PUBLISHED ONAugust 22, 2022 11:46 AMByKhoo Yi-HangSingaporean singer-songwriter Huang Yida returned to the stage after taking a backseat for nine years since 2013 and he's understandably feeling nervous.
In a recent interview with Lianhe Zaobao about how he feels joining the Chinese reality TV series Call Me By Fire 2, Yida shared that his long absence from the limelight has had some impact on his confidence.
"I'm very nervous because I haven't been on stage for a very long time — my legs were shaking when I took the first step," the 43-year-old singer admitted.
"The stage [where Call Me By Fire 2 premiered] is grander than concert stages, so I felt like, 'Wow, okay. It's definitely worth it to experience stepping onto such an elaborate stage!'"
Call Me By Fire is a competitive reality TV show where 32 male stars who have faded from showbiz take on each other in group battles. Contestants are eliminated until a final group remains, ultimately making a fresh debut as a new boy band.
Yida is one of the 32 competitors and the only one from Singapore. He made his showbiz debut in 2004 and was nicknamed the male Stefanie Sun due to how similar they look.
Although he had multiple popular songs including Jerk and My Anonymous Darling, his most famous song is She Told Me, released in his 2005 album Exclusive Code. The song has since garnered over 4.9 million views on YouTube.
Other noteworthy participants in the reality show include Alex To, Alec Su, Richie Jen, Julian Cheung, Jordan Chan, Van Ness Wu, Wilber Pan and Kenji Wu.
Recounting the moment he was approached by Call Me By Fire's production team, Yida said: "I was very nervous, but when I heard them say, 'Just think of it as something fun', I felt the same as well…
"The day after I signed the contract, I was nervous again. I felt fearful and regretted my decision after thinking about the many people who would be there."
And the number of personalities living and working in close proximity left "invisible psychological pressure" on Yida.
"The first few days, I was worried about getting along with everyone. We're all mature and we'll keep a lot of comments to ourselves. Everyone has a different tolerance level and we may not know the other person's limits when it comes to jokes or conversation topics.
"There's a constant worry about whether we've said something wrong or whether some jokes crossed the line, and all these are invisible psychological pressure."
The format of a reality TV show isn't something that Yida is entirely familiar with either.
Said Yida: "I was not used to it at first, but later I felt that I would be more comfortable if I just treated everyone as a friend.
"Thinking about the camera all the time affects my mood, so I just stopped thinking about it. I'm very glad to meet a lot of friends and every day I spend with them doesn't feel like a day on the set of a show."
Yida also encountered some familiar faces on the show, such as Alex and Zheng Jun.
"I listened to Alex's songs when I was younger and I even played his songs during my performances; to think I actually met him! I also remember buying Zheng Jun's albums!" Yida gushed.
He also produced one of Alec's songs in 2007 and acted in a TV series Star Boulevard with Jordan that same year.
Going down memory lane, Yida also expressed gratitude towards whoever recommended him to Call Me By Fire's production team.
Referring to the benefactors he's had in his journey to stardom, Yida said: "When I was around 16 to 20, I met Paul and Peter Lee; when I was 20 to 30, it was Sony Music Entertainment; and when I was 30 to 40 I had friends who went with me to Thailand where I practiced how to let loose and let go. These benefactors opened doors in my life for me to move forward."
Yida added: "I still don't know who recommended me to the show's team, but I am very grateful to this person, they are my benefactor."
He may face steep competition in this reality show, but Yida intends to focus on enjoying himself.
Yida humbly said: "I don't think about it that much, I'm very zen and normal.
"My motto in life is that I don't have to be the protagonist and I don't need to be brilliant, but every day has to be colourfuI. I used to be imprisoned by my work and couldn't live my life, but now I enjoy every day. Even if it's work, I have to enjoy it."
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