An all-new Guan Huai Fang Shi

SINGAPORE – Nope, your ears haven’t been playing tricks on you. That’s really a new, updated version of Guan Huai Fang Shi you’ve been hearing on Y.E.S 93.3, performed by MediaCorp artiste Desmond Tan.

“Of course, there’s a certain level of pressure that comes with singing an all-time favourite local classic,” the actor admitted in an e-mail interview. “My aim is to introduce this two-decade old song to younger Singaporeans, so I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to do this song justice.”

“However, my excitement ultimately outweighed my concerns. I’m glad that I’m one step nearer to (my) first love – singing.”

The song, originally a duet by Chen Hanwei and Leelian Chua, was the theme song to 1995’s highly popular tele-movie Cupid Love, which starred Chen and Hong Kong actress Athena Chu. Tan’s rendition is produced by local songwriter Jack Lim (Sui An), who composed the original song.

Tan also revealed plans to perform his two new songs – Guan Huai Fang Shi and Peng You Yi Ran Jing Cai, a single that will be released in about two weeks – live.

“I wish to communicate with my fans, and people who might not know me, through my own music,” he added. “I’ve been preparing to compose my own songs, to share my stories as well as my news about different aspects of life.”

“I hope that my music will be heard within these two years. That’s the target I’ve set for myself.”