'We finished 2 pandan cakes in a day': What Wu Qing Feng ate when he was in Singapore and how his latest album was birthed in dreams

Taiwanese singer Wu Qing Feng is such a fan of Singapore's pandan cakes that he and his team have managed to polish off two whole cakes a day since they arrived.

The former Sodagreen frontman made the startling confession during an interview with AsiaOne when he was in town to perform at the One Love Asia Festival and to promote his solo album, Mallarme's Tuesday.

"I got to try a lot of good local food at the hotel and we will finish two whole pandan cakes every day," said Qing Feng.

"As I seldom eat sweet stuff these days, I save my daily quota for the pandan cakes," he confessed with a laugh.

The 40-year-old singer has had to savour Singapore's delicacies in the comfort of his hotel room though, as his tight schedule on this trip has not permitted him time for leisure activities.

Qing Feng, who was last in Singapore eight years ago, has largely been out of the spotlight the past few years after Sodagreen's disbandment in 2018. The band later regrouped and released fresh music under a new name, Oaeen, in 2020.

Speaking about his recent solo effort, Qing Feng shared that the album came about "by fate" and was put together through a series of collaborations with other artistes, one of them being our very own Stefanie Sun.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by 吳青峰 (@imqingfeng)

The concept, he shared, is centred on the idea of a "salon" visited by a revolving door of customers, or "special guests" in this case.

Qing Feng added that most of the songs in the album had come to him, quite literally, in his dreams. He described how the song The Great Hypnotist, was one creation which "kicked him awake" and basically demanded to be written down.

"I had recurring dreams two years ago in which I composed many melodies," described Qing Feng. However, he added that his waking mood at the time "did not match the happiness and positivity of the music I created in my dreams".

Deciding that he would be doing a disservice to the song by not honouring the emotions felt at the time, he initially recorded only the melodies without any words.

Interestingly enough, after the 12-song album was done, Qing Feng shared that he "never again dreamt about composing music".

He surmised: "Maybe I'm just a vessel and I'm being used to deliver different messages," revealing that the process has also helped him to "resolve my inner demons" and changed his perception of dreams.

"Before [this experience], I felt like dreams were perhaps evil or mysterious, but now I have a greater sense that dreams are what has guided me and helped to push me forward."

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci9ozeFJ9fU/[/embed]

While he admits to being someone who "goes with the flow" when it comes to his creative side, Qing Feng shared, however, that he has a motto which he abides by every day.

And that is, "I have to do what I'm supposed to do today, and do it well".

When the topic of conversation came back around to food, Qing Feng's face visibly lit up as he shared what he would be having for dinner.

"We ordered our dinner [fried carrot cake] on the way here and I'm really looking forward to it," said Qing Feng, who is vegetarian.

Overflowing with excitement at the prospect of digging into his fried carrot cake followed by chendol for dessert, he added: "Because I don't need to sing anytime soon, so I don't have to care and I can eat whatever I like."

candicecai@asiaone.com

No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.