Music brings happiness, music brings freedom. Since the age of 6 when she started playing the piano, the piano has opened up her musical journey. She composed her first piece “Happy Little Girl” in front of the piano, and to this day, she continues tirelessly in her creations, bringing forth moving melodies year after year.
The story begins on a rainy workday twenty years ago… On that day, she casually wrote down “I Am Really Hurt.” In the dim light and soft music environment, we got to know the name Ivana Wong in the purest and most direct way. She thus embarked on a career in music and performing arts, immersing herself in the chase between creation and life, giving her an inexhaustible driving force. Even in the highly regulated Cantopop industry, Ivana can freely dance from the heart in the notes she loves, radiating the infinite brilliance that creation brings her.
Music is art, and Ivana Wong loves art, so it is only natural that the story intertwines Ivana Wong and art.
After twenty years of experience and growth, Ivana, who has always longed for challenges in creation, has recently decided to embark on a musical art journey. This is not just about variations in musical styles or the flexibility of singing skills, but a journey that starts from an artistic perspective, truly inspiring more emotions and thoughts through music. Coincidentally, due to the sudden outbreak of the epidemic last year, Ivana had to stop her busy creative work, which gave greater inspiration to the newly started musical art journey, rediscovering the original intention of creation in more time and space for reflection, and reexamining certain values in life.
In recent years, Ivana has ventured into different creative fields. What experiences does she hope this journey will bring her? As both a creator and performer, how does she interpret the subtle relationship between music, art, and Ivana Wong? Before the journey sets sail once again, let Ivana share the scenic views she has seen on her artistic journey.
「它對我來說，就如一個『恩典』」
“The phone rang, it’s your turn to speak.”
A song that was released in early 2000 and officially launched in 2001, without extravagant promotion, but with the deep interpretation by the “God of Songs” Jacky Cheung, “I Am Really Hurt” became a classic hit song, until later everyone learned that the song was actually written by Ivana. The leisurely melody and murmured lyrics, once hummed, have been twenty years. Even though “red songs are popular first,” for the vast number of music fans, “I Am Really Hurt” has become synonymous with Ivana. What does this classic song in the music industry represent for Ivana?
“This song, to me, is like a grace.” Because this song gave Ivana the opportunity to make her first public performance on stage, the image of formally introducing herself as Ivana Wong to her fans is still vivid in her mind. Starting from the day she wrote those lyrics to today, where it is associated with “Ivana Wong,” the significance accumulated by “I Really Hurt” in these twenty years is deeply profound for Ivana. Besides the fact that the song has provided her with some assistance on her creative journey, it has also made it easier for her to introduce herself. “So, I am grateful for everything related to ‘I Really Hurt’ and the things that have stemmed from it.”
Besides being a grace, it is also a diary, teaching her to savor the creative mood of that time until now.
“At that time, working in the computer department of a certain company during the summer, I, who didn’t understand computers and didn’t want to disturb my busy colleagues, sat in my seat and looked up to see the rainy day outside the window. I casually picked up a pen and wrote the first two lines, then unexpectedly completed an entire set of lyrics.” Ivana recalls the birth story of “I’m Really Hurt,” everything is just like this little tune that makes you feel the simple and light power. Whether a song can become a classic doesn’t necessarily require outstanding achievements, singing emotional lyrics gently can be more touching and profound, flowing gently in the music industry and even in your life.
“I used to treat it as just an ordinary song”
“If it weren’t for last year’s (pandemic) that changed the entire work and lifestyle patterns, I might have neglected it because I was busy with other work.” Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the release of “I’m Really Hurt,” Ivana invited many friends who have accompanied her and grown together over the years to reinterpret this classic song in their own ways. A small retrospective turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as Ivana openly admitted that she was never active on social media platforms before the pandemic, nor did she see it as a platform to express herself. It wasn’t until the sudden change that she was able to pause and connect with more people, inspiring this heartwarming and fun retrospective project.
Today, looking back at such an important song in life, Ivana actually said, “I used to treat it as just an ordinary song”?
There have been many performances in the past, whether it’s considering the theme, emotional expression, or arrangement, Ivana deliberately did not choose this song, because she used to think that every performance included “I’m Really Hurt” seemed too obvious. However, until today, sitting down and reflecting again, she re-understood the meaning that everyone heard or felt, which is even more significant than what she felt. “It seems like picking up this feeling again now is like being happy,” she said with a bright smile.
Sometimes music has this magical power to take you to a farther place, giving you a huge impact that you never imagined. Even though our lives face uncontrollable changes, coincidences seem destined to happen, creating more room for reflection. The stagnation of the body opens up the mind and thoughts, allowing her to rediscover happiness.
「很簡單。王菀之愛音樂和藝術」
“In fact, music is art, so Ivana Wong loves art.”
