Olivia Ong: Ageless Beauty

SINGAPORE – When we think of ethereal beings, we think of Galadriel from The Lord Of The Rings or Xiao Long Nu (Little Dragon Maiden) from The Return Of The Condor Heroes. Or sometimes, singer Olivia Ong from Singapore.

Just watching her at work is quite the experience. As we waited for our interview backstage at MediaCorp’s The 5 Show, on which she was scheduled to appear, we observed how the singer sat quietly, as if nothing in the world could and should distress her, until her visibly stressed manager beckoned her. When it was her turn to perform on the show, her voice was so gentle and clear. Did she have access to some magic elixir that the rest of us didn’t? And just how Ong managed to look so otherworldly as she nibbled on Hokkien noodles off the lid of a plastic box is truly quite beyond us.

Yet, even celestial beings like Olivia Ong have to grow older. Come October, the Singaporean singer will turn 30 – although she claims it is not a prospect that frightens her.

“I don’t think 30 is a scary age, but I just feel that time passes by too quickly, and that, to me, is very scary,” Ong said. “I feel like I want to redeem the time, more than anything else. So from now on, I hope the things I do and decisions I make will be worthwhile. That is my No 1 priority.”

She added: “As a female (singer) in this industry, people talk about how you’re going to slow down, and your career is going to be narrower when you reach a certain age. To a certain extent, there is some truth in it. But it is a very scary thought, because it’s such a narrow way of thinking and I am not a fan of it. For now, it’s about making sure I am making full use of time. I do feel a sense of urgency – like there’s not enough time to do things.”

This is why, Ong explains, she is determined to step out of her comfort zone, even though life in the entertainment industry must already be terribly uncomfortable for an introvert like her.

“I think the greatest challenge, wherever you may be, whichever industry you are in, is being yourself,” she said. “I do not think it is easy to be yourself. But I think in this industry, you do not know who is looking out for you, or the people closest to you — you may think they are looking out for you, but they are not. So, not everyone has your best interests at heart. You need to know who you are, what you want to do and whether you are willing to take a risk. I think it requires a consciousness of wanting to be aware of your surroundings, your environment and yourself.”

Still, the singer is determined to experiment with an untested talent of her own. Ong revealed that she was in talks to star in a local television drama, although she declined to reveal more information about the show before it was officially announced.

“The thing is, I don’t know if I can act. But (the producers) are very committed to helping me,” she said. “I feel excited about it, because I roughly know my character, what she is going to go through and what she is going to be doing. I have been working with a strong production team, and I think it is a good opportunity.”

In the meantime, Ong is working on her next album - which will include both English and Mandarin songs - and which she hopes to release this year (her last album was released in 2013). Ong, who recently moved back to Singapore after being based in Japan and Taiwan more for a decade, will also hold her very first ticketed concert in Singapore this weekend, as part of the Huayi Festival at the Esplanade. And the famously private singer said she hopes to share more of her thoughts and feelings with her fans through the medium of music.

“I’ll be sharing songs from my album, as well as my favourite covers and songs from my older albums,” said Ong, who has held solo shows in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia. “It’s a little treat for everyone. It’s going to be an eclectic mix of original songs and cover songs.”

As we wrapped our interview, Ong, her manager and I stood backstage as a member of The 5 Show crew came and started suiting Ong up for her TV interview. The singer stood contemplating for a minute and then waved for me over, saying she had something to add: “Since we were talking about growing older, I just wanted to say that I think for me, the most important thing is I will never, ever stop learning. No matter how old I am.”

And that is probably why Olivia Ong, much like Galadriel or Xiao Long Nu, will never truly age.

Olivia Ong’s You & Me concert will be held at the Esplanade Concert Hall at 8pm on Sunday, Feb 22. Tickets from S$38 from SISTIC.