SINGAPORE — When Ming Bridges made her Mandopop debut in 2013, she quickly became one of Singapore’s most promising musical exports in recent years. Pretty, effortlessly charming and blessed with a voice that is both sweet and recognisable over the radio, the Singaporean singer-songwriter started garnering followers on social media and prizes at entertainment awards.

Then, just when things were going well for her, her body started to protest. Bridges was diagnosed with a thyroid disorder, which, combined with stress from her work as an artiste, caused her weight to almost double in 18 months to 80kg, despite her efforts to exercise and keep a healthy diet. At her doctor’s and parents’ insistence, the musician took a break from showbiz and moved to London to recuperate — and pursue a degree in Business at King’s College London.

“(The decision) took a long time, I have to admit. I was very, very stubborn about it ... I’d just started doing well and I just had to stop (my singing career). At the end, I just didn’t have a choice, which is why I decided to go back to England to just be myself for a while,” Bridges said in an interview at Hotel Vagabond, in a mixture of English and Mandarin.

“I found it very hard (to cope), especially with the weight gain. People were always commenting on my weight, especially in Singapore. If I were on the streets, people would do this double take ... I just felt so awful, I didn’t want to feel watched.”

Unfortunately, Bridges didn’t have a very easy time at university either, saying she found it hard to find friends because of her mixed heritage — her father is British and her mother is Singaporean Chinese. She made use of her free time exercising, doing yoga and meditation, and re-assessed her priorities.

Over the past few months, Bridges learnt how to relax and focus on what makes her happy. She has even found a “gratitude friend”, whom she messages daily with positive messages and observations about the little things in life she is grateful for. Interestingly, her studies have also given her new perspectives on her career.

“I think when I first wanted to be a singer, I was of course very into the music. But I think what’s really important ... is that you don’t just look at the singing — there’s so much more,” she explained. “You’re basically a product, which I think has helped me distinguish between my personal life and business life. If someone throws a comment about how I look, I am like, that’s not personal, that’s business, you’re a singer and people are viewing you as a singer.”

She continued: “It took a lot of time (for me to learn that). Previously, I found it very, very hard to detach myself. Now, I am able to value myself more as a person, instead of being all jumbled up in this mess of, ‘oh my gosh, I am not good enough as a person because this isn’t going as well’. If my business does well, that’s great. But it has nothing to do with my personal life.”

So far, Bridges’ recovery seems to be going well. The singer is healthy and her weight is down to about 60kg, although she said she is more focused on being healthy and happy.

It also looks as if her fans have not forsaken her, if social media is any indication — Bridges currently has more than 1.2 million “Likes” on Facebook. She also recently released her brand new Mandopop EP Beautiful Melody and promises that her fans will not have to wait another three years before her next release, even as she learns to take things one step at a time.

“Every month, I try to reassess — am I happy now, am I doing things that make me happy? Right now, what makes me happy is singing and songwriting,” Bridges said, referring to her decision to take a pause on her studies to release her album. “Next month, I’ll reassess, and if I can still write songs while studying, I can do that.”

Bridges, who took part in songwriting camps while she was in London, also said she might explore a very different sound — namely, rock music. “I am a big goody-two-shoes. I love my family, I don’t drink much, and I go to bed early. I think it’s hard because a lot of people think that if you want to be a rock and roll person, you have to do drugs or alcohol or stay out late. But I love rock music,” she said, laughing.

“I am pretty much like the good-est bada** though.”