Ivana said this in the most relaxed and natural way, expressing that her relationship with art is just that simple. She loves different types of art and is easily moved by different art forms. Starting with “Painted Thoughts” to commemorate Van Gogh, the 33-word powerful long sentence expresses her sympathy, affirmation, appreciation, and regret for this artistic master from her poignant and delicate voice; then there’s “Polka Dot Queen” to pay tribute to Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, with a fervent avant-garde arrangement that perfectly matches Kusama’s artistic style. Ivana even went to Japan to visit the 98-year-old artist herself and personally explore the art designs left by Yayoi Kusama; and in another song “Lost Art,” she writes about the pain of artists’ lonely lives.
The combination of music and art always carries an indescribable wonderful relationship, sounding familiar but always hard to pinpoint where to start. “In fact, art has always influenced everyone’s daily life, it’s just that when everyone is used to certain things in life, they often overlook its existence.” Ivana uses a candlelit dinner as a metaphor, pointing out that careful arrangements are actually achieved by different arts. It can make you enjoy peace of mind when nothing happens, but if the lights or music in the restaurant are turned off during a lively moment, your senses immediately notice that something seems to be missing around you, and you start to feel uneasy.
Through this subtle observation of life in recent years, it has slowly become the main theme in Ivana’s creations. She hopes to rediscover those long-overlooked #TheMissingSomething, “or hope that it will become some elements that everyone will rethink in life.” Ivana realizes that she wants to embark on a journey of music and art, using art as a perspective to create music, bringing art closer to her own music and sparking more thoughts. Until one day, after writing “Jade,” Ivana decided to officially embark on this journey and hopes to go further and further.
Even in the Guangdong music industry, in Ivana’s creative world, frameworks and rules are just a small obstacle. “This melody, if calculated with technical formulas, should hardly appear in Cantonese pop songs.”
Ivana, who appears gentle and refined on the outside, is actually a fierce warrior when it comes to creating.
She shared that she has been dedicated to creating for many years and has always been very brave in seeking challenges. Last year’s official release of “Jade” is the best example: “At that moment, I was in a very nervous state, and I really wanted to write down ‘Da Da Da, Da Da, Da Da Da (the prelude of ‘Jade’)’ in one go. Music theories like four beats, three beats, chord changes, I threw them all away; at that moment, if I felt the sun was purple, then it was purple, if I felt cold, then it was cold, and these slightly more abstract images, in fact, can already be fully reflected when I am writing the melody.”
As Ivana said, “Yes, this is destined to be difficult; when faced with difficulties, find a way to deal with them.” Ivana openly admitted that the production of “Jade” actually exceeded her own abilities. She personally worked on the arrangement for over 200 hours, and decided to travel to the extreme cold of Iceland to shoot the MV, bringing along a few people and a real piano just for a few minutes of footage. Perhaps it is this level of dedication that brought Ivana great satisfaction after completing the work.
“I certainly hope it can get better and better, but that sense of satisfaction has already surpassed the producer or how everyone evaluates it, it’s just a state of ‘I finally did it’.” Ivana’s face showed an excited expression.
“I am looking forward to see if I can write ‘I Am Really Hurt’ again.”
The creative process is intoxicating, with most people seeing it as a longing for the freedom of creation by the creator. However, every creator actually enjoys the process of working hard, unconsciously engaging in a self-tango. “In the past, there was more calculation in my mind about certain technical aspects of creation.” Ivana shared some of her past creative habits, revealing that even with unrelated topics, whenever she starts writing, her mind is always filled with thoughtful calculations. Just like the wild imagination of “I Come from Mars,” it will always be softened by the subtlety of “Doomsday” in the end, transforming into Ivana’s creative magic.
Ivana has opened up an artistic perspective, hoping to embrace a “polarized” attitude in her future music creation journey. Polarization does not mean being extreme, but rather hoping to feel a sense of honesty from the extremes. “After 20 years of growth, changes in personality, and all the accumulation of experiences and growth, the simplest things may not be able to be done again.”
I look forward to whether the current self can write “I Am Really Hurt” again; or, if I want to write a very simple, or a song that everyone can understand as soon as they hear it, can I still write it?
However, this century’s pandemic has inspired Ivana’s creative mindset. “I have freed up a lot more than before. In the past, when I was creating, I always thought, ‘If I want to make a catchy song, I should do this first, and then that…’ Often, because of these formulaic constants, I would end up giving up on making that song.”
Ivana continued, “But if you simply believe in that moment, whether it’s a ‘jade’ or a song that only plays slowly on the wifi at home, to me, they are the same in essence because they honestly record a certain fragment of life, expressing what I want to convey at that moment; whether this scene can be repeated in the future? Maybe not. Being able to capture that moment is the magic of creation.”
「我覺得『好玩』是由始至終不可或缺的元素。」
“Being fully committed is key.”
