Stefanie Sun: This is the year of national duty

SINGAPORE – It may be a while more before Stefanie Sun releases another full-length album. Speaking at an interview last night after the concert for the launch of the SG50 album, Sing, Love, at The Coliseum at Hard Rock Hotel; Singapore’s Queen of Mandopop said she intends to take a break over the next few months after completing an intense world tour on the back of her latest album, Kepler, spanning one-and-a-half years, with 26 shows all over Asia.

“I’m really looking forward to (taking a break). Coming up, in the next week or so, is my last Kepler concert,” Sun said after the show “It’s been a very, very good run. I am both sad and happy, but I feel like I just need to stop for a while. I know it sounds very familiar, but I just need to stop for a while and do other things.”

The 36-year-old, who had released a single, Radio, in February this year, says she will be spending more time with her family, and “looking for new things to do”. In addition, she will also be working on new collaborations, including a song for an upcoming movie.

“As you know it is SG50, so there’s going to be a lot of things happening, such as the National Day Parade,” she said. “This year is the year of national duty, lah,” said the Singaporean singer.

When asked if she considered producing a second child as part of her “national duty”, Sun laughed. “I don’t think I will be in time for the Jubilee package,” she quipped. “And to be frank, I do not have any plans for a second (child).”

But Sun certainly enjoys spending time with her three-year-old toddler – although one activity she should probably avoid in the future is cutting his hair. “I helped my son cut his hair recently ... but after I did so, I (had to) call my hairstylist. I said, ‘Dex, can I please come to your house now?’ It was early, at 10 in the morning. He was very generous and asked me to go over, so I brought my son over and asked him to salvage his hair,” she said, laughing. “Even my husband, who is usually very encouraging, asked if I should ask someone to help. That was the extent (of how bad it was).”

Earlier in the evening, Sun teamed up with local rapper ShiGGa Shay to perform to an audience of 1,200 at the concert. They sang, Simply Love, a track penned by veteran songwriter Liang Wern Fook off the Sing, Love album. Besides Sun and ShiGGa, local musicians such as Corrinne May, Jimmy Ye, Jeremy Monteiro, Rani Singam, Sezairi, The Sam Willows, Joanna Dong, Nathan Hartono, THELIONCITYBOY and Charlie Lim also performed the album’s four other original songs at the concert, which was attended by guest-of-honour Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Minister for Social and Family Development. Sing, Love is produced by musician Ruth Ling to celebrate Singapore’s 50th birthday.