Fresh from performing in the hit musical Beauty World, Daren Tan, the winner of Project Superstar 2, has captured public attention once again with his debut album, Regardless.
Settling down to an interview with HOOKED, we put him under further scrutiny as we grilled him on love, life and music - with a dash of humor thrown in.
 HOOKED: Let's start off with some questions on your new album. So why the title "Regardless"?
Daren: Well, this album is
a close reflection of my character because unlike others, I do not have
a "heck care" attitude. I try to do my best in everything, and I also
have a pretty open mind.
HOOKED: Which is the most special track to you and why?
Daren: Don't Belong To Me (Track 6) - I wrote it for Beauty
World, when Ah Hock (his character) expressed his affections for Ivy
Lee (the female lead). It's very special for me because it is the first
song that I've written that has been released commercially. And I'm
really happy that I managed to write one song for my first album.
HOOKED: So how has the experience of promoting the album been for you?
Daren: It has been very busy, having to go round and do concerts, signings, appearances and more. But I'm enjoying it.
HOOKED: How is it like being an "idol" now?
Daren: Really exciting. But
sometimes it can get quite tiring and I've to sacrifice some of my
privacy. I'm definitely a lot more conscious over my image now, and
more aware of how I have to be a good example to younger kids.
HOOKED: Speaking of privacy, any thoughts on the Edison Chen scandal?
Daren: Well, I've a clear
conscience, so I've no worry over scandals. I also know what I will do
and what I will not do. I definitely won't do what Edison did, and also
things that will give me a bad image.
HOOKED: Let's talk a bit about your experience in the musical Beauty World. What was it like?
Daren: It was an eye-opening
experience. I felt very humbled during rehearsals because there were so
many people who were more accomplished than me - they could sing, dance
and act so well.
I had to learn how to sing all over again,
and put my pop singing roots behind me because pop singing and musical
singing are vastly different. Thankfully, Ivan Heng and Irene Ang were
really helpful and they guided me along, so yes, it was a very good
experience for me.
HOOKED: Any plans to participate in more musicals in the future?
Daren: Well, I really like
acting, so I hope to act in a musical at least once a year. I will
definitely be acting in the upcoming year. I'm also picking up the
skills for playing new musical instruments like the piano, to
facilitate my composing. It's not too difficult because I had learnt
organ for 6 years in the past.
HOOKED: So how do you compose?
Daren: I used to compose on a
guitar, because I didn't know how to play the piano then. I usually do
the chords first, so if the chords feel right, then I'll develop it
further. For me, it's all about the feel of the song, and then the lyrics come in at a later stage.
HOOKED: What do you usually write about then?
Daren: I usually write
about love because that is the closest for me, and I also feel that
love songs are the easiest for people to connect with. But I hope to
experiment with faster numbers in the future.
HOOKED: What does it feel like singing such personal songs about love on stage?
Daren: Well, it doesn't
bother me that much because it's more about getting the emotions out
there to the audience. And I think it's nice when people enjoy my
songs.
HOOKED: Now that we're on the topic of music - what does music mean to you?
Daren: I cannot live
without music. I mean, I really grew up with music. My mum used to send
me for angklung classes when I was young, and I was in the choir in
secondary school, so music is really important to me.
HOOKED: Who are your musical idols and why?
Daren: In terms of composing, I
would say Jay Chou, because I think that his composing skills are
extraordinary. In terms of singing, there are many good singers out
there but I don't really emulate any specific singer. I just try to
learn from all of them.
HOOKED: What
are your plans for future albums? Do you intend to write and produce
the entire album, or to go experiment with a different musical genre?
Daren: I think I'll be
sticking to pop because that's where my strengths lie. But it's also my
first album and so I've not really thought that far ahead. Perhaps in
the future, I could experiment with R&B, because I've mainly done
rock, pop and ballads for this first album.
HOOKED: Now for the more personal questions. Do you have any hobbies? What do you do in your free time?
