When Joyce Cheng Yan-yee is mentioned now, the praise is louder than the criticism.
In 2016, with the song “Goddess”, she won three Ultimate Song Chart Awards: “Ultimate Song Chart Top 10 Third Place”, “My Favorite Female Singer Award”, and “My Favorite Love Song Award”. That year, she was so emotional when receiving the awards that tears streamed down her face. Do you still remember how she sang in “Goddess”?
“Do not lower your head, the halo will fall off,
You are a goddess, do not converge colors for worldly eyes.”
For some reason, watching her chubby figure confidently singing made many people unable to hold back their tears.
Looking back on Joyce’s career, everyone knows it has been full of obstacles. During those years, like many girls, she was either trying to lose weight or on the path to losing weight, causing everyone to often focus on her figure. Even her “second-generation star” status, as well as her performances, have been heavily criticized and ridiculed, leading to a complete erosion of her confidence.
Until today, she finally turned the booing into applause by relying on her own hard work and seriousness to achieve a perfect reversal.
Earlier this year, she won the “Ultimate Songstress Gold Award” for the first time, and with her passionate and generous nature, she once again shed tears on stage. Grateful for her success in the music industry, she expressed that there were many mixed emotions in her heart. She mentioned that in the process of seeking everyone’s approval, she even played the role of “Mou Man Bou”. Looking back on her past experiences, she now finally holds the title of “Hong Kong singer” Cheng Yan Yi. This affirmation is not only celebrated by the event organizers, the audience, but even the whole of Hong Kong cheered and applauded for her, creating a touching and memorable scene.
After winning the award, Xinyi returned to reality. How will she continue on her path as a singer? What are her expectations for herself? What profound insights does she have on “beauty,” “happiness,” and “confidence”? Today, let us continue to feel the emotions she had after winning the award and listen to her sharing once again.
“I will work even harder to make my dreams bigger, broader, and more imaginative.”
“Starting today, everyone please call me ‘Hong Kong singer – Joyce Cheng’.” Joyce said this after winning an award. She expressed that she is “very eager” about the identity of a singer. Despite growing up in Canada since childhood, her love for Hong Kong has never diminished. In 2008, when she decided to come back to pursue her dreams, even though her family advised her to return to Canada, it did not shake her determination to enter the industry.
For Joyce, music was a very important companion in her growth.
“Through music, I find a sense of security, resonance, confidence, and a channel to express my emotions. Therefore, music has been extremely important in my growth process.” Joyce may seem bold and passionate in her performances, like a happy pill, but she actually says she is not good at expressing her inner world in words. Only music helps her release her emotions, allowing her to freely run towards every corner.
Therefore, for the sake of music, she devoted all her efforts to achieving her dream. “I have perseverance, I believe in something, so I will fight to the end, using all my strength to strive for it,” Joyce firmly stated. And the fact proves that she really did her best. In order to enter the industry, she even lost nearly 100kg, dieted, induced vomiting, took medication, exercised… went to great lengths, all for this musical dream.
Now that dreams can come true, she recalls the day she received the award, with many friends coming to offer blessings and encouragement, even though it was a scene from two months ago, it is still fresh in her memory. After the applause, she looks forward to starting anew. “Winning the award is certainly happy, but for me, it’s just a process,” she continued, “Getting any award doesn’t mean ‘I can relax now’ or ‘I can just chill’, absolutely not! I will only work harder to make my dreams bigger, broader, more imaginative, and then with even greater effort, create more and better things.”
Having endured the pain of growth, she has learned to adopt a humble attitude towards life.
“Maybe not everyone knows, and I don’t know why, but from a young age, when I had self-awareness, I already felt that I couldn’t float up to the sky.” However, in the face of everyone’s support, she still feels grateful: “I don’t know if this is the most suitable time, but I am very happy that everyone thinks I am suitable.”
All’s well that ends well.
