Utopia, hell & utopia again

By Timothy Ser

The 24-year-old American Chi- nese singer-songwriter Wang Lee Hom seldom performs with instruments. But the truth is he can play piano, guitar, drum set, bass guitar and violin.

He can also speak English, Mandarin, French, and some Cantonese.

At the moment, Lee Hom is a heartthrob of millions in Asia.

However, asked whether he had any happy moments recently, he paused and said, “My brother’s wedding, 2 years ago.”

He seems not very happy now.

Utopia

His goal is to produce music that can inspire young people.

“My language is my music,” said he.

Apart from music, memories of his school days console him.

Lee Hom graduated from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, in the U.S.

“This is a utopia,” said Lee Hom with a charismatic smile.

His college is in the middle of a valley where there are almost no cars.

There he enjoyed and treasured longlasting friendships.

“There is no discrimination,” said he.

“Gays, lesbians, blacks, Asians, whites can be real good friends.

“The place is so small. Everybody knows each other.”

That is really a good place compared with the place he is at now.

“I am close to hell,” he said.

Hell

Artists are afraid of news media now.Lee Hom is no exception, especially when facing the local news media.

His rise to fame does not help him face up to the media, though he does not want to do so, either — no matter with paparazzi, reporters or the series of award presentation ceremonies, to name a few.

Last Christmas, when he got a goodbye hug from one of his schoolmates whom he had not seen for awhile, a reporter caught that moment and made up a story about this “love affair”.

And once, after attending an awards ceremony, he just burst out, “I was so bored! I did not like going.”

But he had to.

Said he: “The media is so powerful.”

There is more.

Last October, a Taiwanese news agency asked if he was gay, a rumour that was sweeping around corners at that time. He denied it angrily.

In his eyes, the media are as funny as they were 6 years ago, when he released his first album.

“I was nicknamed something like ‘new good boy’ in the first album. Then the ‘high quality idol’ came next,” said he.

He said these names were all interesting, but he did not like any of them.

Discontented, he started posting his journals weekly on the web site of Sony Music Taiwan, so as to make himself clear to others.

“I can tell my fans all my feelings without misinterpretation,” said he.

As a public figure, Lee Hom has many restrictions. But he is satisfied with himself.

“I have many musician friends behind the screen. They always say that I am good and they envy me so much,” said he. “The grass is greener at the other side. I am really lucky already.”

Utopia again

“In the meantime, I’m going back to New York,to the life I miss so much — never going to bed, but sleeping when sleep overtakes me in front of my computer, or when I have a guitar in my arms.

“This is the life that I have been away from for the last 6 months, and it’s high time to go back. Wish me luck and inspiration, and I’ll see you next time with a brand new album filled with new sounds, new beats, and new adventures.” Words from Lee Hom’s journal No. 30.

Asked what he would do on his next holiday, he replied immediately, “I will go to Hawaii and play on the beach with my friends.

“To swim, to eat, and to have fun,” said he.

At this time he probably is back in his studio, working day and night on his songs, doing his mixing, playing his instruments.

Time slips away with no awareness of it in his mind.

There is no need to shave, to shower, to wear make-up or to smile, in the absense of flashes.

The studio, or Hawaii, or maybe freedom, actually, is his utopia.