Before meeting Ivana, I already felt that she must be a “fun” person through her on-screen performances or interviews. After this filming collaboration, it further strengthened the impression that she is not only talented but also full of humor. During the shoot, she would suddenly channel Charlie Chaplin, performing one-legged acts, singing, dancing, telling jokes, heating up the atmosphere, and bringing joy and positive energy to everyone.
The personality of “playful” may seem negative, but it actually plays a positive role for her. Especially as a performer, Ivana shares that whether in music creation, movies, or stage performances, if she feels uninterested from the beginning as “not fun,” the end results are usually not ideal.
“Full commitment is key. When you are fully committed, you will find the fun in it, then you will free up all constraints, and can interpret and express more freely and fully, and the audience will keep absorbing your energy.”
Perhaps every singer, every actor sees “perfection” as a standard, but Ivana believes that “attitude” is more important than “status”. Even when facing unstable on-site conditions or unexpected challenges, the magic of being fully engaged often comes into play at this moment, making the mindset powerful and miraculously helping performers overcome all difficulties.
Art is meant to be imaginative and unexpected to be exciting.
Perhaps it is because of her “playful” and “fun-seeking” personality, whether in speech or in gestures, the Ivana in front of us seems like a “child.” Unpredictable and full of whimsical ideas, she inadvertently reminds people of the wild sister in “Nodame Cantabile.” They both have a keen musical intuition and nimble fingers that dance crazily on the keys, hiding a childlike heart underneath. In front of music, they are like children, playing with toys as they please, full of joy and naturalness.
Ivana also admits that she is a person with childlike innocence, and even worried at one point whether she was too childlike. Even after getting married, her childlike innocence not only did not decrease but instead “skyrocketed”, undoubtedly influencing her thinking, drawing, and creativity. As for whether this is a good influence or a bad influence? “Maybe when I am very happy, it makes me talk non-stop, which then strains my vocal cords, that is an influence.” Ivana said with a smile, “Although I’m not too sure whether this is ultimately a good or bad influence, the point is that it has an influence.”
Outwardly cheerful, behind the scenes, everyone has their own worries and troubles. “I may look happy on the outside, but how can I not have a sad story?” Everyone has their own way of expressing emotions, Ivana shares that she releases her feelings through her work. “I am quite fortunate because I am a performer, I can release through performance.” She continues, “So, when I still have the opportunity for others to see, or if I still have the ability, I will choose to be a little jumping bean. Because everyone has more than one sad story, there is no need to be reminded of those things at that time. So why not let that little jumping bean meet everyone first?” “‘It’s just as simple as that,’ sometimes it’s just that simple.”
“Understanding oneself seems quite fun. Because one always thinks they understand themselves.”
Besides being fully immersed in every moment of creation, Ivana finds it “quite fun” to understand herself. “Because I find it very difficult, you always think you understand yourself, and then after experiencing certain moments, you will always be scared and introspective: ‘Why are you like this?’ So I believe that after a while, I still do not understand.” Ivana continued, “As for whether I understand the real me, I probably don’t understand it very well, and it is even possible that I have forgotten the real me.”
The vastness of the world easily leads people astray, because of not understanding, so they strive to find ways to know themselves. Over the years, Ivana has used music and art to get to know herself and the world. Unlike most singers who are commercialized, she prefers to make music that she likes, avant-garde, and experimental. In her hundreds of songs, how many people have noticed the sidetracks in her albums “Infinity Journey,” “Read My Senses,” and “The Songbird Anthology”? These songs may not become popular hits, but they bring warmth, emotion, and impact that are no less significant.
Ivana revealed in this interview that a new work will be released in March, marking the official start of her musical journey after “Jade.” She disclosed that the theme of the new song has never appeared in her previous works, making it a very distinct piece. The message conveyed in it is something she has been eager to share with everyone recently, and it holds significant meaning.
Ivana, who rarely accepts interviews, this time, she rarely let us into her crazy world, and we chatted about the things and emotions of this vast musical art journey. Whenever she talks about her views on creation and music, she becomes very excited, as if a child is sharing her beloved toy with you, exuding sincere joy. I believe that not only her music, but also her personality will deeply attract anyone.
With a charm different from ordinary pop singers, because of Ivana Wong, she allows us to understand art through pop songs, remembering that popular culture can also be a form of art. After reading this interview, why not take the chance to revisit her past songs before anticipating her new works, guaranteed to make you fall in love with this rebellious figure in the music industry again.
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Producer: Vicky Wai
Photography: Simon C.
Videography: Andy Lee, Mandy Kan
Styling: Vicky Wai
Make Up: Janice Tao
Hair: Jo Lam@SALON TRINITY
Video Editor: Andy Lee
Editor: Carson Lin
Design: Tanna Cheng
Assistant: Mandy Kan
Wardrobe: Simone Rocha x H&M