Daren: Sleep
(laughs)! I sleep a lot. I also like to exercise, especially playing
soccer. I usually hang out with my friends when I'm free, like go out
to watch movies or go for a drink. And of course, I also try to spend
time with my family.
HOOKED: So how has it been like having to balance your private life and your public life?
Daren: Well,
sometimes when I'm outside and I'm recognised by people, I turn a blind
eye to them. I guess all this recognition comes with the job.
I
used to feel insecure at the start, especially when I had to handle
criticism. But now it's better, and I'm more used to walking along the
streets and getting recognised.
HOOKED: Do you feel like you have a public side and a private side?
Daren: Definitely, but for
me, the division is more obvious when I'm performing, because then, I
have to portray a persona to fit the song, but when I'm offstage, not
really. For me there's a very fine line between my public life and
private side.
HOOKED: Any secret indulgences?
Daren: I love food (laughs). I eat everything.
HOOKED: Any favourites?
Daren: I love Japanese food because there is a wide variety. I also enjoy local delicacies like laksa. I love laksa. I'd travel all the way to Katong just to eat it.
HOOKED: Any incidents previously which have been life-defining moments?
Daren: Not really, because I think that everything that has happened thus far, has all been by chance.
I
wasn't expecting to join Project Superstar 2 because back then, I was
still in the army and I didn't know what was happening in the
entertainment circle.
But my army friends kept pushing me to join and so I went for the
auditions, but I never expected to get into the next round, or even to
win, eventually.
HOOKED: What was the competition like for you?
Daren: It was very
stressful. I had to learn how to handle the media, how to deal with
criticisms, and had to continually improve in my singing.
But
it was also a very good experience because I made very good friends
through it, like Wen Hai, Le Sheng and Jon. We don't really get to meet
up very often nowadays, but we're still good friends.
 HOOKED: So how does it feel to be on the cover of Cleo's "Top 50 Eligible Bachelors" list?
Daren: It was pretty exciting. (Laughs) We had a lot of fun during the shoot.
HOOKED: What was it like?
Daren: I had to go topless and they put a lot of oil on me. It felt a little
awkward at times because I had to pose really close to the girl. But it
was quite fun, almost cute.
HOOKED: Any interesting incidents with female fans after the magazine was released?
Daren: A lot of them wrote many encouraging comments on my blog. Some went to buy the magazine and asked me to autograph it for them.
HOOKED: So what does the blog mean to you?
Daren: I guess it's a gateway for people out there to know more about
me. I don't post very frequently, but it's mainly for my fans to have
updates on my life.
HOOKED: Are you close to your fans then?
Daren: Yes, to some of them. I'm actually good friends with some of them.
HOOKED: How did you all become such good friends?
Daren: Well, they would wait for me
regularly at Medicorp and buy me drinks and food. After that, I knew a
few of them better and now, we're good friends. My fans are very
sweet.
HOOKED: Do you have any dreams?
Daren:
Yes, definitely! I dream of going overseas, of breaking into overseas
markets like the Taiwan and China markets. I also want to write more
songs. And oh, also to act in movies. I love gangster films, so I'd
like to act in them, hopefully.
HOOKED:
So which director do you hope to work with and why?
Daren: I hope to work with Royston
Tan because he's also my good friend and I really respect him. I think
he has the guts and the vision.
HOOKED: Where do you see yourself in ten years' time?
Daren: Hopefully married.
HOOKED: Why?
Daren: Because in ten years' time, I'd be so old! (Laughs) I'd definitely want to have kids too, because I love children.
I'd also like to have my own business. If I could, I'd like to continue
in this music industry, but also have a business on the side. I'm not
sure what area for now, but I'm exploring various options.
Daren Tan's humbleness, likeability and easy charm make one
hard-pressed not to root for the guy in whatever he sets out to do.
Right now, he is making waves in the entertainment industry, neither
out of sight nor out of mind. And he seems intent on maintaining the
status quo. HOOKED
Pictures courtesy of http://www.darentan.com/
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