“I’m Comfortable In My Own Skin”
In ancient times, there was the aesthetic standard of “slender Yan and plump Huan,” but in modern society, it seems that “plump” is a kind of sin. Especially Joyce’s figure has always been the focus of public discussion. In order to lose weight, she has subjected herself to physical and mental torture, even experiencing emotional problems; in addition to her figure, Joyce also openly mentions the pressure she faces in terms of appearance. In order to create a more pleasing public image, she candidly says, “I used to always force myself to wear a suit, with a more ‘tomboy’ image; then the eyeliner can’t be too high, because if it’s too high, it will look cunning; in appearance, I have to be more approachable, draw thicker eyebrows, look a bit silly…” Joyce couldn’t help but exclaim, “It’s too much! Uncomfortable, just be comfortable.”
Later, she gradually distanced herself from the public and returned her focus to her true self, slowly climbing out of the mud.
Now she is no longer entangled in her body shape, she expresses her thoughts through songs, and once released “Have you slimmed down enough?” to express her feelings. She said, “Because we are in this industry, especially in front of the camera, we are constantly criticized. But in fact, that confidence should not come from others, but from oneself.” I ask, which girl doesn’t want to be flattered by words of praise? Instead of continuing to forcibly cater to others, Joyce gradually realizes that catering is necessary, but the target should always be oneself. Her attitude towards beauty seems to no longer be limited to external objective factors such as “height, weight, and aesthetics.” It is a higher level of starting from the heart, thus achieving self-realization of beauty.
On the day of the interview, Joyce appeared energetic, and even the photographer couldn’t help but praise her good condition. Seeing her slightly slimmer than before, during the casual chat, she revealed that she is currently following a ketogenic diet. From Joyce’s conversation, it is not difficult to see that her current state is really good, filled with hope, and this hope probably comes from this self-appreciation, living with a relaxed and comfortable attitude.
“I think it’s because I feel more comfortable, I’m comfortable in my own skin,” Joyce said, speaking in a somewhat old-fashioned way. “It may sound old-fashioned, but my beauty no longer comes from my appearance or body shape, and I feel that this kind of beauty is always more long-lasting than anything superficial.”
Joyce, who has become more positive and optimistic, revealed that even at home, she would carefully do her makeup, put on beautiful clothes, and dress herself up. “Now I am not the thinnest in my life, nor am I the fattest, nor am I the youngest in my life, I am 35 years old this year.” She paused, took a deep breath, and said, “But I have never really had confidence in my appearance, and now I do.”
Beauty should never be limited by size, but rather by attitude.
While everyone was trying hard to cover up her curvy figure, we encouraged her to show it off in this shoot. Wearing a crop top to reveal her stomach, she not only didn’t shy away from the camera, but confidently moved her body, completely letting herself go, allowing us to feel even more the radiant charm of her confidence.
“I constantly remind myself that even when the world stops, I must keep spinning.”
Talking to Joyce all the time, I can feel that she has very high expectations of herself, and she also describes herself as a “troublesome” person who is selective and persistent. Whether it’s work, casual conversation, or leisure, she sees every moment of life as a learning opportunity. “Because through listening to your sharing or your stories and thoughts, I am expanding my horizons and practicing empathy; but when I share my thoughts and stories with you, I am practicing how to be a singer. Because every singer is actually telling a story when they sing,” Joyce explained.
In “Joyce is Moist,” “Princejoyce” is all smiles and full of vitality. But she says she is actually a very pessimistic person, then she adds, “But, deep down, I am optimistic, it’s just that at the end of the day, I am optimistic; however, throughout the whole day, I am very pessimistic.”
Inherently optimistic, but most of the time in a state of pessimism, Joyce has found a way to reconcile with the world and herself, reclaiming her self-worth. However, this does not mean that she is always strong inside. She still doubts herself, denies herself, and feels inferior. She will also cry when talking about emotional topics.
