By her own account, Jasmine Yen is an introvert. Despite growing up in the spotlight her father is Donnie Yen, the prolific actor known for his roles as the titular character in the Ip Man film series as well as Hollywood blockbuster franchises Star Wars and John Wick, while her mother is former beauty queen and model Cissy Wang - she has always been "very shy, even from a young age".
"Even now, I can't have conversations easily with my parents' friends - I'm just that shy. I struggle to talk to them, and I'm practically wordless."
On stage, however, it's a different ball game. When an opportunity to hold her first live performance at this year's Majulah Music Night festival came, the 19-year-old singer-songwriter took it. She was in town in July this year for the performance, and there was no trace of shyness when she took the stage at the music festival, performing confidently without missing a beat.
And it's not just the technical perfection that sets her performance apart. By her third song, the crowd was chanting her name as Jasmine constantly engaged the audience with effortless charm and an aura of confidence - impressive for someone who was "kind of hyperventilating and crying backstage out of nervousness" before performing in front of a live audience for the first time.
"It was intense, but I forced myself to stop crying because I had a performance to deliver," she says. "I went on stage, and I was really nervous, but I slowly eased into it. The audience in Singapore is so friendly, and I love that they were interacting with me. Afterwards, when I went offstage, that's when the floodgates opened and I started crying again [this time out of joy]."
When we first met for this cover shoot, it was less than 24 hours after she debuted as an official singer-songwriter. Two weeks later, the reality still has not sunk in.
Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av Her World Singapore.
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Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av Her World Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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TREASURE ISLAND
When plans to demolish the Merlion Tower on Sentosa were announced in 2019, some Singaporeans were sad to see one of the island's most iconic attractions go. After all, the quirky creature – with the head of a lion and the body of a fish – had been a significant part of their memories of Sentosa.The 37m-tall, 12-storey structure, completed in 1996 and designed by Australian sculptor James Martin, was a focal point for laser light shows and projections that transformed its ivory facade into a vibrant display of colours.The Merlion Tower was a popular attraction for families. Singaporean couple Anand and Vrunda Patel would often take their children there for outings. Vrunda, now 50, fondly recalls climbing the structure and admiring the views of Sentosa from the Merlion's mouth. “Outside the Merlion, there was a beautiful step garden with flowing water. I used to love walking there,” she shares.Years later, the statue, covered in dirt and grime, required a refresh. The demolition was not only part of a larger vision to connect Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) in the north to the three beaches (Palawan, Tanjong and Siloso) on the island's south, it was also the start of a massive rebranding project to transform Sentosa from a recreational family destination to a premier lifestyle attraction.Today, Sentosa Sensoryscape stands in its place. Set within a lush landscape, the 30,000 sqm attraction features a 350m-long connector that leads visitors to six sensory gardens – where they can explore the gardens’ massive vessel-like sculptures, observe the various flora and fauna inhabiting the space, and interact with Instagrammable light displays through an augmented reality app after nightfall.“To attract younger visitors, our additional focus is on creating more authentic and immersive experiences, recognising that this demographic seeks deeper, more engaging interactions with the places they visit,” says Thien Kwee Eng, CEO, Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC).Just as Sensoryscape is designed to create an otherworldly atmosphere after dark, the Sentosa Night Mode campaign, launched in August, aims to introduce the island as a day-to-night destination for both locals and tourists, who would typically only make day trips to Sentosa. In addition to more nightlife events – such as the recent Waterbomb Festival, which saw about 10,000 revellers partying to a live K-pop line-up – the initiative includes extended operating hours at key attractions, along with street performances and dining promotions.It’s a move that has boosted visitorship to the island, with total numbers reaching 16 million this year.“This is a 20 per cent increase in the number of visitors as compared to the same period last year,” reveals Kwee Eng.
TAKING THE LEAP
It’s 10 am on a Monday, and Gan Guoyi, 40, walks into Jigger & Pony with a set of dry-cleaned clothes – a picture of calm amid the aftermath of last night’s chaos. The Singapore bar recently secured a spot in the Top 5 of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024 list, announced in Madrid on Oct 23. To celebrate, she threw a three-night promotion from Nov 10, where customers enjoyed five premium cocktails for just $5 each at select bars like Gibson, Live Twice, Sugarhall, Como Pony Jakarta, and Jigger & Pony.Naturally, the event was a hit, and Guoyi, who was manning the guest list at Sugarhall, only managed a few hours of sleep the night before. Still, she arrives promptly to our photo shoot without complaints.
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