Digital Cover: Yan Ting Chau and Jace Chan x Sandro x Emphasis
Sep 13, 2024
Yan Ting Chau and Jace Chan are the names to watch out for on Hong Kong's music scene. The musical buddies talk to David Ho about their career trajectory, staying resilient in the face of the grind, and their viral friendship
To many, success in the public eye can seemingly happen overnight. After all, many have blown up from being part of a social media trend, having random soundbites or songs become viral hits, appearing on reality shows, being meme-fied, or becoming infamous for the most random of things. It would appear that fame and fortune are just one lucky soundbite away.
But the truth is, many music artistes spend a lot of time toiling away until they can generate enough buzz to get on the radar of mainstream audiences. Sadly, many don't make it and those that do have often paid their dues with a slow, steady and persistent climb to the top.
Yan Ting Chau and Jace Chan may be hot names on the music scene now, but it also took them time and effort to get to where they are. In fact, Chau was on the verge of giving up before he had his breakthrough.
"I've been plugging away at music since I was 15," he says. The 34-year-old singer was raised in Singapore and spent years honing his musical skills while trying to land a recording contract. In 2009, he made it to the top 100 on the fifth season of the One Million Stars singing competition show in Taiwan. A few years later, he eventually signed to a label and released his debut single "Gonna Be Alright" in 2015.
Despite several songs to follow, record label shuffles forced him to suspend his work as an artiste and put his career on ice. By 2020, he had given up on making it in music and moved back to Singapore to be with his first girlfriend and focus on directing instead. "So in my heart, I thought 'that's it, singing is over, my career is done.' I failed as an artiste my first time around. When no one really knows who you are, you can't really release any more songs," he admits candidly.
But then, an unreleased song of his "Regret" was selected as the theme song for ViuTV's Ink at Tai Ping in 2021. Despite some urging him to capitalise on the buzz, Chau declined to return to Hong Kong as he intended to propose to his high school sweetheart in Singapore. Unfortunately, things didn't work out as planned and the couple parted ways.
After a period of licking his wounds, Chau headed back to Hong Kong to be closer to family. He decided to close out his music life with "Metanoia" in 2022, which was supposed to be his swan song. But the ballad picked up steam with music lovers and his collaboration with YouTubers JFFT (Just For Fun Team) also netted him further attention.
"So I decided to come back to Hong Kong, and I had one last song. I thought if this was going to be the end, let me edit everything myself. So I did the whole marketing campaign, shot the music video. I did everything! That was like a final letter that somehow gained momentum and traction step-by-step," he recalls.
Refreshed from his break and galvanised by a newfound interest in his music, Chau decided to strike while the iron was hot with a string of singles. This time around, fortune was in his favour as the songs were well received. Earlier this year, the track "Three Lives of Luck" even made it to the top spot on both RTHK's Chinese Pop Chart and ViuTV's Chill Club Recommendations List. He was also invited to perform with the likes of Cantopop #legend Sammi Cheng and held his own solo concert in May 2024.
Even as he enjoys the sweet rewards of finally breaking through, he remains philosophical about the struggles before it. “The key is understanding that you don't always get to enjoy what you do. Sometimes things happen that you have no control over. It's not what happens to you that matters, but how you react to it. So in order to stay resilient, you have to understand it's not you, sometimes it's just life. You have to detach from the negative emotions, and just put one foot in front of the other, take it a step at a time,” he says.
Chau is understandably grateful for the second wind in his career, which is bound to feel surreal. Jace Chan, his long-time friend in the music industry, also shares the same sense of wonderment at making it in the intensely competitive business.
"In the beginning, I wasn't sure if there was a chance for me to be in the music industry. But I've been passionate about music since I was a kid and hoped to one day be involved in it. That’s why every chance I had, I made sure to upgrade myself with different skills for when the opportunity finally arose," says Chan.
That go-getter attitude saw her move from being a dance teacher to a host for Billboard China and Universal Music's UMWebzine, where she got up close and personal with many musicians. "Every time I interview music stars, I learn something from each of them. One thing that really inspires me is how they all believe in themselves," says Chan. "They are also very humble and kind to other people. For example, I interviewed Jacky Cheung, who is a superstar but remains very humble. He treats everyone so well and spreads joy to everyone around him. That’s why I remind myself to always be humble like him and to make the people around me happy."