“I was still crying last night, and I suddenly started crying during the interview just now,” she explained. “It’s a very contradictory thing because I have to work very hard to achieve my wellness, but the concept of wellness is to work less.” However, she is very clear that she doesn’t want to stop. In her free time, she will try to schedule herself for dance classes or push herself to film makeup tutorials, just to make the most of every minute.”
“I constantly remind myself that when the world stops, I must keep spinning.”
“Because my confidence comes from ‘I have done my homework’.”
Curiosity about the world, allowing her to continuously learn and progress. Joyce is grateful that she has been blessed with a huge curiosity by heaven, so that whether experiencing lows or growing and thriving, she always maintains interest in the people, things, and the world around her. And confidence is the most precious treasure in the harvest.
The present her may not be strong enough to carry the weight of this world, but what can be certain is that she will continue to explore a greater inner self through constant listening and observation. “I know that no matter which stage of life I reach, or what achievements I obtain, I will always have a heart that wants to continue learning and exploring.”
“Being willing to share and listen to everyone’s perspective is already a form of love.”
Coming from a single-parent family, Joyce has been through a lot – she has been overly expected, hit rock bottom, and even cyberbullied… Fortunately, there has always been love in her heart along the journey of growth, allowing her to save herself. From being teased by netizens day and night, to now being widely recognized and appreciated, how does Joyce digest all of this?
“I am very grateful and thankful for everyone’s love.”
Receiving acceptance and love from the public has also become a motivation to continue working hard. She hopes to give back this love through music, hoping that everyone can understand more about Joyce Cheng from her songs. Singer Joyce Cheng may just be a title in the reports, but for Joyce, it is actually a sense of confidence, a vision.
During the interview, the world was also going through many things. People gathered various emotions, and the interview with laughter and tears finally came to an end. We asked her the last question:
Is the current Jacqueline Chung happy?
She couldn’t help but shed tears again, unexpectedly.
“It seems like no one has ever asked me this question.”
After a moment of thought, she slowly revealed:
“Happiness.”
Two simple words, evoking a myriad of emotions. Watching her tears fall, we feel what she has experienced. These are not tears of sadness, but tears formed from years of experiences, filled with feelings, emotions, and memories.
Joyce shared that on the morning of the interview, she sent a message to the people she cares about the most, sharing that she felt fortunate. This small interaction inspired her to say, “I may not agree with everyone around me’s perspective, but I think that if two people are willing to share and listen to each other’s perspectives, that is already a form of love, a way to bring happiness to each other. So, I have friends around me who are willing to listen to my perspective, who are willing to share their perspectives, I have clothes to wear, food to eat, a place to live, how can I not be happy.” After composing herself, Joyce smiled at us.
We believe and wish her happiness always.
Life is so wonderful. You never know what kind of journey you will embark on next, or what you will encounter along the way. Joyce understands that only through learning and growth can this journey not be in vain. The world is changing, but at the age of thirty-five, Joyce believes more firmly that people never change. “I don’t think people change, but people grow. So I feel that at 35 years old this year, I am the most mature version of myself.”
“What else do you want to do in the future?”
Joyce thought for a moment and said, “I hope that before I die, I can go on a tour. This is something I have always fantasized about since I was young. To be able to travel around by bus or plane with a group of people, performing in different places, meeting different people.” There is nothing impossible in the world, many underestimate their own power, maybe one day we will see her perform in another part of the world, and her music will spread to different places. Everyone is looking forward to that day, hoping that Joyce will continue to shine brightly.
–
Executive Producer：Angus Mok
Producer：Vicky Wai
Photography：Olivia Tsang
Videography：Andy Lee, Angus Chau
Styling：Vicky Wai
Make Up：San Chan
Hair：Milk Chan @ Xenter
Video Editor：Andy Lee
Editor：Carson Lin
Designer：Edwina Chan
Wardrobe：adidas, NET-A-PORTER, YOOX, SWAROVSKI, Maje
