It was only supposed to be a two-month vacation. But Nicholas Teo ended up taking a much longer break from his career – three years, in fact.
The 35-year-old Kuching-born artiste, who is known as Zhang Dong Liang in Mandarin, said he was only supposed to go to New York for two months for an acting course, and then return to Taiwan to sign a contract and start working again.
“But somehow, it didn’t happen. I was actually in a room with the contract in front of me, but I pulled out of it at the last minute,” he recalled.
According to Teo, he stopped short of signing it because the person who had helped him get the contract in the first place had left the company, and because she was the one he trusted the most, he decided to pull out of the contract for the time being.
But how did the hiatus end up being three whole years then? “I was just waiting for the right moment. I started thinking about what I wanted out of my career – was signing to a big label so soon really what I wanted?” he said.
“In the end, I listened to my heart and went with my gut. I took a break to work on my music and to find myself.”
It’s a well-deserved break indeed. Ever since he won the Astro Talent Quest 2002 and moved to Taiwan to further his career, he has been one of the most prolific Malaysian artistes based in Taiwan.
He has released seven full-length albums, won numerous awards (including Most Promising New Artiste at Taiwan’s Golden Melody Awards in 2003), and played the leading role in popular Taiwanese drama Smiling Pasta.
In 2008, he was named Malaysia’s Favourite at the MTV Asia Awards, beating the likes of Datuk Siti Nurhaliza, Faizal Tahir and Pop Shuvit.
For his comeback, Teo recently released a book titled Long Vacation, which is about his experiences and feelings during these past three years. The book also comes with a CD featuring three songs – the first new music Teo has released since his Let’s Not Fall In Love Again album in 2011.
“It is basically a book about how I felt and my emotions in these three years, with pictures I took when I was travelling,” he said. “Since I haven’t been in the business for so long, we thought it was a good way to make people understand where I’ve been, and why my music is different.”
Another reason for the long vacation was to recharge his batteries and find something new. “I wasn’t physically tired, but probably mentally. This new direction for my music – it’s a good direction for me,” he explained.
In terms of process, he is a lot more hands-on now. “Before, I would pick my own songs. The team would collect songs, I would listen to them and send them to get lyrics done. My part of the job is done.
“The producer did the rest – the arrangements, the musicians ... and when the music’s there, I would go to the studio and sing for a day, and the next thing I know, the CD is in my hands,” he explained.
“But now I’m more involved – we pick the musicians together, and when they do the sessions, I’ll try to be there to plan the arrangements. It’s also not just the producer telling me how to sing – I know how to do it myself now. I’m learning, growing, and it’s a new me now.”
But how different is the Nicholas Teo today from the one three years ago? After a bit of thought, he answered: “Before, there was a lot of packaging and marketing reasons about how I looked, the songs I sang, and so on.
“It wasn’t a bad thing, but I think I’ve done enough of that. Now I prefer to minimise the packaging and focus on the content more.
“I think I’m truer to myself now ... more authentic. What you see, what you hear now, is very close to what I really am – the real Nicholas Teo.”
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