

“I’d like to see the other side of her, the not-so-cool side of Rui En — I believe it exists,” he said.

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