Along the way, Chan built up an audience by uploading cover songs and performing with the band Dusty Bottle. This caught the attention of Universal Music who first signed her. Chan made her debut in 2019 and has been racking up quite a number of hits since then. Her most recent song is the duet "Gradually" with Mirror's Edan Lui.
That's not to say her rise has been without challenges. Like Chau, Chan also found herself besieged by record label issues. But she kept a line open with fans via her YouTube channel and found an eager audience still awaiting her when she released her comeback EP Hatching under her own label Jace World last year.
"I can stay resilient because I’m doing something I like and am passionate about. When I'm invited to speak to students in different schools around Hong Kong, I share that we should find something that we are passionate about instead of just following the usual path of society. This way, we are less likely to give up in the face of challenges," says Chan. "Of course, I get down sometimes too. But with the support from family, friends and fans, I get more confident and keep going for my dream."
It also helps to have friends and collaborators in the tough business. The two stars have known each other for years and worked together on a lot of things. A clip of the two performing together went viral when Chau saved Chan from stumbling on stage by holding her back. The two consummate professionals quickly went on performing but netizens loved the support shown in that brief moment.
Chau is surprised by how much audiences have enjoyed watching the clip. “I saw one of the videos, which has 12 million views. It’s also gaining traction in Brazil and Portugal and we’ve been getting so many followers from Latin America. Like, what the heck?” he says. Chau describes their relationship as being “like older brother and little sister” and says her enthusiastic energy helps to balance out his more serious personality.
“We have known each other for so many years, that’s why we have such a good dynamic. We’ve grown together and I think Yan Ting is a steady person who makes me feel grounded. He is always giving me advice!” says Chan.
The two met at Universal Music when Chau was signed to the label and Chan had just joined as a host. “I remember talking to her once, and I said ‘you don't want to be a host, right? You want to be a singer.’ And she agreed. During those years, she was my assistant director on many projects and we did a lot of music videos together. Then she became a popular artiste herself, and then I was doing mostly director stuff. So it's kind of interesting how things work out,” Chau recalls. “Eventually I came back, became an artiste again, and then started working with Jace as well, like on today’s #legend shoot. So it's a full circle moment for me, that's great.”
Both stars have busy schedules ahead. Chan is preparing to release “a more cheerful, bright and happy song” called “Pamper Ü” while Chau is planning his next solo concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum to support the release of his debut album To Whom It May Concern, which gathers 16 songs that span his career to date.
Having weathered the pressures of their respective breakthroughs, we have no doubt this duo have the smarts and fortitude required to keep at it and continue rising above the ranks. If either of them should stumble, it’s comforting to know these two friends and frequent collaborators have each other’s backs.
CREDITS
Creative Concept and Production / #legend
Photography / Issac Lam
Styling / Kellie Chan
Hair / Kenki Lau for Jace, Milk Chan for Yan Ting
Make-Up / Echo for Jace, Daniel Ng for Yan Ting
Art Direction / Ip Siu
Photography Assistants / Jason Li and Tom Tong
Art Direction Assistant / Naomi Chui
Pic 1 - On Jace: Black leather crop jacket, burgundy turtleneck and indigo denim shorts _ Sandro. On Yan Ting: Black leather jacket, logo long-sleeve and trousers _ Sandro.
Pic 2 - Grey suit and white shirt _ Sandro
Pic 3 - Printed jacquard jacket and trouser set, and white T-shirt _ Sandro
Pic 4 - On Jace: Brown check blazer, blue check collared shirt and khaki shorts _ Sandro. On Yan Ting: Beige knit cardigan and shorts, and grey knit jumper _ Sandro.
Pic 7 - Grey Prince of Wales check jacket, and black skirt, cowboy boots and Tangoso bag _ Sandro
Pic 8 - Burgundy leather jacket, white vest top with rhinestone detail, blue flared jeans and black ankle boots _ Sandro